Whether you have beautiful existing lawn or have just installed a new lawn. Winter can be a difficult time for lawns in Melbourne.

Most of Melbournians household lawns are probably a warm season’s grass. These grasses like Kikuyu, Couch and Soft Leaf Buffalo go into dormancy from May to Oct. All this means is they stop growing, the leaf is weaker and the lawn will lose colour.

Here are some simple things to remember over winter:

Feeding

Lawns need to be fed to remain strong and healthy. In early April, apply a fertilizer with higher potassium (NPK 5:10:25) to stimulate root growth and to “winterize” the grass during its dormant season. This is typically 25g per square metre.

Mowing

You will notice that your lawn will slow down its growth as you lead into winter and you are mowing it less frequently. When it does slow down it is best to raise the lawn mower or stop mowing all together. I’m sure you could both use the break!

Weed control

Monitor the lawn for weeds and get them out as soon as possible. Your lawn will find it difficult to compete with weeds during winter. If weeds persist into spring and Summer, you can look at spraying them out then. Through winter try to manually pull them out.

Reduce traffic

Try not to overuse your lawn throughout winter. The extra foot traffic can weaken it. Adding some CoverLawn over your lawn will help strengthen it & support it through winter.

Aeration

At the end of winter, the soil may have become compacted so it is a great time to aerate your lawn with a garden fork or mechanical aeration equipment. You can Aerate over CoverLawn if it is installed.

Enjoy your lawn over winter, treat it with care and you’ll be rewarded in the warmer months.

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