If you are looking for a beautiful lawn in WA condition this Autumn then here are 4 tips that we use to get amazing results. These tips are universal and will be beneficial for all common WA lawns including Buffalo, Couch, Kikuyu and Zoysia.
Here’s how to get your Perth lawn to thrive through Autumn.
1. Apply a high quality granule fertiliser.
Even though the days are getting shorter, there is still residual warmth in the soil from the summer months. This means that your lawn is still actively growing. Therefore, fertilising in autumn still has huge benefits for your lawn.
A complete fertiliser will help your lawn to form strong, deep roots, will increase colour and will help with the lawns general health in preparation for the slow-down that will come with winter.
The best time to fertilise is while it’s still a little warm. Typically in Perth, March and April are more effective months for granule fertilising as it can be a little too cold by the time May comes around.
(Here is a great organic slow-release and balanced granule fertiliser that can be used on just about every plant.)
2. Prevent ant control lawn pests.
Lawn pests can do a lot of damage to a lawn and they are most often active in Perth lawns during Autumn. Some pests are worse than others but all need to be taken seriously.
One of the most common lawn grubs is Army worm. A large infestation can eat through an small to average residential lawn in just two nights. They are active in the evening and love moist and soggy areas of your lawn.
The best way to deal with Army worm is with a preventative insecticide. Accelepryn is the highest quality and safest product on the market, but it might be too expensive for some home owners.
However, if applied at the end of summer, or start of autumn it will prevent almost all common WA lawn pests for around 6 months. (Note: it may be cheaper for some people to pay for a licensed spray business, like Silverstone Gardening, to apply this product than to buy the product outright. Contact us if you would like a quote)
Bifenthrin based products like Richgro Lawn Beetle And Grub Killa and Surefire Fivestar are a lot more common and affordable. They do have some residual effect but are more effective as a knockdown treatment after the pests have started to damage the lawn.
Make sure you apply these to your lawn according to the instructions. Our recommendation is, if you can, apply these products to your lawn at night or late evening. This is because Armyworms are nocturnal, and so are most other lawn pests, so night application will give you the best results.
3. Prevent winter weeds with a pre-emergent
Autumn is when most common lawn weeds will germinate, these weeds will grow and become a nuisance throughout winter and spring . Putting down a pre-emergent herbicide will prevent a large portion of these weeds from appearing in your lawn to start with.
As with high quality preventative insecticides, the highest quality pre-emergent herbicides that are the safest and most effect are quite expensive. Products like Spartan and Barricade range from $120 to $270 for a single bottle, in addition to needing professional spraying equipment so are not always an option for the home user. (Note: as with preventative insecticides it may be cheaper for some people to pay for a licensed spray business. Contact Silverstone Gardening if you would like a quote)
Munns Wintergrass Killer, avaliable at Bunnings, is a much more economical preventative option for wintergrass only. Even though it is limited in the weeds it controls it is still a great option for those who have a limited budget.
4. Mow a little higher in Autumn.
Finally, try and keep your lawn a little longer during the cooler months by increasing the height of cut on your lawn mower. Leaving more lawn blade surface area exposed to the sun will help increase photosynthesis as the days.
Cutting your lawn a little higher in cooler months can also assist with the suppression of weeds.
It doesn’t have to be a huge change, for most circumstances 1cm is enough. If highly shaded areas you may need to increase the height of cut in those areas by 2-3cm.
I hope you will find this article super helpful to achieving your lawn goals.
If you think that all this work seems like too much effort or too complicated, Silverstone Gardening can help! Contact Us today and one of our friendly and expereinced gardeners can help get your lawn looking amazing
