Lawn Mowing Archives - Silverstone Gardening https://www.silverstonegardening.com.au/category/lawn-care/lawn-mowing/ Fri, 20 Sep 2024 04:31:49 +0000 en hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.5 https://www.silverstonegardening.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/cropped-silverstone-gardening-bookmark-32x32.png Lawn Mowing Archives - Silverstone Gardening https://www.silverstonegardening.com.au/category/lawn-care/lawn-mowing/ 32 32 How often should a lawn be cut in Perth? https://www.silverstonegardening.com.au/how-often-should-a-lawn-be-cut-in-perth/ Thu, 16 Jun 2022 13:37:48 +0000 https://www.silverstonegardening.com.au/?p=3798 The post How often should a lawn be cut in Perth? appeared first on Silverstone Gardening.

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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.

How often should a lawn be cut? How mowing frequency affects turf quality - Silverstone Gardening

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.

Golf course grade - how often should a lawn be cut in Perth? (Silverstone Gardening)

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.

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5 Quick Tips for a Beautiful Lawn https://www.silverstonegardening.com.au/5-quick-tips-for-a-beautiful-lawn/ Wed, 10 Feb 2021 07:44:03 +0000 https://www.silverstonegardening.com.au/?p=2216 The post 5 Quick Tips for a Beautiful Lawn appeared first on Silverstone Gardening.

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For a lot of people having a great lawn is a mystery. Whilst there is no single “Magic Bullet” that will save the day there are some really good tips that will make some major differences in your lawn.

Water is key

The first thing we have to do before anything else is to get water on to the lawn. It is unfortunately common for people to neglect their reticulation system when trying to get a beautiful lawn/garden. This is either because they haven’t understood it’s importance, or they find fixing and setting a retic system daunting or confusing.

If you find yourself in this boat this article should help. Also don’t be afraid to hire a professional reticulation service. Whilst it will cost money a functioning reticulation system is so important to your lawn success that it will be worth it.

If you are confident with you DIY skills you will need to check for three things. Run your sprinklers and check for any:

  1. Broken pipes or broken/aging sprinklers (it’s always best to replace old sprinklers before they break)
  2. Flush the pipes and nozzles of any sand.
  3. Make sure your sprinkler run time is set to get 10mm of water per station (If you don’t know how to do that this article and video will help)

Getting to the roots

WA has a huge sandy soil issue. Our sandy soils are hydrophobic and often heavily compacted. These issues cause the water we put on our lawn to pool on the surface instead of soaking down to the root level where it is needed. A lot of water and nutrients can be wasted this way causing lawns to struggle, especially in the hotter months.

The two big solutions for sandy soils are wetting agents and core aeration. Wetting agents will temporarily fix the hydrophobic nature of the sandy soil, helping water to get down to the roots. Core aeration will relieve soil compaction making it much easier for water, air and nutrients to get down to the root layer. Doing both together will make a huge difference to the colour, growth and stress tolerance of your lawn.

Making your lawn thick, green and healthy

Sandy soils, on top of being hydrophobic, also lack the nutrients needed to keep lawns lush and healthy. As a result, it is essential to supplement your lawn’s diet with a high quality, balanced fertiliser. These fertilisers give your lawn the nutrients is needs to not only grow lush and thick but also have the beautiful deep green colour that we are all looking for. In addition, a complete fertiliser will promote root growth which over time will help your lawn to thrive in the hot summer months.

Mowing that makes a difference

Perhaps you have never thought of this before but the reality is that every time your lawn is mowed it is being damaged. Too much damage from mowing can halt your lawns progress from desert to oasis. The key to beneficial mowing is to cut as frequently as possible to remove as little as possible with every mow. This regular mowing practice will 1) Reduce the stress your lawn is under after each mow 2) Train the lawn to grow thicker rather than taller and 3) Reduce weed growth and seed production.

