What’s the best lawn fertiliser for my lawn? A full guide.

For new gardeners and lawn lovers picking the right fertiliser can be daunting and confusing. It’s hard to know if you are buying a quality product or buying some fancy marketing.

Here is a quick, easy to use guide to match the right fertiliser to your specific lawn goals. All products here can be sourced from Ralphy’s Lawn and Garden Supplies, a great WA business. All the fertilisers in this article are produced by WA companies and can be purchased online and delivered to your door by Ralphy’s.

Click on the link to find up to date pricing and to make an order. Conversely, if you would prefer that a professional looks after your lawns and gardens for your then contact Silverstone Gardening for a quote today.

Should I Use Liquid or Granule Fertiliser?

Both are great, but they have different purposes. So one type may be better suited for your goals.

Put simply, liquid fertilisers are fast acting, but short lived. You will likely see improvement 4-24 hours after application, but the benefits will only last 2-4 weeks. They give a beautiful even colour if applied correctly and are great for colder weather.

Granule fertilisers are usually slow or controlled release. They last a lot longer, most average around 6-8 weeks, some 10-12 weeks and a rare few will even last 6 months. In Perth conditions it granule fertilisers can loose effectiveness when the cold winter weather hits.

If you are looking for long lasting results use granule fertiliser, if you want a quick colour boost or a good option for winter use liquid fertiliser?

How much fertiliser should I use in WA conditions?

It is very common for WA lawn lovers to over fertilise and to over water (click here to find how to correctly water).

The simple advice is to follow what the manufacturers label says. If you are using a new product for the first time and the label says “30-50g per m2” I would apply 40g per m2 as my first application and adjust for future applications based on how my first application went.

When is the best time to fertilise a lawn in WA?

Here is a basic sample calendar to help you understand what a yearly program might look like. You can follow this as general timing guide, if you follow this you will have huge improvements to a tired, patchy lawn. However, to get the best results use the fertiliser guides at the bottom of the article to find the exact fertiliser that best suits your goals and starting condition.

I WA it is best to fertilise year round. Our sandy soils are so lacking in nutrients that they need to be regularly supplemented to have a thick, lush, healthy lawn.

Yearly Fertiliser Plan For WA Lawns

Here is a basic sample calendar to help you understand what a yearly program might look like. You can follow this as general timing guide. If you follow this you will have huge improvements for a tired, patchy lawn that gets inconstant to no fertilising.

Our 8 best lawn fertilisers for WA lawns

All of these fertilisers are made by WA companies and suit WA conditions. If you are in Perth, Albany, Geraldton, Bunbury or Broome these products will be great for your lawns.

6 Great Granule Lawn Fertilisers For WA Lawns

I want to help my patchy, struggling lawn

Eco- Prime Red

Eco-Prime Red is a great fertiliser to help root and stolon growth. This is a unique mineral fertiliser which combines a complex blend of nutrients like Potassium Sulphate and granulated Soft Rock Phosphate with premium biology, including Mycorrhizal fungi and phosphorus solubilisers (including Bacillus megaterium).

My lawn is okay, but I want a boost in colour and health.

Eco Prime Emerald

Eco-Prime Emerald gives lawns a fantastic colour and a great growth boost. It is not just a complete rock mineral NPK fertiliser, but is also made with with beneficial microbes. Eco-Prime Emerald was made to enhance your lawn by providing balanced nutrition and strong root growth.

Baileys 311

Baileys 3.1.1. Granulated is a Western Australian designed and manufactured product tailored to our soil profile and conditions. It is a “homogenous compound fertiliser” which simply means that you will get very even nutrient distribution. A great product for WA lawns

I want to help may lawn recover from a vertimow/lawn renovation

SG Renovate (Also known as Spraing and Autumn)

This range of fertilisers are actually commercial grade fertilisers made available to the public (which is why there isn’t fancy branding on the packaging) . SG renovate is a fantastic fertiliser for after completing a lawn renovation. High trace elements give a beautiful colour and a balanced of NPK helps recovery and healthy growth.

I want a deep green colour

SG Maintain (Also known as Gold)

This gives some of the best colour response that we have seen (this is the fertiliser used in the video earlier in this article). Extremely high Iron and high Nitrogen cause amazing colour. This is from the same range as the fertiliser above which is why the packaging is the same.

I want a starter fertiliser for new lawns

Eco Prime Purple

Eco Prime Purple has a sophisticated blend of nutrients. Everything from high Potassium through to a granulated silicate mineral complex, which is enhanced with Mycorrhizal fungi and Nitrogen-fixing bacteria. It is a great fertiliser to apply when laying new turf

2 Great Liquid Lawn Fertilisers For Perth Lawns

I want a colour boost and an increase in growth.

Turfect Green Plus

Green Plus is a professional grade, liquid fertiliser, formulated to produce deep green colour and vigorous turf growth quickly.

As a foliar applied product, it can be applied throughout the year, particularly in cooler months to maintain colour and health. It provides a readily available source of essential turf nutrients, nitrogen, iron, magnesium and manganese to rapidly address deficiency.  

I want a deep green colour without an increase in growth.

Turfect Rapid Green

Rapid Green is a professional grade, liquid fertiliser, formulated to produce extended deep green colour on turf, without growth.

It does this by providing a readily available source of iron and manganese to rapidly address deficiency and induce chlorophyll production. The results are quickly seen. A great product for any lawn lover.

