Spring Kikuyu & Couch Lawn Care: How to Control Weeds, Feed Your Lawn and Stop Curl Grubs

Discover the three essential spring kikuyu, couch and ryegrass lawn care jobs: controlling weeds, feeding your lawn and protecting against curl grubs to keep your lawn healthy and green.

Choosing the right spring lawn program for your lawn

Whether you have a buffalo, kikuyu or couch lawn, spring is the ideal time to restore colour, encourage growth and prepare your lawn for the spring growing season.

Knowing the type of lawn you have helps choose the best lawn care products. This spring lawn care guide is ideal for kikuyu, couch and ryegrass lawns. Have a buffalo lawn? Read our dedicated Spring Buffalo Lawn Care Guide.

Winter is over and your lawn is ready to wake up. As soil temperatures rise and days become longer, spring is the ideal time to tackle the three most important lawn care jobs: controlling weeds, feeding your lawn and protecting it from damaging curl grubs.

With a little attention now, you can set your lawn up for a greener, healthier season ahead.

1. Control weeds before they take over

Clover is a common broadleaf lawn weed

Spring warmth encourages vigorous lawn growth, but it also triggers common broadleaf lawn weeds such as bindii, clover, cudweed and capeweed. The best approach is to tackle weeds early, before they flower, set seed and spread. Early spring control of bindii is particularly important, as bindii seeds are the prickles!

Weed Control in One Easy Step

Yates Weed'n'Feed Weed Killer & Lawn Fertiliser combines selective weed killers to control a range of the most common broadleaf weeds plus provide the lawn with nutrients to promote lush green growth.

Benefits include:

Ideal for use on common lawn types like kikuyu and couch (not suitable for buffalo lawns)
Controls common lawn weeds including bindii, clover, dandelions and capeweed
Treats 260 m² of lawn
Convenient application with the Click & Grow garden care system
The starter kit includes a reusable trigger

Alternatively, choose Yates Weed'n'Feed Weed Killer & Lawn Fertiliser in a handy 4 L hose-on applicator.

Buffalo Tip: Got a buffalo lawn? Buffalo lawns can be sensitive to some weed killers, so it's important to use a buffalo-safe weed killer like Yates Lawn Weed Killer Bindii & Clover Buffalo Lawn.

2. Feed your lawn for lush green growth

After winter, lawns can often look pale, thin or lacking vigour. Spring feeding replenishes nutrients, promotes recovery from winter, encourages strong root development and healthy lush thick green growth into the warmer months.

Fast and Easy Feeding

Yates Dynamic Lifter Lawn Food & Soil Improver delivers lawn nutrition using the Click & Grow trigger, making lawn feeding quick and simple.

Benefits include:

Ideal for feeding all types of lawns
Fast-acting nutrients for a green lawn
Slow-release ingredients to promote long term soil health
Treats 210 m² of lawn
Use with a Click & Grow trigger

Granular Nutrition

For gardeners who prefer a granular fertiliser, Yates Dynamic Lifter Lawn Food combines the goodness of chicken manure, blood & bone, fishmeal and seaweed. It provides slow-release nutrients to feed buffalo lawns, and the rich formula helps build healthier soil.

Spring Tip: Apply fertiliser when rain is forecast or water in well after applying.

3. Protect your lawn from curl grubs

Curl grub

If patches of lawn start to become yellow and brown, or turf can be lifted away from the soil like loose carpet, Curl Grubs may be the culprit. Curl grubs are the larvae of pests like the African black beetle, live in the soil and chew through lawn roots.

Spring is one of the best times to control lawn grubs before populations increase and serious damage occurs.

Stop Damage Before It Starts

Yates Grub Kill & Protect for Lawns provides protection against common lawn-damaging pests including curl grubs.

Benefits include:

Controls curl grubs, other lawn beetle larvae, and caterpillars like lawn armyworm
Helps prevent root and leaf blade damage
Protects lawn health during the peak spring growing season
Easy application for preventative and curative treatment
Provides up to 6 months of curl grub protection

Spring Tip: Check affected areas for curl grubs by lifting a section of turf and inspecting the soil beneath. You may also see birds pecking at the lawn, searching for grubs. Early curl grub treatment helps minimise lawn damage and speeds recovery.

Spring Lawn FAQs

When's the best time to feed my kikuyu, couch or ryegrass lawn? Spring is the ideal time to start feeding your lawn, followed by additional fertiliser applications in summer and autumn to promote ongoing healthy green growth.
When should I spray for bindii? Bindii plants grow vigorously during winter and will start flowering and setting seed (their prickles) in early spring. As soon as bindii plants are noticed, they should be treated with a lawn weed killer like Yates Weed'n'Feed Weedkiller & Lawn Fertiliser.
What's the best way to get my green lawn after winter? As soon as temperatures start to increase in late winter and early spring, that's the best time to start feeding the lawn to promote green growth.
Should I aerate my lawn in spring? If the soil under your lawn is hard and compacted, aeration in spring is a great idea. Aeration promotes better access of water, nutrients and oxygen down into the lawn's root zone. Read our tips on how to aerate your lawn.