Autumn lawn care tips

When starting a lawn from seed you’ll always get better results by sowing when conditions are gentle and the moisture you apply stays in the soil – which is why autumn is ideal. The varieties in Yates LawnSmart All Season Lawn Seed germinate readily in Autumn and, because they prefer cool conditions, they’ll continue growing though the winter months and into next spring. Thus, they’ll be well established before they’re forced to cope with the stresses of their first summer.

Yates LawnSmart All Season Lawn Seed can be used to grow an entire new lawn, or to oversow or patch an existing one. The tall fescue in the mix has a relatively broad leaf blade, which helps it to blend in with established kikuyu and buffalo lawns.

Maintaining a consistent moisture level is a critical factor for success when growing grasses from seed. Don’t let the soil dry out at all until the seedlings have emerged. Once germinated, water more deeply but less often, and the grass will be gradually trained into developing a deeper, more drought-resistant root system.

The quickest way to get a new lawn is by laying turf. Turf’s the term for ready-grown grass rolls that come with a thin layer of soil protecting the roots.

In order for the lawn to establish well, the roots of the grass must be encouraged to grow from the turf down into the soil. It’s obvious that this will happen far more readily if the soil is well-prepared beforehand. Remove weeds before you start by spraying with Zero weedkiller. Cultivate to a depth of about 10-15 cm and mix in some Dynamic Lifter Turf Starter. This clever product is a blend of composted chicken manure and water-storage crystals. When the new turf is in place, water well. The moisture will move down through the new turf to the soil below where it will then be stored by the water crystals. As the roots grow they’ll gain access to this stored water, and to the gentle fertiliser in the chicken manure. 

March is an important month to feed established lawns. This helps get them into top condition before the cold weather arrives. Yates Dynamic Lifter Advanced for Lawns, which combines organic chicken manure particles with extra mineral nutrients, is ideal for promoting healthy grass.

One of the easiest ways to feed the lawn and, at the same time, control weeds is by applying Yates Weed ‘n’ Feed. Yates Weed ‘n’ Feed comes either in a convenient liquid hose-on pack, or as a dry granular formulation.