Sarah, Author at Lawn Solutions Australia

Mow or edge your lawn first?

Posted on April 28, 2021April 28, 2021 by Sarah

Mow or edge your lawn first? Where do I start? Do I mow first, then whipper snip the edges? Or do I edges first and then mow? Does it even matter?

Ask this question on any social media lawn group or Google and you will likely get a variety of answers. There is, however, usually some consensus that one particular order is better than the other. But some believe that doing it the wrong way is the equivalent of hanging your toilet paper the wrong way! (There is a right way if you are wondering. The 124-year-old patent clearly shows the paper going up and over the roll rather than under!)

So, in this blog we dive into the why’s and why nots for whether to mow or edge your lawn first.

Why’s and why nots for mowing or edging first

Let us state straight off the bat that the answer to this question is part preference and part logic (Although one man’s logic is another man’s crazy as they say). You can do whatever you would prefer to do with your lawn. It’s not really going to make a difference to plant health. What it will do, potentially, is affect the appearance of your lawn.

If you maintain a beautifully manicured lawn at a low height, mowing frequently sometimes more than once a week, then you are likely to mow first. You give the lawn a haircut and then you give it that crisp edge to finish it off.

If you are like most homeowners, although still taking pride in your patch, you are likely to mow weekly but only during the height of the growing season – then you will likely want to get the edges trimmed back with the whipper snipper first and then tidy it all up with the mower. Some then also finish it off with an edger.

So, if you are to ask us what should come first, we would say whipper snip. Then mow the lawn and if you have an edger then do the edge. Trim, mow, edge and blow.

What better way to clean things up than to blow away messy bits of clip that have found their way onto driveways and footpaths. Some even trim the edges and give it a blow before they mow as well – whatever makes you happy and provides the best result.

Here’s just some of the variations we have seen recommended:

I’m exhausted just reading that last one. One for the triple cut enthusiasts, I guess.

For some of the purists out there asking, ‘but isn’t whipper snipping doing the edges?’ Well, you can edge with a whipper snipper but in most situations, you would be just using to trim the hard-to-reach corners and up against the fence and other surfaces where the mower can’t reach. What an edger can do is give that crisp line of separation by partially digging into the soil completely cutting a crisp edge to the grass. You can do this with a whipper snipper by turning the head vertically, but it is difficult to do this neatly. This is where a dedicated edger comes in handy.

Some people find that by trimming the edges first you are able to mow over the cut grass from the edges, which will leave the lawn clean of debris when finished. But if you don’t mind blowing these trimmings away afterwards, then it doesn’t really matter.

In some cases, we have seen people edge first. If you have a manicured lawn that is mown regularly and low, then there can be some benefit in doing this. The edge created will make a nice line for the mower to finish along ensuring that the grass cut height is kept nice and even right to the very edge. By doing the edges after mowing, sometimes you can find that the trimmed edges are not as uniform to the rest of the lawn.

Whatever gives you the result you are after, go with that.

Don’t forget to enjoy a beer when you are finished while you admire the results of your hard work.

For more information, you can check out our other mowing blogs here.

Here’s some food for fall…

Posted on April 28, 2021May 20, 2021 by Sarah

(Sorry for going a little state side for the pun!)

Essential Lawn Nutrients for Autumn

In this article we take a closer look at lawn nutrient requirements during the autumn period and how to address these needs before the cold sets in.

A lawn needs oxygen, nutrient and water, along with sunlight in order to photosynthesise. With all of these elements considered and readily available to your grass you should have a healthy thriving lawn.

If you have a warm season turf variety like buffalo, kikuyu, zoysia or couch, as soil temperatures drop below 14 degrees over the coming months, so too will the speed at which your grass will grow as it slows in cellular activity.

This means that if your lawn is unhealthy and nutrient poor, it will go into winter unprepared for the colder conditions. This will leave it susceptible to winter weeds, compaction, shade related issues and frost.

Now is an important time to address these deficiencies and prepare your lawn with the nutrients it needs during the cooler months.

One nutrient in particular is especially important and should be available for your grass to help prepare it for winter.

Potassium for Plant Health

This nutrient is potassium. Most people know about nitrogen and its ability to provide quick green up and leaf growth. But now is the time to boost the health of the entire plant. This is where potassium comes in.

Potassium functions within the cell of the grass and provides strength to the entire plant. It helps the internal processes including photosynthesis, respiration and protein production. This creates thicker cell walls to help it withstand drought and disease.

Without potassium your lawn would struggle to grow, be lacking in strength and suffer yellowing of the leaf. Potassium comes in the form of sulphate as soluble potash and is a common ingredient in all lawn fertilisers, but can also be applied on its own.