5 tips for a beautiful lawn - Silverstone Gardening

Consistency is key

Lawns are a living organism so just like one or two visits to the gym per year does not make a healthy human, one or two fertilisations per year will not make a healthy lawn. Correct watering, frequent mowing, regular fertiliser/wetting agent applications and occasional aeration are the wise gardener’s foundation to a healthy, vibrant lawn. Great changes will happen but not in one week. Consistency is the key.

What to do if it is all too hard

Information is great but action is what causes transformation. If our tips for a beautiful lawn feel confusing, daunting or the work required too much for your busy schedule, there is still hope. Silverstone Gardening provides all these services and more to get the amazing results we have shown here.

If you are looking for a budget service done yesterday then this may not be the service for you. But if you want a reliable, high quality service done by experienced gardeners, backed up by an organised, friendly admin team, then we are here to help.

Contact us today to get beautiful lawns at your house without the hassle.

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3 Tips For Higher Quality Lawn Mowing https://www.silverstonegardening.com.au/3-easy-tips-for-quality-lawn-mowing/ Sun, 13 Dec 2020 07:21:51 +0000 https://www.silverstonegardening.com.au/?p=2129 The post 3 Tips For Higher Quality Lawn Mowing appeared first on Silverstone Gardening.

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I have spent over 10 years maintaining high quality lawns. In this blog I want to give you 3 tips from my experience to help you understand 3 simple changes to your mowing practices that can make a big difference to your lawn.

Mowing damages the lawn

A lot of people don’t think of mowing as “damaging” to a lawn. But, the reality is that mowing can be extremely damaging to a lawn. Especially if you are haphazard and careless about your lawn mower, mowing frequency and height of cut.

Let me show you three principles that will help give you a more beautiful and healthy lawn.

The one third rule

People have been maintaining turf and studying the effects of low and high quality mowing for a very long time. There is one timeless bit of advice that has been handed down through the generations of turf specialist. If possible, never cut more than one third off the leaf in a single cut.

Its simple but very effective. The more of the leaf that is removed when mowing the more stress the lawn is put under. This is especially important in hot weather. Obviously, this rule is not possible to follow if a lawn has been neglected for a long time and is overgrown. But for regular mowing one third should be the most that you want to remove from your lawn with each mow.

In my experience most people mow their lawn either when it a) looks to messy for them or b) simply cut it on a recurring schedule like fortnightly or monthly.

The problem with these frequencies is that in the growing season the lawn has often well exceeded the one third rule by the time it is cut. This causes more damage to the lawn and as a result the lawn can struggle for health and colour.

In WA, a weekly mow is much more likely to promote a beautiful, healthy lawn. If you find this surprising, remember that golf course putting greens are cut daily. It is true that it takes work to have a beautiful lawn. Frequency of cut is one of the first things you need to get right.

For the highest quality cut cylinder mowers are best

Don’t get me wrong Rotary mowers are great and have many benefits. But when it comes to the quality of cut cylinder mowers are in a league of their own. This is because cylinder mowers cut like scissors. You can see how it works on the freshly sharpened machine (engine has been removed for maintenance if you are wondering why it looks different).

Rotary mowers, on the other hand, cut with fast moving blades that slice through the lawn at high speed. These high speed blades don’t leave as clean a cut with the lawn blades having a frayed finish.

Swardman have this great image to demonstrate the different cuts

The end result is that the cylinder mower puts the lawn under less stress. If you are serious about your lawns health a cylinder mower is the way to go.

The Correct Height of Cut (HOC)

To have a great lawn you need to understand what height of cut you are going to have the most success with.

Every lawn variety has a different height that it prefers to be cut at. These are not hard and fast rules but guidelines. Typically cutting the lawn under its recommended height of cut will require more mowing, more additional services and it will be less tolerant of damage or stress. Cutting a lawn above the recommended height can cause the lawn to look untidy and can cause thatch problems.

Different situations like limited light or traffic may mean that cutting higher is better. If you want to go lower and are not worry about the extra work then as low as 3mm can be achieved with golf course machinery.

