Lawn care 101

From mowing and pests to weeding and feeding season by season, discover lawn care basics for grass you can be proud of.

Mowing

Mowing is the best form of weed control. During the warmer months, mow your lawn weekly. In the cooler months, mow every second or third week.

The next thing to consider is mowing height. It makes sense to assume that if you mow your grass extra low, you can space out your mows and reclaim your weekends, but this is a mow no-no. The lower you go, the more often you’ll need to mow.

The right height for mowing your lawn depends on your grass variety. Below is a general guide for mowing heights for the top five lawn varieties. In shady spots, increase the mowing height.

If in doubt, stick to the rule of a third. That is, never cut more than a third of the total height of your grass. If your grass looks brownish after you’ve mowed, you’ve cut down too far and your grass may need several weeks to recover.

Does equipment matter?

In short, yes. As with most things, you get what you pay for when it comes to lawnmowers, so it’s worth spending that little bit extra upfront. It’ll save you in the long run. For help choosing a mower, check out our guide to picking the perfect lawnmower. At Flower Power, we're proud stockists of the Husqvarna Power Garden range of lawn mowers, line trimmers and garden tools - check out the complete range online. Choosing a quality tool such as a Husqvarna lawn mower will mean less time and effort spent on maintenance, and more time doing things you enjoy in the garden.

Give your lawnmower some tender loving care in the form of a service at least once a year. Also regularly check the blades - clean, sharp blades will make the experience quick and easy and leave a beautifully crisp finish.

Don’t love mowing? Give Flower Power Garden Care a call and let us mow it for you.

A note on spreaders

Handheld spreaders make the task of applying fertiliser to your lawn accurate and easy. Save dipping your hands into bags of fertiliser or risking burning your lawn with hit and miss applications with one of these handy devices.

Feeding and weeding your lawn

Spring

After its winter snooze, your lawn is springing to life, which means it’s hungry. Unfortunately broadleaf weeds are also actively growing. So to help get it off to a good start, strengthen its roots and beat weeds, give your lawn a weed and feed combo, such as Yates Buffalo Pro Weed ‘n’ Feed, which is safe on grass but effective on all broadleaf weeds. Click to learn more about spring lawn care.

Summer

Summer can be tough on grass. Heat, drought and insects can stress it out. Feeding your lawn in summer protects and strengthens it against these problems. Feed your lawn over summer with Scotts Lawn Builder All Purpose.

Autumn

Autumn creates the perfect growing conditions for your lawn. The combination of cool nights, warm days, plenty of rain and morning dew are as good as it gets for grass. In autumn, your lawn is growing and looking for the nutrients it needs to recover from summer damage. Feeding strengthens roots and increases nitrogen storage for a green and healthy lawn come spring. Feed your lawn with Amgrow Buffalo Lawn Fertiliser.

Winter

As the weather cools, your lawn goes into a state of slowed growth or in some cases, semi-hibernation. Your lawn may lose its dark green colour, and it will become slower to regrow and repair damage. With less daylight and lower soil temperatures, lawns are at their most vulnerable and unable to stay as healthy. So the secret to a beautiful lawn in winter is to do the groundwork in spring, summer and autumn.

How to get greener grass

Many lawn care products feature high nitrogen and iron levels, to give you greener grass, like Scotts Lawn Builder Extreme Green Lawn Food, which can be applied year-round, (although results may be slower in winter) and is best applied after mowing and when rain is not expected.

When should you spray for weeds?

Bindi and winter grass are often not treated early enough to tackle. We often wait until we spot the ugly problem, but these weeds need to be treated before winter. A bindii spray will tackle broadleaf weeds at the same time and most weed and feed fertilisers can be used in spring, summer and autumn.

How to fill gaps in your lawn

If you lawn is patchy around high traffic areas, like near your clothesline or letterbox, consider adding stepping stones or a path as a long-term fix. Or try a patching product such as Brunnings Turbo Patch Repairer For Lawns or a seed and feed product such as Lawn Builder Lawn Thickener.

Common lawn pests

White curl grub & black beetle

White curl grub can cause a lot of damage to your lawn when it feeds on the roots of your grass. Black beetle will attack by feeding on your lawn. Early signs of white curl grub appear as patches of turf which seem to be dying off and a drying out of the grass while you'll notice patches that have been chewed away if it's black beetle. As soon as you notice damage, treat with a insect killer such as Amgrow Professor Mac 3 in 1 Organic Insecticide, fertiliser & Wetting Agent or for an organic option try eco-grub.

Army worm

Army worms are another lawn pest, and are most prevalent in warmer months. Army worms feast on your lawn at night. For this reason, it can be difficult to pin the blame on them for damage to your lawn. If you notice a patch of lawn that’s slightly shorter or thinner or looks like it may have been recently mown, you may have army worm. Army worms can be treated with a lawn insecticide, such as EcoGrub 3 in 1 for Lawns and Gardens. For an organic alternative, use eco-neem.

Laying turf

New turf is a great way to revamp a lawn that looks less than lush. Click here for a full run-down on laying down your new lawn, or watch the video below as we show you how to DIY!