This is the perfect time of the year to rejuvenate old tired lawns, sow new or lay instant lawns. The ground is starting to warm up and will encourage lawn seed to germinate faster.

SEPTEMBER
Most lawns tend to look rather sad after winter and a lawn that is yellow can spoil the whole appearance of the garden.
This is the ideal month to fertilise all varieties of lawns giving them a kick start as the spring weather starts to warm the ground. For a good reliable fertiliser that contains a slow release nitrogen I suggest you use Munns Greenup. This product will help your lawn grow thicker and greener for months without making extreme growth. If you have an abundance of broadleaf weeds in the lawn, September is the preferred time to strike these weed problems with Banweed Plus, BINDII & BROADLEAF WEED KILLER or use, Munns Quick-Fix, as this product weeds, feeds and it has a unique wetting agent included - it does 3 jobs in one, now that's easy!!!


OCTOBER
(click photo for larger picture)
This can be a critical month for lawns when an infestation of grubs, beetles etc, begin to hatch out.
Use Lawn Beetle Blitz or a safe product such as Munns Lawn Grub Killer to control these pests as this product will also kill ants, African Black Beetle, Earwigs, Millipedes, Slaters and many more.
A very easy way of checking if grubs are eating your lawn. The dead grass will come away easy as you try and pull it up. This is usually a good indication that something is chewing away below the ground. Additionally, if birds are flocking to your lawn, it is also good a indication that something is happening below the lawn turf at the root level.

NOVEMBER
THATCH CONTROL TIME.
All running grasses (warm season ) develop over a duration of time a mixture of both dead and decaying roots and shoot tissue, which is called thatch. A small amout of this substance is good for the turf as it will encourage the earth worms to break it down and in turn they will form tunnels as they work which will help water soak deeper into the ground bringing your applications of lawn fertiliser with it. Accumulation of thatch will reach a point to obstruct water, air and fertilizer, it is then time to take corrective measures.
This is a perfect month to cut warm season lawns down hard either with a lawn mower or a scarifying machine. Warm season lawns are Couch's, Buffalo, and Kikuya etc. This will remove any dead thatch that has built up or sponginess in the lawn and allow moisture and fertilisers down into the roots where it can do the most good.
After cutting the lawn down hard (or scarifying), it is then a perfect time to lightly top dress with a sandy loam any low areas at approximately half an inch in depth. Fertilise the lawn prior to top dressing with Munns Golf Course Green Organically Advanced Lawn Fertilizer to give the turf an instant supply of essential nutrients, including trace elements. This product also contains Weta Lawn, a wetting agent to help reduce dry spots in the soil.

SUMMER DECEMBER JANUARY FEBRUARY

If you are going away on holidays, have someone to cut your lawns. Lawns that need cutting are an advertisement that no one has been home for some time.

DECEMBER
With summer heat and hot dry north winds the lawns need to have a wetting agent applied to the soil. There are many types to choose from, Easy Wetta, Saturaid or Munns Weta-Lawn & Garden These product trap moisture wherever it is spread and will help keep the cost of water bill down.
Now is the time ( if you haven't already done so ) to check your watering system. It is very important to make sure every sprinkler is in good working order.

It is also the time to raise your lawn mower cutting height if you have a cool season lawn.
Always cut Arid Lawn during Summer with the rotary mower on 7 and drop it to 5 during the cooler months. By raising the mower in hot weather, this high cut helps to shade the crown of your grass and assists in stopping the sun from cooking your lawn and allows moisture to last longer in the ground.
Cool season lawns are: Tall Fescue (Arid and Pixie), Kentucky Blue, Rye, etc.
Warm season lawns (Couch, etc) like to be cut low during hot weather using a cylindrical mower.
Water lawns early morning and it is best to give a deep soak watering. This will encourage a deep root systems which means less water in the in the future.

Summer is the perfect time to fertilise your lawn with Munns Golf Course Green Organically Advanced Lawn Fertilizer, this contains Munns Weta-Lawn & Garden with trace elements which will help your lawn get through those long dry days of Summer. This fertiliser is recommended on all lawn varieties.