Here are our recommended guideline for the most common varieties of lawn. These are for lawn that do not suffer from thatch build up, being cut by a cylinder mower. Each is linked to an example of a lawn we have maintained in that height range.

Kikuyu: 15-40mm
Photo at 18mm

Kikuyu Gold Package Results

Buffalo: 20-45mm
Photo at 22 mm

Buffalo Gold Package Results

Couch: 10-30mm
Photo at 15mm

Couch Lawn Maintenance
Couch Gold Package Results

Conclusion

If all this talk about mowing is too much for you, but you are looking for high quality professional cut at your property, why not request a quote. Simply fill out the quote form at the bottom of this page and one of our friendly staff will be able to help you achieve your goals for your lawn. We service lawns from Mandurah, Rockingham, Baldivis, Canning Vale and surrounding suburbs.

One final note is that mowing is not enough to have a great lawn. To fin out more info on how to have a beautiful lawn click here

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4 Tips for Perth Lawn Care in Autumn https://www.silverstonegardening.com.au/4-tips-for-perth-lawn-care-in-autumn/ Wed, 01 Apr 2020 03:47:49 +0000 https://www.silverstonegardening.com.au/?p=1174 The post 4 Tips for Perth Lawn Care in Autumn appeared first on Silverstone Gardening.

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Buffalo Lawn Care

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.

Army worm damage of a Perth lawn. 2 days difference between photos.

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

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3 Tips for Weeds in Kwinana Lawns https://www.silverstonegardening.com.au/3-tips-for-weeds-in-kwinana-lawns/ Mon, 30 Mar 2020 08:56:22 +0000 http://www.silverstonegardening.com.au/?p=1144 The post 3 Tips for Weeds in Kwinana Lawns appeared first on Silverstone Gardening.

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Lawn mower near green lawn Kwinana Lawns

Weeds can be inclined to thrive in the sandy soil of Kwinana Lawns. As homeowners, this is not ideal so we’ve put together this guide about weeds in your Kwinana lawn, why they might be thriving and what you can do to get on top of them. If you would like any assistance or advice about weeds in your Kwinana lawn, feel free to ask a friendly Silverstone Gardening gardener, or head to Lawn Mowing Kwinana for more info!

Weeds are taking over my Kwinana lawn! What do I do?

Prevention is always better than a cure. If you can, inspect your lawn regularly and pull out any weeds by hand that may be popping up. When you do this, make sure you get all the roots. For bigger weeds, it may be better to use a weed spray.

If your lawn is at the point where its more of a weed patch than a lawn, then you may be falling prey to one of the following mistakes. Read on to see what they are and what you can do to fix it!

1. You may be scalping you lawn.

On some occasions, healthy grass can out-compete weeds and drown them out. But when lawn is being cut too short or ‘scalped’, it is not getting the chance to grow and flourish. If you notice divots or brown areas on your lawn, you’re probably scalping it. Weeds do grow faster than lawn but they are not as strong. Lawn that is consistently weakened by scalping gives the weeds the chance they need to grow up and take over your lawn.

The solution to this is to lift the mowing height of your lawn mower. Try mowing higher and more regularly and see how you go!

2. Your lawn may have a case of Compaction.

If your lawn is too compact, there’s not enough room in the soil layers for oxygen and water to flow freely. Some weeds don’t need as much root space, oxygen or water to establish. As a result, your lawn is struggling and your weeds are thriving.

Compaction is prone to areas of your lawn that have high traffic. The best way to identify if your lawn is suffering from compaction is to test it with a garden fork; if your fork doesn’t go in at least halfway up to tines easily, your lawn has compaction.

The way to solve compaction is a process call aeration. You can do this by hand or with a machine. To aerate your lawn by hand, simply take a garden fork and push it into the lawn and wiggle it around a bit, at intervals of about 50-100mm. This creates pathways for water to penetrate the soil.

Aeration using a machine is a service that Silverstone Gardening provides, and this is best for larger areas. Call us for advice and a quote!