If you have other questions about lawn fertiliser, how to apply it or anything else, check out our Complete Lawn Fertiliser Guide at this link.

However, if when reading this article, everything seemed too complicated and you just want a professional to look after your lawns and gardens, then contact us today. Silverstone Gardening hire experienced and qualified gardeners who can solve issues and make huge improvements with WA lawns and garden. Get in touch for a quote today.

The post Which fertilisers are best for WA lawns? appeared first on Silverstone Gardening.

The most common questions we get asked about lawn fertiliser

If you are a lawn lover, learning about lawn fertiliser can be confusing and technical. In this article, we break down the most common questions we get and use our experience – having helped thousands of clients with their lawns – to help you get the results you are after.

Feel free to read the whole article or skip the questions that are most important to you right now; whatever is of most help to you.

What is lawn fertiliser?

Firstly, fertilisers are natural, chemical, or mineral compounds that supplement lawns and plants, giving them essential nutrients they are not getting from the soil. Secondly, fertilisers help plants and lawns grow deeper roots, healthy green leaves, and become more tolerant of stress. They also help plants grow more flowers and more fruit.

Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) (collectively, NPK) are known as macronutrients and are the main nutrients that lawns and plants need to survive and thrive.

There are many different micronutrients, often called trace elements, that also have huge benefits to lawns and plants. However, they are just needed in smaller quantities compared to NPK. Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Boron (B), Iron (Fe), Molybdenum (Mo), and Magnesium (Mg) are all examples of micronutrients/trace elements.

When you read your fertiliser packaging, there will always be numbers on it that look just like this.

This shows exactly how much macro and micronutrients are in your fertiliser. This essentially is the same as the nutritional analysis on the packaging of food but instead of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, the fertiliser analysis includes Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium.

If you are trying to achieve a specific goal with your fertiliser program, you can find out the macro or micro nutrients you need and then look for a suitable brand or make of fertiliser that meets your lawn or garden’s nutritional requirements.

What do Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium do in lawns?

Here is a very simple breakdown of what Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium do for your lawn.

• Nitrogen: Increases your lawn’s leaf colour and growth.

• Phosphorus: Increases the development and growth of your lawn roots.

• Potassium: Improves overall lawn health

Why are there both granule and liquid lawn fertilisers?

Lawn fertilisers come in two forms: granule and liquid. They have their own unique benefits so are often used to compliment each other.

What’s the difference between granule and liquid fertilisers?

Granule lawn fertilisers:

Granule fertilisers are absorbed through the roots, are often slower acting, and longer lasting. Most brands last 6-12 weeks but some can last up to six months.

Liquid lawn fertilisers:

Liquid lawn fertilisers can be absorbed through the leaf or the roots. Being absorbed through the leaf makes them much faster-acting; sometimes you can see visible results in under 4 hours. However, they are also much more short-lived, usually only lasting between 2 and 4 weeks.

How do I apply fertiliser to my lawn?

Fertilisers need to be applied evenly over lawns. If the application is uneven or patchy, the results will be uneven or patchy.

For home lawns, granule fertilisers can be applied by hand, using a hand-held spreader or a walk-behind spreader. Liquid fertilisers can be applied by a watering can, a hose-on bottle, a pressure sprayer, or through a reticulation system.

What is the best way to apply lawn fertiliser?

The best results from any fertilisation will come from the most even applicators. If the fertiliser is applied unevenly over the surface the results will be patchy uneven colour. Here are the best ways to apply granule and liquid fertilisers

Granule lawn fertiliser:

For granule fertilisers apply with a handheld spreader or walk-behind broadcast spreader. These spreaders will evenly throw the fertiliser as you walk across your lawn, giving the best results.

Handheld spreaders are great for small lawns and are much cheaper than walk-behind options. Walk-behind broadcasters throw much further and as a result, are much quicker for large areas.

Throwing the fertiliser by hand is likely to create patchy results so we would not recommend this as an option.

Liquid lawn fertilisers:

For liquid fertilisers, apply with a pressure sprayer (as pictured below) and use a fan nozzle (most high-quality sprayers will come with a fan nozzle, along with other nozzle options). This will deliver a fine, even mist as you walk across your lawn. For more information on applying liquid fertilisers through a pressure sprayer, click here (this link will take you to a video; watch from 2:40 onwards).

Whilst you can apply with a watering can or hose-on applicators, it is very difficult to give the whole lawn the exact same amount of product. However, the biggest issue is that these applicators will usually apply fertiliser with too much water. This excess water washes the fertiliser off the leaf which, for most liquid fertilisers, will reduce the product’s effectiveness.

Although they are uncommon, there are some liquid fertilisers that should be watered in. If this is the case, then a hose-on applicator could be considered if a pressure sprayer was not an option.

How long does it take lawn fertiliser to work?

If applying a liquid fertiliser, you should expect to see results in 4-48 hours depending on the product, time of year, and starting state of the lawn.

If applying a granule product, it can take 2-7 days before you start seeing results but the improvements often continue for weeks.

Check out these amazing results we had at one of our client’s lawns in Canning Vale, Perth WA.

When is the best time to fertilise my lawn?

Spring is generally considered the best time to fertilise, however, fertilising should not be a once-off event. Remember, if you are using a liquid fertiliser, the benefits may only last 2-4 weeks; granule fertilisers will generally last 6-8 weeks.