JANUARY
If rain commences during extreme hot weather you may experience fungus in your lawns. Cut a sample square 30cm x 30cm and 10cm deep, place into a plastic bag and take it to your nearest Lawn Expert for information on how to control the problem. The time of identification and application of chemical is critical as some fungus spread across the turf surface at a very rapid rate.

FEBRUARY
Going away on holiday could cause a lot of problems with your lawn at this time of the year. Check out your automatic watering system and make sure that everything is working to full capacity. Ask a neighbour or a friend to check and see if the lawn is not dry every few days and also show them how to manual override or reset the automatic controls. Have a set of spare fitting incase something breaks. For those people who use hose sprinklers, place a mechanical tap timer on the lawn taps to make it easier for the people watering your lawn. It is quite easy for your hired help to forget to come back and turn the tap off. I don't need to tell you how much water that can be wasted, especially over night.

AUTUMN MARCH APRIL MAY

This is the best time of the year to sow cool season lawns.
The soil is still warm and the opening Autumn rainfall makes conditions perfect for a good results. Your new lawn has many months to develop a good root system before the hot dry Summer months arrive later in the year.
Autumn is also a very important time of the year to fertilise all types of lawn especially warm seasons (Couch, etc) so they keep a lot pleasant colour during the cold months of Winter.
Now is the ideal time to fertilise with Munns Greenup with it's NPK of 12-4-8. Plus the new improved addition of a wetting agent with trace elements your lawn will look fantastic and have your neighbours "green with envy".
Remember A well fed lawn is a healthier lawn, the healthier the lawn the less weeds will grow, the less water you have to give, the less pests that will attack, the less diseases to spread.

WEEDS - when preparing for a new lawn prior to seeding, spray all weeds as directed with Munns Glyphosate 450 This product is safe to use around ponds etc, it is frog friendly and all Australian manufactured. This will kill all growing weeds and after 7-10 days, you then can rotary hoe or turn the weeds in and start your new lawn.
When sowing a new lawn, ideally the top 4"-6" should be well drained and preferable of sandy loam.
If you have very heavy clay soil, I recommend rotary hoeing coarse double washed quarry sand and gypsum into the clay to break it up or if you have very sandy soil, I recommend working in organic matter and loam to improve the texture. Add a wetting agent when sowing the seed.
Once a lawn is established you can the following year prevent most weed seeds from germinating.

WINTER JUNE JULY AUGUST

Now is the time to drop your mower down to 2.5cm (1") on cool season grasses and this will let the light and warmth into the thatch.
On warm season lawns, (Couch etc.) I recommend to set the mower so all you are cutting is any weeds that are growing. Do not cut into your grass as this will remove the green leafs and this will leave you with a brown lawn for some time.

HEAVY TRAFFIC AREAS
These are areas that often become compacted and you should considered replacing these sections with stepping stones or pavers as the problem will only recur each year due to continuous heavy wear.

COMPACTION
This causes the soil particles to compress resulting in the pores between and within them becoming smaller. This reduces penetration and can adversely change the supply of water and oxygen to the roots resulting in water-logging during the winter months and scalding in the summer.
Prolonged compaction under continuously moist conditions encourages roots and stolons to grow above the surface of the soil leading to the formation of thatch. Poor air circulation due to lack of drainage causes the lawn root system to suffocate and die, leaving dead patches. These combined effects of compaction weaken turf grasses so that they are more susceptible to a number of diseases.

LAWN PROBLEMS
WATER-LOGGED AREAS
A lawn that is badly water-logged would be best to consider having agricultural pipes laid down to assist in drainage. If this is necessary, it would be wise to contemplate installing an irrigation system at the same time. The advantages of an irrigation system are well worth considering as it saves time and money and allows the lawn to receive an even watering, thus reducing the possibility of over-soaking or missed patches.
REMEMBER. When installing an irrigation system, ensure that you do not connect both the garden sprinklers and lawn to the same system, as garden water requirements are vastly different to those of lawns.
WINTER is the ideal time to carry out these maintenance chores when the soil is soft and easy to dig. The lawn will then be ready to produce strong vigorous growth, revitalized and rejuvenated due to the root system being free to breath and absorb nutrients.