Iron for Strength

Another key ingredient you will find in increased amounts in most winter fertilisers is Iron. Iron helps to strengthen your grass and improve leaf colour. Provided you have fertilised in autumn and have your lawn prepared for winter, an additional treatment around July is ideal.

You can apply Iron Chelate which will help to get better iron uptake for better results without the Nitrogen promoting unnecessary growth. Just make sure you don’t get it on any hard surfaces as it can stain very easily.

We recommend applying a balanced fertiliser with micro-nutrients and trace elements. These will replace some of the important elements that may have been lost over summer. Along with the potassium and iron that your lawn needs for the coming cooler months.

Exceed Liquid Fertiliser is a great professional-grade foliar fertiliser with a carefully balanced NPK ratio including potassium and added iron. Exceed will provide health and colour to your lawn and can be used year-round.

Another option is a slow-release granular fertiliser like Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser which will provide your lawn nutrients for autumn for up to 12 weeks as it gradually breaks down.

Just remember, a lawn in dormancy can lose some colour as it is conserving energy. This is not anything to worry about and is a completely normal part of the cycle for warm season grasses.

If you prefer using a liquid fertiliser during the cooler months or want to see a significant improvement in colour straight away, we recommend taking a look at ColourGuard Plus, an organic pigment with added fertiliser that can provide an instant boost of colour.

For more information regarding Autumn Lawn Care, check out our Autumn Lawn Care video series here.

How to Help Herbicides Adhere | Surfactants

Posted on April 28, 2021May 15, 2025 by Sarah

Surfactants (Adjuvants)

An adjuvant is a substance used to modify chemical or physical properties. There are two main categories of adjuvants, but in this article, we are referring to the type known as activator and spray modifiers, specifically the product group known as surfactants.

Skip to: Why do I need to use a surfactant?? What is a surfactant? What surfactant should I use? Different surfactant options to use.

Why are surfactants sometimes required when applying herbicides or pesticides?

Surfactants are used with herbicide or pesticide solutions in order to reduce the surface tension of the water it is applied with. There is an increase in the ‘spreadability’ of the water, with an increase in the surface area that the solution can cover. In contrast, if you were to apply just water when applied to a waxy surface like that of a weed, it will bead instead of spreading outwards. By adding a surfactant to the water, the molecules are spread outwards as the surfactant molecule is attracted in opposite directions. Rather than being inwardly attracted cohesively it becomes outwards attracted. The surfactant is now the link between what would normally be considered non-compatible materials.

Essentially you end up with a substance that has made water wetter!

Instead of the solution simply beading up and dispersing away, it spreads across the surface of the target material. This will improve the efficacy of the product being applied, ensuring it contacts and adheres to a greater surface area for penetration and improved efficacy.

What is a surfactant?

You can get a better idea of what a surfactant does by breaking down the origins of the word itself. Surfactant is a shortened form of the phrase ‘surface active agent’. They are soluble in water and are able to reduce water tension. Without going too deep into the science of why this is, the molecules within the surfactant are known as long molecules and have a head and a tail. The head is attracted to water (water-loving or hydrophilic). The tail is attracted to oil, grease and dirt (oil-loving or hydrophobic). So, one end is water-soluble while the other is oil soluble.

The most common types of surfactants are called Carboxylates. These comprise carboxylate salts, like Sodium stearate. Sodium stearate can be found in the most commonly available household ‘surfactant’ item, soap.

What weeds are best to target with the addition of a surfactant?

Target weeds that have a waxy coating or surface that is likely to bead easily upon application are the ideal weed types to look at targeting with a surfactant. Weeds like paspalum, nutgrass or broadleaf weeds like cudweed are ideal candidates for the addition of a surfactant when treating.

What surfactant do I use and how?

In most domestic homeowner situations, the easiest and most accessible surfactant to use is dishwashing liquid. As mentioned earlier, soap contains the surfactant Sodium stearate. Liquid dishwashing liquid can be added to a tank mix of the herbicide or pesticide being applied and mixed with water. A few drops in a 5L pressure sprayer or knapsack should be enough to help ensure that an efficient application is achieved. Many products will advise to use specific surfactants or products designed to achieve the best results with their products. Results after application cannot be guaranteed if using a dishwashing liquid or alternative option with your tank mix that goes against the label instructions.

