Have you noticed that your lawn is looking a little worse for wear as the temperature drops? Once soil temperatures drop below 14 degrees Celsius your grass will start to slow down and go semi-dormant for the cool months ahead. This is how warm-season turfgrasses protect themselves from the harsh conditions of winter. In saying that, there are a few things that you can do to keep your grass healthy through winter.
Fertilising
In winter it is best to use a liquid foliar fertiliser that can be absorbed by the leaf. This is because as grass growth slows down, so does the nutrient transfer from soil to leaf.
Always look for a fertiliser that is high in both potassium. Potassium provides strength to the whole plant and helps with cell function and Iron helps to strengthen your grass and improves leaf colour. In order to maintain your turf strength and colour, we recommend applying a liquid fertiliser every 4-6 weeks through winter.
If you’re short on time, and want to give your lawn a boost and see results immediately, it might be worth trying Colour Guard Plus. Colour Guard Plus is a liquid fertiliser that also contains a green pigment. So you’re not only improving your lawn’s overall long-term health, you are also improving its visual appearance in the short-term!
Mowing
As our grass growth slows down in winter, it is important to remember to raise the height of your mower-blades for the cooler months. Leaving the leaf longer (especially in shaded area) will give your lawn the best chance of absorbing both sunlight and nutrients. This makes it easier to retain colour and fend off weeds.
Watering
At this time of year, you should be able to cut back your watering substantially (if not completely!). You you should really only water your lawn on an as-need basis – and remember with the water sprinkler switch off between 1 June and 31 of August in the Perth Metro area, this should be done via hand watering with the hose.
The best way to tell if your lawn is thirsty, is by paying attention to the leaves. If they are starting to dry out and curl – then your lawn needs a drink!
Weeds
Unfortunately, weeds are much more present in winter. Make sure you keep a regular eye on your lawn so that you are able to put a stop to any outbreaks as they occur. Remember, if you see a weed sprout – it’s too late to hit it with a pre-emergent herbicide!! You will need to use a selective broadleaf herbicide on your lawn, we recommend using Bow and Arrow Herbicide as it is safe to use on ALL turf varieties.
If you have noticed winter grass appearing, you will need to use a selective winter grass herbicide. We recommend using SureFire Propyzamide 500 as it is safe to use on Buffalo, Couch, Paspalum and Zoysia and comes in a concentrate, which means that it will last longer.