CORING
Examine the lawn to see where trouble spots occur and if there are only small pockets of pooling, you may be able to overcome the problem by coring (aerating) the turf with an appropriate tool and then top dressing with gypsum (a soil conditioner) at the rate of 1kg to 2 square metres.
Gypsum Clay Breaker is a genuine mineral gypsum which not only breaks up heavy clay soils, but improves soil structure, aeration and drainage.
It is also an excellent source of calcium. Gypsum Clay Breaker is the ideal preparation prior to any planting in heavy clay soils resulting in greater water and nutrient retention and therefore more healthier lawns and gardens.

MOSS
During Winter, if you have trouble with moss and algae or even mushrooms and toadstools in your lawn, Munns Moss Killer & Turf Algicide is an excellent product that will solve those problems. This product is excellent for moss on pavers without causing any colour change, it is a very safe product.
At this time of the year check out your underground lawn system. Replace any worn parts, clean out the sprinkler heads, check any wiring that may have the outer coating worn away and make sure that all the solenoids are in working order.

REMOVAL OF THATCH

Thatch is dead plant material which nature has not been able to break down and which instead has formed an impenetrable layer below the grass layer.
Photograph on left demonstrates the lawn being scarified, picture on right shows the lawn turf exactly one month after treatment.
Once the thatch layer exceeds 5 mm in depth, the performance of the grass changes, as the water permeability gets worse. The roots grow closer to the surface, and the root mass and the oxygen exchange decreases. As a result the grass becomes less serviceable and can no longer withstand sports and other activities. The risk of disease increases dramatically and some grass varieties will not survive.

THATCH CAN FORM FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS:-

The use of fertilizer with high acidity.
Certain types of fertilisers have a high acid content and continuous use will cause the soil to reach a high level and then it will kill of the worms. Earth worms are natures great little shovels. They dig tunnels dragging down surface dead leaf matter into the ground below.
Their tunnels allow the water and fertiliser to penetrate deep below to where the main feeder root system is.
Over Fertilization
Using high nitrogen fertilisers or feeding too often will cause the lawn to produce very soft fast growing, weak leaf growth.
Too much water
Watering the lawn area too often in a short time, will cause the root system to stay close to the surface area of the soil. The top surface dries out quicker during the warm, dry, time of the year and the lawn starts to die, leaving dead thatch. Water your lawns less often, but leave the sprinklers on for a longer time. The water will then soak deep down into the ground below, encouraging the root system to penetrate deeper into the soil below. The amount of deep soaking depends on the type of soil.
PLEASE NOTE
If you have this water problem, DO NOT correct this predicament until the cooler months arrive.

SCARIFYING
Scarifying or thatch removal is executed when the grass is growing well, preferably in late spring or early autumn. Do not scarify in early spring or during dry periods.
Ways of decreasing the thatch layer.
Thatch layer can be removed with a variety of tools. For example, flail blades or on sensitive grass areas you can use the gentler method with spring tines.
Scarifying can be done by cutting off the lateral roots of the grass, using delta blades, and controlling broadleaf weeds as they come up. In warmer areas, scarifying with delta blades is also an major way of improving of water penetration. This method ensures that the water will penetrate deep below the top soil to the grass roots.

FUNGUS DISEASES
Fungus diseases such as fairy rings (toadstools) are symptomatic of rotting matter, either thatch above the surface or dead tree roots underneath the surface. Scarifying heavy thatch usually will overcome the problem. Munns Weta-Lawn & Garden will also help prevent dry spots caused by the fungi. Just follow the directions on the container and apply to the affected areas
If the cause is dead or decaying matter beneath the surface you may need to dig up the affected area, remove the debris as well as the affected soil and replace with a good top loam mixture of 80% sand and 20% loam. Then re-seed or plug.

YELLOW LAWNS
Discolouration or "yellowing" of lawns often occurs in the winter. In severe cases leaf rust may develop. The early symptoms of rust are light yellow flecks on the leaf or stem which have a powdery consistency and the colour eventually developing to reddish-brown, consequently "leaf rust". This problem generally indicates an under-nourished lawn and a lack of nitrogen. This problem can be overcome by the application of a well balanced fertilizer which is high in nitrogen content.