How to Care for Your Lawn this Autumn

The leaves are changing colour and the nights are cooler, which means it’s the perfect time to get in the garden. Autumn is the ideal time to establish a new lawn, and also give some TLC to established grass, so your lawn is ready and waiting for use when spring rolls around.

Yes, you can grow grass in autumn. In fact, autumn is ideal for seeding a lawn from scratch as moisture stays in soil more readily, and climate conditions are gentler. The grass varieties in Yates LawnSmart All Season Lawn Seed germinate readily in autumn and will have your lawn ready to go by spring.

Maintaining a consistent moisture level is essential when growing grass 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.

If you have bare or well-worn patches on your lawn, autumn is the perfect time to sort them out.  Use a fine top soil on top of the bare patches, rake it over, then mix lawn seed with Yates Dynamic Lifter Organic Lawn Food. Scatter the lawn seed over the areas you want to patch up, and keep moist for a few weeks as the grass establishes.

Early autumn is a great time to lay new turf - but don't forget to prepare the area and soil prior to laying. In Autumn, it won’t be exposed to extreme heat or cold, doesn’t need as much water, and because people generally don’t use lawns as much in autumn and winter, so it will have a few months to properly establish before being used a lot. Warm season grasses such as Couch, Kikuyu and Buffalo grow well in early autumn, and cool season grasses such as Bent, Fine Fescue and Ryegrass grow well throughout autumn.

Lawns can be heavy traffic areas with play and entertainment causing damage during the summer months, so it’s time to alleviate that compaction. Compacted soil limits the amount of nutrients and water that can penetrate the grass roots. By aerating an established lawn, it can loosen the soil and allow water, nutrients and air to be absorbed more deeply. This allows for deeper root development and a healthier more drought tolerant lawn. Aeration can be completed using a mechanical or inexpensive hand corer. Hand corers are great for small, lightly compacted areas but it is highly recommended to use mechanical methods for areas that are large or heavily compacted. Mechanical corers can be hired, or a contractor organised to do the job. Cores should be made every 2.5 x 5 cm.

As winter approaches, weeds can overtake turf. Many of Australia’s common broadleaf weeds are winter annuals, this means they germinate in autumn and grow through spring. Mid-autumn (April) rains are generally what kick starts weed growth, particularly bindii. Removing weeds in the autumn before they develop into a larger problem and start setting seed is vital in having a great lawn but also in reducing seed germination the following year. Hand-remove weeds when you can and use Yates Lawn Weed Control products to help control various growing weeds. Remember weeding isn’t just a job for autumn; keeping on top of weed control throughout the year will keep your lawn healthy and feeling soft all year round.

Winter Grass is beginning to establish during autumn and best control results are achieved either before or just after germination. To get winter grass under control use Munns Professional Winter Grass Killer. It contains propyzamide, a pre and post emergent herbicide. Apply in autumn to suitable lawn types to prevent winter grass, or, during autumn and winter to control young winter grass seedlings.

Cut your lawn differently during the autumn, to make sure it will look its best when spring comes. Cool season grasses such as Ryegrasses, Kentucky Bluegrass, Bentgrass, Fine and Tall Fescues should be cut short in order to let the sun reach the bottom of their blades, and warm season grasses such as Couch, Buffalo and Kikuyu need to be left taller to protect them from frosts.

Your lawn still needs water even though it’s not the height of summer. While you may not see any damage from heat stress, you will be missing out on the lateral growth and root development that lawns love to engage in this time of year. This is important for density going into winter and for summer next year. A good soaking once or twice a week will keep turf green and healthy throughout the winter.

Buffalo, Couch and other warm season grasses don’t grow much over cooler months, so give them a helping hand to stay in peak condition with an autumn feed. Yates Dynamic Lifter Organic Lawn Food combines organic chicken manure particles with extra mineral nutrients and is ideal for promoting healthy grass throughout the cooler months, so it will still look great when spring arrives.