3. Your lawn may be thirsty.

Head over to our post on 3 Tips for Baldivis Lawns to find out if you’re not watering your lawn enough.

Because weeds need less water to survive than grass, if you’re not watering your lawn enough, the weeds will thrive while your lawn will struggle. Silverstone Gardening recommends less frequent, long soaks of your lawn, preferably in the early morning. In the early morning, there’s less chance of water loss through evaporation.

If you think your lawn is suffering from these problems, Silverstone Gardening can help! Contact Us today and one of our friendly gardeners can come to your property and assess your lawn.

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3 Tips for Baldivis Lawn Problems https://www.silverstonegardening.com.au/3-tips-for-baldivis-lawn-problems/ Sun, 29 Mar 2020 08:58:45 +0000 http://www.silverstonegardening.com.au/?p=1091 The post 3 Tips for Baldivis Lawn Problems appeared first on Silverstone Gardening.

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Lovely front lawn Baldivis Lawns

It’s the dream of any homeowner to have a lush, green, thick lawn but it can sometimes be a lot easier said than done. If you’re having Baldivis lawn problems, read on to find out what the causes might be and to see our top tips to get to that lush green lawn in no time! If you need help with your lawn, call Silverstone Gardening. Our professional gardeners can assess and diagnose your lawn and then work with you to get your Baldivis lawn back to where you want it. For more information on our services, head to Baldivis Lawn Mowing.

I’m having problems with my lawn! What do I do?

Most soil in West Australia is sandy meaning it doesn’t naturally provide a lot of nutrients to your lawn. In addition to this, water alone isn’t enough. If you’re not sure why your lawn isn’t flourishing, consider these possible explanations, along with Silverstone Gardening’s advice on what to do to fix it.

1. Fertiliser will help with Baldivis’ sandy soil

Sandy soil is common to most Western Australian lawns which means that your lawn is not going to get all the nutrients it needs from water alone. A great way to provide extra nutrients is using fertiliser. Silverstone Gardening recommends applying a chemical fertiliser in early spring, the middle of summer and during autumn. This means that your fertilising will enhance the seasonal growth spurts that your lawn experiences during the middle of summer and early spring. It will also give it that extra boost to get it through winter. Chemical fertilisers will need to be watered in to your lawn so make sure you turn your sprinklers on straight after you apply it. Remember though, never to fertilise during hot weather, as this can cause the fertiliser to burn your grass. If you want more information about fertilising, ask one of our friendly Silverstone Gardening gardeners!

2. Your Baldivis lawn might not be getting enough water; here’s how to tell:

If your lawn is thick, lush and green, chances are it’s getting enough water. If your lawn is thirsty, it will start to wilt and lose its colour. On warmer days, it will go dry, crusty and light brown. Your lawn might also stay flat when you walk on it, rather than springing back up. It may just be that you need to water your lawn a bit more. For this, Silverstone Gardening recommends less frequent, deep soaking rather than frequent but shallow ones.

3. If you’re watering often and not seeing an improvement, your lawn may be hydrophobic.

This is pretty common in the sandy soils of Baldivis, and it’s a fairly easy fix. Hydrophobic lawn means that your lawn is repelling water. This means that the water that you are putting on it is not effective and isn’t getting down to the roots of your lawn, where it’s needed. Basically, a waxy coating forms on your lawn which prevents water from penetrating the layers of your lawn. If you notice that when you water your lawn, the water is forming pools on the top of your lawn, rather than soaking in, then your lawn is hydrophobic.

The best way to rectify this is with a wetting agent. A wetting agent is basically a detergent that attracts water to the soil particles in your lawn and breaks down the waxy coating. If you want more advice on this, feel free to ask one of our friendly Silverstone Gardening gardeners!

If you think your lawn is suffering from these problems, Silverstone Gardening can help! Contact Us today and one of our friendly gardeners can come to your property and assess your lawn.

Silverstone Gardening recommends “Loving Your Lawn” by Lawn Care Solutions as a great resource for lawn care in WA. Some of the content of this post is sourced from their book.

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