Dry Patches in Your Lawn
Hot and dry weather can really take a toll on even the healthiest lawns and cause them to become thin and patchy. This usually happens over the summer months, as the weather is hot and dry and lawn owners are generally on holidays or too busy to keep up their regular lawn maintenance schedule. It only takes a couple of days of hot, dry weather to affect your lawn.
What do dry patches look like?
Usually what you will see is bare patches throughout the lawn or your lawn would’ve started to thin out and change colour. What follows this, is those bare patches bake in the sun and become rock hard making it difficult for water and nutrients to get into the soil. This is commonly known as dry patch and appears regularly in lawns throughout the summer. Thankfully it is treatable and is relatively easy to fix.
The Trident is a manual lawn corer/aerator, which has 3 coring tines
The coring tines remove plugs up to 126mm long and is available in 12.7mm (1/2″). To increase air and water flow to the roots of the turf and soil, plus reduce compaction.
MADE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA
How to treat dry patches
Aerate
First things first, it is always recommended you aerate the affected area of your lawn. Aeration can be done with a garden fork, core aerator, or a motorised aerator depending on the size of the lawn. This is crucial as it will de-compact your soil and will help nutrients and water penetrate your lawn.
Apply Wetting Agent
Next, apply a wetting agent like Knights Wetta to the affected area. Knights Wetta will assist with water absorbing into your soil. This will also allow the soil to hold water in a usable manner for longer. Always remember to irrigate your lawn well after applying the wetting agent.
Bi-Agra wetting agent is a new innovation in the fight against hydrophobic soils. A moisture retaining aid as well it is great for lawns and gardens.
A commercial grade liquid wetting agent for use in severely hydrophobic soils.
Knights Wetta is ideal for preventing soils becoming hydrophobic (the biggest cause of dry patch in Perth).
Fertilise
After this, it is time to stimulate your lawns growth to allow it to self-repair and cover back over. This is best done by applying an NPK fertiliser to the entire lawn and irrigating the lawn well afterwards. A fertiliser designed for WA soils like our Knights Coastal Special Mix, Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser or Exceed Liquid Fertiliser are ideal options. Always remember to apply all products at label rates and follow all instructions.
Knights Coastal Special lawn Mix is a lawn fertiliser made by Lawn Doctor Turf Solutions to suit our coastal sands. High in iron and trace elements and guaranteed to be the best thing you could give your lawn.
20kg BAGS DO NOT QUALIFY FOR FREE THURSDAY DELIVERY - STORE PICK UP ONLY
Sir Walter Lawn fertiliser has been developed by Lawn Solutions Australia for use on Soft Leaf Buffalo and most other lawn varieties.
Premium, professional-grade foliar fertiliser designed to bring out the best in any lawn.
Dry Patch Prevention Methods
There are some steps that you can take to reduce the suffering….
Choose a drought tolerant turf variety such as TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda
Carry out good soil improvement practices prior to installing a new lawn
Water your lawn correctly, less frequent, deeper soakings to encourage deep roots.
If possible, give your lawn one deep soaking at the first sign of any heat and drought, then leave it until it starts to wilt, repeating the process as necessary. This will be more frequent in sandy WA soils.
Increase mowing height - slightly longer lawns shade the soil, reducing evaporation & stress.
TifTuf has a very fine leaf with dense growth, making it ideal for a lot of situations. Its density allows it to handle high wear situations like backyards and sporting fields, while its fine leaf means it can be manicured for a very formal look and a fast ball speed for sports. If stock is available - all orders require 2 working days’ notice and delivery or pick up Tues to Sat (subject to space on trucks). TifTuf MUST be laid the same day it is delivered or collected - it is a very dense grass and therefore holds heat. The longer it is left in the rolls, the more it will combust/burn. This will come right over a week or so, with correct watering.
We need two business days’ notice and delivery is Tuesday to Saturday (subject to space on trucks). If the trucks are fully booked, we will call to arrange another date. If you do not hear from us, your is confirmed.
MINIMUM ORDER FOR METRO DELIVERY IS 25SQM. MIN ORDER FOR DELIVERY FURTHER SOUTH IS 100SQM.
Orders less than 25sqm can be collected from shop in Wangara.