WHAT IS A GOOD LAWN?
Talking to the post man one morning standing by the letter box, he made this statement to me!
"What type of lawn is this? When I first started delivering to you I was afraid to ride my motor bike over your lawn in fear of crushing down the grass with my tyres. But I soon found out that the grass appeared so strong that no marks were left behind as I rode over your lawn."
The Lawn he continued on talking to me about;
Munns PIXIE SUN N SHADE SMARTGRASS.

To establish a successful lawn a well-prepared soil base must be created. Lawn grasses need a firm but not compacted soil structure. Good surface drainage is most important, especially where there are heavy traffic, sloping or shaded areas. Following these lawn tips will help prevent the development of

Lawn Fungi and Moss and provide you with a good healthy lawn that last you for years and will be the envy of your neighbours. This of course depends on how you look after it during each year.

ROTARY HOEING

It is important to remember that if you expect a strong growing, healthy lawn that is going to last for a long time soil preparation should be top of the list when sowing a new lawn.

Prior to rotary hoeing, eradicate weeds using a Munns Glyphosate 450 non-residual spray. Make sure you follow the directions carefully for all herbicides and chemicals. Remove large to small rocks and debris that are buried below the surface of the future lawn area. Clay type soils should have the soil conditioner Gypsum Clay Breaker added at the rate of 1kg per square metre, plus the addition of 5cm of medium grade, double washed quarry sand. Spread this evenly over the area and thoroughly rotary hoe into the top 10cm of clay soil. For sandy soils work in a good Organic Compost to bind the sand together and mix in Munns Weta-Lawn & Garden to help retain moisture and add trace elements which are lacking in sandy soils.

You have now finished the base area for the lawn surface. Make sure that this level is 3cm below the lawn edging or pathway.

PREPARING THE SEED BED

If the final lawn surface is not prepared then you will end up with a turf looking like this photo on the left. The preparation of the top ground surface is important before sowing your lawn seed. The top surface should be free of weed growth, stones, sticks and lumps of soil. The lawn seed needs a top layer that is pliable and effortless for the new roots to penetrate deep into the ground and establish themselves before the hot weather arrives. A lot of people only half prepare the surface area and end up renovating the entire lawn again two years later.
Now when you are ready to start seeding, top dress the area with 1-1.5cm of sandy Lawn Loam. Alternatively rake and lightly roll the area. High spots should be evened off and low ones filled in until the area is firm and level. Add a straight piece of timber to the rake and this will give wider coverage when filling in or lowering the levels of the lawn surface. A simple gauge of firmness is that footprints should not be seen more than 1cm deep. Final levels should be approximately 1-1.5cm below the lawn edging or pathways.

For those people who wish to plant their lawns later in the year it is a good time to prepare the lawn area now and spray the weeds as they germinate. This method helps to eradicate most of the weeds before seeding takes place and insures the new lawn seed has less competition with strong growing weeds sapping up the moisture and fertilizer.

SEEDING

When seeding a new lawn it is important to consider the shade, sun or soil conditions when selecting the lawn seed. Lawn seed information.


Ants can present a problem during seeding and seed germination. Before you start sowing, check the area for signs of ant movement or nests and eradicate the ants before they remove your newly planted seed. To find their nests, sprinkle down some biscuit crumbs and look attentively to where they go. Eliminate them with LAWN GRUBS, LAWN BEETLE GRUBS AND SLATER KILLER or BAN ANT.

Rake the surface soil in straight lines making shallow furrows. Mix seed with a lawn starter fertilizer Munns Superstart at the rate of 1kg to 10sqm.

PLEASE NOTE : Read the directions on the packet before you seed the area.

Broadcast the seed mix evenly over the seed bed, either by hand or with a spreader, then lightly cross rake. On sloping areas, cross rake only to prevent seed washing down the slope. I have found a light covering of Coprapeat will help keep the surface moisture in the ground and around the seed. This method also tends to prevent the birds spotting the seed.
You should then water the area with a fine spray. It is imperative that the top soils remains moist for the first 15 days to complete germination. Gradually reduce the frequency of watering but increase the volume of water each time. During germination time water the whole lawn area in the morning and follow up during the day by lightly watering only the small dry areas every hour or when needed.

WATERING

Ideally, water in the early morning and up to midday, as water evaporation from the leaves is quite rapid. Give your lawn longer, less frequent watering. Deep penetrating irrigation systems that wet the soil to a considerable depth encourage deep rooting and result in a more vigorous, higher quality turf. An application of a wetting agent can make a difference in watering and establishing a healthy new lawn.

PLEASE NOTE: A newly planted lawn will take up to 12 months before it has established a deep root system. Therefore, your lawn will require more watering during its first summer, to enable it to develop to it's fullest drought resistance potential.

MOWING

New Lawns: Should be mown when seedlings are about 5-6cm high, even if this entails only partial mowing of the area. Remove only about 1 cm from the tips.

Established Lawns: Mowing height is an important factor in promoting healthy lawns. No more than 30-40% of the leaf area should be removed at any one mowing. The greater the percentage of leaf removal, the greater root growth stoppage occurs. Lawns that have been cut too low will have less ability to withstand heat stress.

This then causes irrigation and fertilizing to be used more frequently and disease problems tend to increase. Mowing heights in summer should be approx 5cm. This helps to shade the lawn root system and top soil helping to conserve moisture. In winter drop the mower to approx 2.5cm, this will let the light, air and warmth into the lawn which will help to prevent moss and fungi from developing.

HEYNE'S NURSERIES Pty Ltd. Beulah Park Garden Centre's lawns are maintained by TOORAK GARDENS LAWN SERVICE.

These are the areas John Penny services, ADELAIDE SUBURBS:- BURNSIDE, DULWICH, ERINDALE, GLENUNGA, HAZELWOOD PARK, KENSINGTON, LEABROOK, LINDEN PARK, MYRTLE BANK, ROSE PARK, TOORAK GARDENS & TUSMORE.
John Penny can be contacted on Mobile 0417 086 724

FERTILISING

Generally we recommend you fertilize twice per year (Spring and Autumn).
Munns Greenup can be applied at the rate of 1kg per 20sq metres, but in poor soils extra applications of Munns Golf Course Green Organically Advanced Lawn Fertilizer during the year will produce a greener stronger lawn.