In many areas, you can and should fertilise year-round.

Can I water my lawn after fertilising?

If you are using a granule fertiliser, then yes, you should definitely water the lawn after applying the fertiliser. This will help get the fertiliser off the lawn leaf and down into the soil where it is needed. If you do not water it in, you risk burning the lawn and causing more damage than good.

If you are using a liquid fertiliser, then the answer is generally no, you should not water the fertiliser in. This is because most liquid fertilisers work best when absorbed by the leaf. Watering the fertiliser off the leaf will often reduce its affect.

However, there are some exceptions to these rules. To be sure that you are applying your fertiliser correctly, always read the label.

How long should I water my lawn for after fertilising?

For granule fertilisers, you should run a full reticulation cycle with 10mm of watering. If you don’t know how to set your sprinklers to give 10mm of water, read our how-to article here.

For liquid fertilisers, you should not water your lawn after application (there are some very rare exceptions so read the label to check before applying).

Is it okay to put lawn fertiliser on wet lawn?

For liquid fertilisers:

No. This will dilute the spray and may cause the fertiliser to run off the leaf. Both dilution and run-off will reduce the effectiveness of the fertiliser.

For granule fertilisers:

Yes. But only if the product is going to be watered in immediately after application. However, if a granule lawn fertiliser is applied to a damp leaf and then not watered in immediately, you may run the risk of staining or burning the lawn as shown in the photo below.

Some lawns are so big that it is not advisable to apply granule lawn fertiliser to a wet law. By the time you have finished applying, there is a chance that the product may have already started burning or staining the lawn.

Should I fertilise my lawn before or after rain?

For liquid fertilisers you should avoid applying on rainy days.

After rain, damp leaves will dilute the spray and may cause the fertiliser to run off the leaf. As mentioned above, both dilution and run-off will reduce the effectiveness of the fertiliser.

For granule fertilisers the answer is a bit more complicated.

It depends on how much rain is going to come and how likely the rain is to come.

Lawn fertilising before rain

When you SHOULD NOT fertilise before rain:

1. When the rain is going to be a heavy, long-lasting downpour: Too much rain can cause the fertiliser to break down too quickly and leach too far into the soil. Once the fertiliser has leached away, it is of no use to your lawn anymore.
   Too much rain can also wash newly applied fertiliser off the lawn. Both events are bad for your lawns (and also the environment).
2. When the rain is inconsistent or too light: 1-2mm of rain in the hour after fertilisation can cause the fertiliser to sit on damp leaves. If this is the case for too long – as mentioned above, – you may run the risk of staining or burning the lawn as shown in the photo above.

When you SHOULD fertilise before rain:

1. When you are certain that your lawn will receive 10-15mm of water within 1-2 hours.

Lawn fertilising after rain

When you SHOULD NOT fertilise after rain:

1. When the lawn is damp and too wet to successfully water in.
2. When water is pooled on the lawn.

When you SHOULD fertilise after rain:

1. When the lawn leaf has dried and the soil is not pooling or waterlogged.

Can I over-fertilise my lawn?

Yes, you can over-fertilise a lawn. There are some bad consequences that come with over-fertilising and, unfortunately, this is actually quite a common occurrence for WA homeowners.

Two ways you can tell if you have over-fertilised your lawn:

1. The lawn has become burnt and crispy after applying lawn fertiliser: This may happen in patches or over the whole lawn. This is caused when too much fertiliser is applied per square meter in one application. For example, instead of applying 30g per m2, we apply 90g per m2 hoping that we may triple the benefits. Unfortunately, instead of more benefits, there are only negatives.
2. The lawn has become thatchy/spongy, is hard to mow, and is easy to scalp: Three factors can cause this:
   1. The lawn is fertilised with too much nitrogen, too often. This is especially common when using high-nitrogen fertilisers like Urea (read here for more info)
   2. When the lawn is over-watered.
   3. When the lawn isn’t cut very frequently.

If your lawn is spongy and thatchy, often the only solution is to vertimow the lawn. This can be very expensive, so avoiding over-fertilisation will save your bank account a bit of pain.

Should I mow my lawn after fertilising?

No, you should not mow your lawn after fertilising. If you mow after applying liquid fertiliser, you will cut off the fertilised leaf before it has had a chance to be fully absorbed into the plant. If you mow after applying granule fertiliser, you will most likely suck up a large percentage of the fertiliser you have just applied.

Even if you are mulch mowing (a type of mowing that recycles clippings and doesn’t use a catcher), you will chop up the small fertiliser granules, which will make your fertiliser break down quicker. This means that the fertiliser will not benefit the lawn for as long as advertised and will require reapplication much more frequently.

For most situations, it is best to wait at least 2 days before mowing

What should you do next?

I hope you have found this article very helpful. If you are now looking for a great fertiliser for your lawn and you live in Western Australia, click this link. We give a list of the best fertilisers for WA conditions.

However, if when reading this article, everything seemed too complicated and you just want a professional to look after your lawns and gardens, then contact us today. Silverstone Gardening hires experienced and qualified gardeners who can solve issues and make huge improvements with WA lawns and gardens. Get in touch for a quote today.

The post The Complete Lawn Fertiliser Guide appeared first on Silverstone Gardening.

