The change to autumn brings welcome relief to parched summer lawns – rain and cooler air and soil temperatures.
A well-kept lawn can add value to a property when it comes to sale time.
Grass helps stabilise soil and keeps it healthy due to the constant microbial activity. It prevents erosion during heavy rain and reduces water run-off, letting rain water filter back to the water table.
Autumn lawn care tip
Feed: Apply a lawn fertiliser.
Weed: Autumn is the best time to eradicate weeds, before they set seed and spread.
Patch: Bare patches may occur in areas of high traffic or where the dog buried a bone. It’s easy to patch them with seed.
New lawns: Autumn is the best time to sow a new lawn or relay a lawn. Always prepare the area first, even if just patching. Spray the area to remove weeds, cultivate, compact and level the area to be sown. Add a layer of sand or potting mix to the area to be sown to a maximum depth of 50mm (topsoil may contain weeds). Be sure to choose a seed variety suitable for your situation. After sowing, rake the seed in lightly and water well. Don not let the water puddle.
Mow: Before you begin mowing your new lawn, let the root system of the grass establish. You can mow a new lawn when most of the new grass is 5cm tall. Only mow it lightly the first few times – once the lawn starts to thicken you can reduce the mowing height to 2.5cm. Blunt mowers could pull out the young grass. It’s a good idea to use a catcher as well so clippings don’t smother the new seedlings.