Perth’s sandy soils can be a huge challenge for gardeners and lawn lovers. The soils we have are hydrophobic (repel water) and lack a lot of important nutrients our plants and lawns need to thrive. Digging in quality soils, manures or composts are effective ways to help improve soils. However, they are not realistic options for someone who already has established lawns or gardens.

What does it mean to have a healthy soil?

A healthy soil, from a gardener’s perspective, is simply a soil that helps your plants and lawns to grow. To grow healthy plants, your soil needs to perform these two functions:

1. Infiltrate water
2. Supply nutrients

To achieve these goals, we need to have healthy soil bacteria, fungi and microbes and we need to increase soil organic matter.

The long term fix: increase live roots

Many people know that a healthy soil creates healthy roots, but they don’t know that the relationship goes both ways. Healthy roots actually help create a healthy soil.

A green, healthy plant lives by photosynthesis. The products of photosynthesis are oxygen and carbohydrates. Plants will then take 30-50% of the carbohydrates it produces and put them into the soil, which feeds soil organisms. These organisms then in return increase the quality of the soil, both its capacity for water infiltration and the soil’s ability to feed the plants.

The process of increasing roots and encouraging the root-to-soil relationship is slow. However, the results are long lasting and potentially permanent (note: The science behind this explained thoroughly in the book A Soil Owner’s Manual by John Stika).

I am going to show you the four steps, in order of importance, that you need to help improve your soil for WA lawns and gardens.

Note: These four steps are assuming a functioning reticulation system for your lawns and gardens that waters your gardens per the WA Water Corp Guidelines (or equivalent regular hand watering). If you do not have a functioning reticulation system, focus on fixing that first before you follow these four steps.

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The four steps

In order of importance, here are the four steps you need to complete to improve your sandy Perth soil without digging up the soil surface.

1. Keep the soil covered: Mulch and Lawn

Mulch is often used to beautify a garden but is also has significant benefits to the soil and plants of the garden. A healthy mulch layer – I would recommend at least 5cm – will:

• Protect soil from erosion
• Create a habitat for beneficial insects and other organism that help the soil
• Conserve moisture, and
• Reduce soil temperature during hot weather

All of these functions will help improve your soil and your plant’s root growth. I have written a detailed article on the best mulches for WA gardens; you can click here to read it. Find the best mulch for your gardens and apply as your first step.

If you want to improve the soil quality of your lawns, a thick lush lawn will provide the same protection and benefits to soil that a quality mulch will. Use a quality fertiliser to encourage thick, lush growth. Here is a great balanced and slow-release organic fertiliser that can be used on just about every plant.

2. Help water get to and stay in the root zone: Wetting Agents

Wetting agents are still criminally underrated in WA lawn and garden care. In 2016, trials in WA conditions showed that using wetting agents can significantly improve soil moisture by 19.9% five weeks after application. Wetting agent producer SACOA (the makers of BioWett, Ralphy’s Refresh and more) released these figures on their website:

The reality is that it doesn’t matter how much water you put on your lawn or garden. What truly matters is how much of that water actually makes it down to the root zone where it is needed.

There are many WA homeowners who will be shocked to find out just how much of the water they put on their lawns and garden is being lost to evaporation and run-off. Applying a quality wetting agent will temporarily increase the soil’s ability to infiltrate water. However, keeping up regular applications sustains the increase in soil moisture, which will in turn increase the quality of the soil.

To see exactly how a wetting agent works, click here.

3. Increase root growth: Seaweed Concentrates

Seaweed products are super beneficial for root growth and establishment. Check out this video to see the results on cotton after just two weeks.

As we explained above, there is a strong relationship between healthy roots and healthy soil. Use a seaweed product to encourage as much root growth as possible.

4. Add liquid organics: Humic and Fulvic Acids

Humic and fulvic acids are known as “liquid compost”. Whilst there is some debate on the subject, there is scientific and anecdotal evidence that both humic and fulvic acid can increase soil health and root development.

Because there is some debate, I have put this tip as the lowest priority on the list. However, these products are not all that expensive AND can be applied together with seaweed products and wetting agents in a watering can or hose attachment.

Bonus tip: Filling up bare space with annuals

This process does include digging so I consider it a bonus point. The simple idea is that increasing the roots in your soil and the plant diversity in your garden beds will speed up the process of soil improvement.

If you have bare areas in your soil that are too small for a new shrub or tree, a small annual plant may be a really good option to add roots without over-crowding.

Petunias, Lobelias and Violas are all beautiful flowering options. However, these are not the only options. Herbs like basil or parsley could also be a great edible option. Even Dichondra (a perennial ground cover often grown by seed) could be a creative option for shaded areas.

Final tip: Consistency over intensity

The key to these four actions creating long lasting benefits to your soil is consistency. It is often the case that we get excited, spend the money to get the products, apply a couple of times and then the products sit on the shelf unused for years.

I would recommend that mulching be done yearly, applied at least 5cm thick. The best results for your soil will come from mulches with large particle sizes (read our article on mulch to find out why).

The wetting agents, seaweed concentrate and humic/fulvic acids can be applied together if all in liquid form. I would advise low-rate applications of wetting agents and full-rate applications of seaweed concentrate and humic/fulvic acid every four weeks.

These tips are not quick fixes. You will see instant benefits – especially from the mulch and wetting agents – but it may take 1-2 years (or even more depending on how bad your soil is to start with) to see long-lasting results. However, if you are a keen gardener or lawn lover, the value from these actions is huge and far worth the work.

Our Product Recommendations

There are many great products out on the market. We love the Ralphy’s range. High-quality WA produced by a small WA business. Follow these links to see these products and have them delivered to your door. Refresh, Unleash, Seacharge.

For mulch recommendation, read this article of ours. We compare 8 popular mulch options to see which ones are best for your gardens.

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If you are the type of person who is reading this and realises that whilst you have the desire to improve your soils, you don’t have the time to consistently apply the mulch or products, then we are here to help.

Silverstone Gardening is a professional lawn and garden care business that hires qualified and experienced gardeners who can help you get amazing results at your property. Contact us today for a quote.

The post 4 ‘No Dig’ Ways To Fix Your Sandy Perth Soil: Lawns And Gardens appeared first on Silverstone Gardening.

How often should a lawn be cut in Perth?

The simple answer is that it depends on what your goals are for your lawn. Here is how you can understand which frequency of cut suits your goal.

I am going to explain some basics about mowing and, more importantly, show you the type of results that we get and expect at different mowing frequencies, over different sites across Perth, WA.

The foundations of good mowing

Every time your lawn is cut it is being damaged. The more your lawn gets damaged with mowing, the more time and energy it will spend on recovering rather healthy growth.

More frequent, higher quality mowing results in less stress to the lawn which leads to a healthier, more beautiful lawn.

If your goal for your lawn is to have a healthy, lush, beautiful lawn, it is very difficult to achieve this if only mowing every four weeks during the growing season. The highest quality results come from very frequent mowing. Here are some photos of what you can expect with each frequency of cut.

Result you can expect at each frequency of cut

Please note that every property is different, so results are likely to vary. Use these images as a rough guide. These frequencies of cut are for the growing season which we consider to be from September to April for Perth condition. During May to August, the growth of lawns decreases and lawns can be cut less frequently.

Four Weekly Mowing

These lawns are mowed on a four-weekly basis during the growing season. They both had some minor additional services like fertilisation and wetting agents which improved the lawns starting state.

Three Weekly Mowing

These lawns are mowed on a three-weekly basis during the growing season. Both lawns had some additional services like fertilisation and wetting agents which improved the lawns colour.

Fortnightly Mowing

These lawns are mowed on a fortnightly basis during the growing season. Both lawns had several additional services like aeration, top dressing, fertiliser and wetting agents which improved the lawns colour.

Fortnightly Complete Lawn Care Package

These lawns are on our Bronze Complete Lawn Care Package. These lawns get regular fertilising, weed control, aeration, wetting agent, reticulation maintenance and fortnightly cylinder mowing.

Weekly Complete Lawn Care Package

These lawns are on our Gold and Silver Complete Lawn Care Packages. These lawns get everything they need. Fertilising, weed control, aeration, wetting agent, reticulation maintenance and weekly cylinder mowing.

Multiple cuts per week

This lawn receives the same level of treatment as our Gold Packages, however, it is cut twice a week to maintain the checkerboard stripes.

Daily Mowing

Golf course putting greens in WA will be cut 6 times per week. This is firstly because they are cut incredibly short and secondly to maintain a quality playing surface.

Conclusion

I hope you have found this helpful in understanding exactly which frequency of mowing will help you achieve your goals for your lawn.

If you have stumbled upon this article and you are looking for a professional lawn care service to look after your lawns, contact Silverstone Gardening today.

The post How often should a lawn be cut in Perth? appeared first on Silverstone Gardening.

Guildford Grass, commonly known as Onion Grass, is one of the hardest weeds to control in lawn.

Manual removal is not a realistic option if you have a lot of Guildford Grass to look after. Besides, it being an incredibly time-consuming exercise because Guildford Grass has a bulb that is notoriously hard to remove. So, it is very common that when trying to remove the weed, one can only pull off the leaf. If this is the case, the Guildford Grass will return.

Selective herbicides do exist BUT they are either very expensive, or very expensive and only available to licensed professionals. This means they are not a realistic option for most homeowners.

Given all of this, here is how you can control Guildford Grass without manual removal or expensive herbicides.

If all of this seems like too much effort or you simply do not want to deal with herbicides, then contact us today. Silverstone Gardening has several licensed spray technician who can help you with any weed control problem you may have in your lawn or garden.

The post The $8 hack that can help you control Guildford Grass in your lawn appeared first on Silverstone Gardening.

A common point of confusion

If you are starting out in lawn care, it can be really confusing to understand how to mix herbicide. Most people know that the information they need is on the label, but when they read the label, they find it hard to understand. In this article, I am going to help you make sense of it so that you can have success when applying Bow and Arrow or Bin-Die.

Reading the label of selective herbicide products like Bin-Die and Bow and Arrow will give a very clear, exact amount of herbicide mls to be applied per square meter (or hectare). However, when the labels give the amount of water needed, they give a range of numbers that are suitable per meter (or hectare).

This often stumps a lot of people so let me explain it to you here.

The most important number to get right is how much herbicide concentrate is being applied to the lawn. That is why there is an exact number given on the label. Too much and you can damage the lawn; too little and you may not control the weeds as desired.

The exact volume of water is important but there is a lot more flexibility before damage, or a lack of success occurs. This is why there is an exact number for the herbicide concentrate and a range for the water: anything within that range will be fine. This flexibility also helps with different types of spray equipment as some need to use more water for an even application than others (there is a big difference between tractor mounted booms and hand-held garden sprayers).

How to calculate how much you need

Disclaimer: I am basing my math here on the screenshots above. This is for an example only, these numbers may be out of date when you read this article, so use the principals shared here but read your label to make sure the numbers are correct.

Bin-Die: If applying to 100m2, you will need 60ml of herbicide. Any amount of water between 10-20L will be effective.
If applying to 50m2, you will need 30ml of herbicide. Any amount of water between 5-10L will be effective.

Bow and Arrow: If applying to 100m2, you will need 50ml of herbicide. Any amount of water between 2-5L will be effective.
If applying to 50m2, you will need 25ml of herbicide. Any amount of water between 1-2.5L will be effective.

If reading this or implementing this still seems too complicated or too much work and you simply want a professional to look after everything for you, contact Silverstone Gardening today. We have several licensed spray technicians who will be able to help with any weed control problem you have.

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“The Boys are Very Professional”

I am very pleased with the vertimowing job done on my lawns. The grass is growing well now. The boys are very professional and explained what the process was, and did a great job. Many thanks, Neville.

Neville

Seville Grove

Kirby

Byford

“Friendly, Informative & Efficient”

We were very happy with the job done, yo…

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“Friendly, Informative & Efficient”

We were very happy with the job done, your gardeners were friendly, informative and efficient. We are very happy with the quote provided to us and will definitely be continuing with our lawn mowing. Thank you kindly!

Kirby

Byford

Chloe

Armadale

“My Lawn Looks Amazing”

I have serious lawn envy. My lawn looks…

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“My Lawn Looks Amazing”

I have serious lawn envy. My lawn looks amazing.

Great service, fit me on the books super quickly, great communication via text and email.

Would highly recommend!

Chloe

Armadale

The post How much water do I need to correctly apply Bin-Die or Bow and Arrow? appeared first on Silverstone Gardening.

Selective weed sprays can be quite complicated and this is especially true when using them for the first time.

I have seen many clients and homeowners make big mistakes when spraying herbicides on their lawns. As a licensed spray technician with over 10 years experience in lawn and garden care, I am going to help you avoid making the three most common mistakes other beginners have made.

1. Don’t use a cone nozzle, use a fan nozzle instead.

There are a few different types of nozzles used on pressure sprayers. The most common in lawn and garden care are cone nozzles and fan nozzles.

Cone Nozzles

Cone nozzles are the most common type of nozzles. They are usually adjustable and can produce various types of spray from a wide, misting spray to a thin jet of water.

Whilst cone nozzles are the best option for garden bed spraying, they are not the best option for lawn spraying. This is because it is very hard to know the exact amount of product that is coming out of your sprayer and onto the lawn.

This can cause gardeners to unknowingly over-apply products to the lawn. In fact, the main picture of this article (above) is of a lawn that had a correctly mixed Bow and Arrow solution applied with a cone nozzle. The cone nozzle caused too much product to be applied per m2 which damaged the turf. It took about 3 weeks for this lawn to recover.

Fan Nozzles

Fan nozzles are the type of nozzle you want to use when applying selective herbicides to lawns.

They deliver a flat, even, consistent spray. This means that they give even and consistent results. As a result, it is much harder to accidentally over-apply herbicides with a fan nozzle.

The photo on the right is of dual nozzles on a boom which is great for large lawns, but a single nozzle is going to be great for most residential lawns.

One more thing to know is that the different colours of nozzles indicate how fine or coarse the spray droplet size will be. Red, blue and yellow nozzles are all suitable for Bow and Arrow and Bin-Die

2. Don’t guess! Measure exactly how big your lawn is.

Borrow and Arrow, Bin-Die and other selective herbicides are only safe for lawns IF they are applied at the correct rate per square meter. Not knowing how many square meters your lawn is is a recipe for disaster.

I once had a client that made a big mistake with a similar broadleaf herbicide to Bin-Die and Bow and Arrow. Even though they mixed the correct ml of herbicide per litre of water, they made way too many litres of total solution. This was simply because they overestimated how much lawn they had (their estimate was almost double the actual lawn size).

They applied way too much solution to the lawn which yellowed 90% of the lawn within 24 hours. It took about 6 weeks for the lawn to fully recover. The exact same problem can happen with Bin-die and Bow and Arrow.

To measure your lawn area, the easiest option is to use Google Maps. Google Maps is quite accurate and does the math for you ( if you need a video tutorial on how to do this click here). However, sometimes newer houses and estates aren’t yet on Google and in these situations a measuring tape (or measuring wheel for larger lawns) and a calculator will be needed.

Once you know how much area you, have you can read the label to work exactly how much product and water you need.

3. Use 2 sprayers; 1 for the lawn, 1 for the garden.

If you are going to be spraying herbicides on your lawn, don’t cut corners. Buy a dedicated sprayer for lawn-safe products and a dedicated sprayer for your garden weed killer. Use a Sharpie and big writing to clearly identify which sprayer is which. Some people will even buy two different brands of sprayer to make it more obvious.

If rinsed between uses, your dedicated lawn sprayer can be used for liquid fertilisers and pre-emergent herbicides too.

Conclusion

These three simply tips will help you avoid a lot of mistakes others have made when spraying herbicides.

1. Use the correct nozzle
2. Know how exactly much area you are spraying
3. Use a dedicated sprayer for lawn-safe products

Here are two more articles that can be very helpful when applying Bow and Arrow and Bin-Die

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If reading this seems like too much effort and you would simply prefer to have a professional take care of your lawns and gardens, contact Silverstone Gardening. We have several licensed spray technicians who know how to identify and control even the most difficult weeds.

The post How to avoid the 3 most common mistakes beginners make when applying Bow & Arrow/Bin-Die appeared first on Silverstone Gardening.

High quality wetting agents are a super power for WA lawn and garden lovers. If you want to see and understand how these products work, this video is for you:

A high quality wetting agent is essential if you are looking to make the most of the water you put on your lawns and gardens. If you can’t find Ralphy’s Refresh, look for a product that has both a penetrant and a retainer; that way you know the product will get the water down to the root zone and it will help keep it in the root zone for longer.

Where to buy?

Click here to purchase this product

More info on Ralphy’s Refresh

Ralphy’s Refresh is formulated by SACOA especially for Ralphy’s Lawn and Garden Supplies. Refresh is a 3-way action wetting agent which is formulated to suit Western Australia’s harsher climates and watering conditions. Furthermore, Refresh has been formulated to not only break through hydrophobic soils but also retain water in the soil for longer periods.

Key features

1. Maximises water and nutrient efficacy in all soil types, especially hydrophobic (non-wetting) soils
2. 3-way action – penetrant, attraction and retention components
3. Very high-quality retention agent with very strong retention capabilities
4. Has a low viscosity and is easy to mix
5. Promotes root growth and maximising the plant’s utilisation of nutrients
6. For use in all turf, nurseries and home garden situations
7. Easy to mix and apply and is safe for the environment
8. Will reduce the frequency of irrigation and hand watering to combat the issues of water loss

Application rates

For turf applications, apply 50-100mls per 100sqm monthly or as required. If you haven’t used a wetting agent previously or the soil is very sandy, we recommend an initial application rate of 100mls per 100sqm.

For garden applications, apply 35-50mls per 9L watering can over 3 to 5m2 and apply every 6 to 8 weeks

*Do not leave on the leaf if temperatures are or are expected to exceed 30 degrees celsius*

Mixing and Capabilities

Mixes readily with water. Add the required amount of Refresh to the desired amount of water and gently mix.

Refresh is compatible with most other treatments, however, conducting a jar test prior to application is advised.

The post The power of quality wetting agents appeared first on Silverstone Gardening.

If you are looking to fix some patches in your Kikuyu or Couch lawn, a common method would be to head down to your local Bunnings and grab a box of Kikuyu or Couch seeds. The hope is that you can sow the seed, the seed germinates, grows and fills in the patches with the type of lawn you already have.

The big problem is this: not every seed company is totally honest on the front of the package about the exact type of seed they are actually selling. That information is often hidden, in small print, on the back of the package, the part of the box that most innocent home owners don’t read.

So whilst the front of the package has a nice big “Kikuyu” or “Couch” heading, the reality is that there may only be less than 10% of the seed blend that is truly Kikuyu or Couch seed. The rest of the seed blend is filler seeds like Rye or Fescue.

There are 3 problems with these filler seeds

1. Having different varieties of grass in a lawn often ruins the uniform look of a lawn that the homeowner was trying to achieve by buying the seed in the first place.
   
   Rye and Fescue grasses, even though they can be magnificent lawns on their own, often look like weeds when found in Couch or Kikuyu lawns (as the attached photo shows). Many home owners then end up spending more time and effort trying to get rid of the filler grass types.
   
2. Rye and Fescue are cool season grasses, which means that they are not very tolerant of hot weather (but typically outperform Couch and Kikuyu in the winter months as shown in the photo).
   
   The result is that the cool season grasses often die off as soon as the hot weather hits. This again results in dead patches in the lawn, the very thing the home owner was trying to fix. Unfortunately, the Rye and Fescue often re-germinate in the cooler months again just to die off in summer.
   
3. It is often very expensive or time consuming to rid your lawn of these grass types because
   common herbicides won’t work. The best option to control these grasses are professional grade herbicides that are either unavailable to the public or cost hundred of dollars.
   
   Manual removal is an option, but it is very time consuming … and the grass is likely to return.

The best option for most people is to hire a licensed spray technician to treat the existing grass and then apply a preventative herbicide to stop it coming up again next season.

Two reasons why seed companies do this:

1. It’s cheaper.
   1kg of Pure Rye seed from a specialised seed supplier is about $35.
   1kg of Pure Kikuyu seed from a specialised seed supplier is about $160.
   
   Filling the seed blend with cheaper seeds makes it look to an innocent shopper like they are getting a better deal for the same product.
   
2. Kikuyu and Couch can be much slower to establish.
   So filling the seed blend with much faster germinating seed varieties makes the product appear to be more effective.

The innocent homeowner will buy the cheaper package and then think that they have had great results, only to find their lawn contaminated with a different variety of grass.

Some of the perpetrators

Here are a few of the seed blends that are misleading. I have picked a few different brands as I have no interest in picking on one specific business. When you are shopping, always read the back of the packet.

Munns Professional Couch Lawn Seed Blend

From the Munns website: “Lawn Seed Type: Couch and Improved Turf Type Perennial Ryegrass”.

One redeeming factor is that is does say “Lawn Seed Blend” on the front, even though most homeowners won’t know what that means.

Scotts Lawn Builder Seed & Feed Kikuyu Lawn Seed

From the Scotts Bunnings listing: “Scotts Lawn Builder Seed & Feed Kikuyu is a blend of kikuyu and annual rye; the rye is included for fast greening and to provide a protected environment for the slower germinating kikuyu seed”.

Note that this product doesn’t even mention ‘seed blend’ on the front.

Hortico Kikuyu Lawn Seed Blend

From the Hortico website: “Kikuyu is a hard-wearing broad leaf grass with vigorous runners. As it is slow to establish, we have blended it with a companion grass for fast establishment. Once established, Kikuyu is a vigorous grower and will replace the companion grass.”

“Kikuyu and Annual Ryegrass seed”

I must note that it is highly unlikely the Kikuyu will out-compete Ryegrass in all circumstances. In cold climates or heavily shaded areas it is far more likely that Kikuyu will be outcompeted by the Ryegrass.

Some home owners don’t care, and that’s fine

Some people are happy with any type of grass in their lawn. The type of grass or how uniform the lawn is is irrelevant to them as long as it is thick and green. I can totally understand this point of view.

Don’t get me wrong, this is not some OCD, purist snobbery that can’t handle different seeds being mixed together. There is a market for these products and they should be sold at Bunnings or other nurseries.

This is simply a critique of how misleading the packaging is and an educational article to help those who do want a uniform, beautiful lawn.

Where can you get pure lawn seed from?

1. Bunnings do sometimes stock pure seed like this Munns Pure Kikuyu. Feel free to head to Bunnings, just make sure you double check the back of the packaging. If you’re still unsure, check the website and if you’re still unsure after that, perhaps buy a different product.
2. Some local agricultural supplies shops or specialised nurseries will stock pure lawn seed. Call before you make the drive if you are unsure.
3. Specialised Seed Suppliers like McKays Grass Seeds have a wide variety of seed and deliver to your house.

If all of this is just too complicated for you and you just want a professional, experienced gardener to sort everything out for you, contact Silverstone Gardening today.

The post Lawn Seed: the misleading trick lawn seed companies use to get more sales and how it can ruin the look of your lawn appeared first on Silverstone Gardening.

Don’t get me wrong, urea has a place in lawn and garden care, but if you are looking for a lush, green, stress-tolerant home lawn, steer clear of urea. I have four alternatives that will make a huge difference for your Western Australian lawn.

What’s the problem with using Urea?

When you fertilise your lawn or garden, there are different macro and micro nutrients that your lawns and plants need to thrive. The three main nutrients your lawns and plants need (macro nutrients) are Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K). In addition, there are lots of micro nutrients like Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Sulfur (S) and many more that are useful.

Nitrogen helps leaf growth and colour. Phosphorus helps roots, fruits and flowers. Potassium helps the plant’s general health.

Urea’s nutritional break down is simply this: Lots of nitrogen, nothing else.

Because nitrogen helps your lawn grow lots of dark green leaves, on the surface it looks like some really good things are happening, but these are literally just surface level improvements.

You see, the problem with urea is not that it has no benefits; it is that it doesn’t have enough benefits and in the medium and long term, this is going to have negative consequences for your lawn.

3 common issues with urea-fertilised lawns

1. Too much growth which leads to a thatchy/spongy lawn.
   This thatch ultimately limits the lawn’s water and nutrient uptake which reduces colour and vibrancy in the hotter months. The only remedy for thatch is an expensive and laborious vertimowing service.
2. No root growth promoted.
   This results in a lawns that struggle in the hotter months. It is not uncommon for these lawns to look green and beautiful until the very first heat wave comes.
3. Little disease resistance.
   Because the lawn is lacking in key nutrients, it becomes weak and susceptible to some fungal diseases.

4 great alternatives that will give you a beautiful lawn

The following options are complete fertilisers from WA companies made for WA conditions. At Silverstone Gardening, we have used all of these products and have had great success. So, in no particular order:

Bailey’s Sure Green Gold/Maintain

This fertiliser has 50% of it’s nitrogen readily available and 50% slow release. This means that your lawn will get an instant hit AND will also not need to be fed again for 10-12 weeks post-application. A high iron content means a deep, rich colour and moderate amounts of phosphorus and potassium make this a great fertiliser for the growing season.

Click here for more information on Sure Green Gold/Maintain

Baileys 411

This product is a great winter fertiliser. It has a lot of phosphorus and a wide range of micro nutrients which is great for lawn health. It also has a form of nitrogen that is more readily available in the winter months.

Click here for more information on 411

Eco-Prime Emerald

Emerald is a complete rock mineral NPK fertiliser impregnated with beneficial microbes. It’s a very good growing season fertiliser that gives a great colour and promotes root growth.

Click here for more information on Emerald

Eco-Prime Red

Red has high potassium and very high phosphorus content which makes it great for promoting root growth and plant health. Great to use on new lawn and also on patchy lawn.

Click here for more information on Red

If choosing the right fertiliser is too complicated for you, contact us today. We can organise for an experienced gardener to diagnose exactly what you lawn need and apply the correct fertilisers to suit.

The post Why Urea is bad for WA home lawns (+ 4 great alternatives!) appeared first on Silverstone Gardening.