[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WEC5q1x0eo&t=5s” title=”What Are Surfactants? | How to Help Herbicides Adhere”]

When determining what surfactant to use it is also important to consider the product that you are tank mixing it with. There are many herbicides that have specific requirements and labels recommend that they be applied with a specifically formulated surfactant or adjuvant to best ensure the success rate of the application. Be sure to read the label thoroughly before applying in case a specific surfactant is required. It is important to consider the effect that any addition to a tank mix will make to the ability for a product to perform as it says it will. If you are unsure, contact the product manufacturer directly for advice.

Some examples of turf surfactant products:

Manta Ray Surfactant

ProForce Manta Ray Surfactant is a multi-purpose aquatic friendly adjuvant which is composed of natural surfactants and penetrants derived from soybean oils. These are combined with propionic acid to produce a penetrant, surfactant, acidifier for use with herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, foliar fertilizers and plant growth regulators.

Agral Spray Adjuvant

Agral is a versatile non-ionic organic surfactant. It is the recommended surfactant to use with the range of products produced by Syngenta.

Pro-Film 904

Pro-Film 904 is a unique, high quality multipurpose surfactant designed to enhance performance of plant protection products. Provides unsurpassed sticking, improves penetration of systemic products. Is soft on turf and forms a film around the plant limiting water loss and helps reduce odour.

Driftex

Premium surfactant for addition to pesticides to reduce spray drift and to increase rain fastness period.

Activator

Activator Surfactant is a premium non-ionic rainfast wetting agent with low foaming qualities.

LI700

LI700 Surfactant can be used as an acidifying and penetrating mix, reducing alkaline hydrolysis. It will assist with the uptake of systemic herbicides and assists in management of spray droplet size.

Pulse

Pulse is a non-ionic organo silicone super wetter that improves the spread of spray droplets on leaves by up to 13 times more than standard surfactants. This superior coverage allows thorough penetration and translocation of certain herbicides used for hard-to-control brush and woody weeds.

If you are looking to get the best and most effective use of the products you are using, make sure you read the label thoroughly and add a surfactant if recommended to do so. If you are unsure of best practice, check with the product manufacturer directly for advice specific to their product.

For more lawn care advice, check out our other blogs here.

Old Wives’ Tales… True or False

Posted on April 27, 2021April 17, 2025 by Sarah

There are many old wives’ tales when it comes to lawn care. While some of them do hold some logic, it can be difficult to know what to do to keep your lawn at its best. We’ve searched the internet to tell you which of these tales are true and what is just a silly old myth.

Night watering’s are best

You may have heard that the best time to water your lawn is at night. While this may seem reasonable as it can help prevent your lawn from losing water to evaporation, over time frequent night watering can create damp conditions perfect for diseases and funguses to grow.

So, when should you water? Watering in early mornings is best when there is less wind and less chance of water loss from heat-related evaporation. By watering in the morning, the lawn will have enough time to absorb water before the heat of the day. This will also allow the lawn to dry to help avoid fungal diseases.

Mowing a lawn short means you don’t have to mow as often

Many of you may dread the thought of having to give your lawn another mow, mowing your lawn short and leaving it for a few weeks sounds like the perfect solution. However, mowing irregularly and short can cause extra stress and damage.

When mowing the golden rule is to only remove one-third of the leaf blade with each mow.

By only removing one-third your lawn will be able to stay in its peak condition. Although this does require you to mow regularly, your lawn will be able to have a steady nutrient uptake and will look more consistent throughout.

A brown lawn is a dead lawn

In the cooler months, lawns can lose some colour. This is because there is less sunlight to produce chlorophyll resulting in less photosynthesis and a loss of colour. However, there is no need to panic when this happens as the grass will return to its previous green state when temperatures begin to warm up again.

To help your lawn retain its colour better in winter, increase your mowing height. This will help create a thicker canopy that is better able to retain colour as more sunlight can be absorbed.

So, although your winter lawn will lose a bit of colour, the grass is really greener on the summer side.

If you are wanting to keep your lawn looking great with a lush green colour in winter have a look at ColourGuard Plus. ColourGuard is a spray-on green pigment that is absorbed into the leaf instantly improving the colour of your lawn. It can be used year-round, works on all lawns and in all climates.

Grass with a high drought tolerance doesn’t need to be watered

Many turf varieties on the market with high drought-tolerances, like TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda, are able to survive long hot periods without water. Although these turf varieties can last longer periods without water than most, they can’t survive with none.

However, once established drought tolerant turf varieties can survive and thrive for longer time periods with far less water.

You can only lay turf in spring and summer

There is a common misconception that warm-season turf varieties cannot be laid when the temperatures have dropped. While spring and summer are the ideal times to lay turf, your new lawn can be installed at any time year-round. In fact, a benefit of installing in autumn and winter is lower water usage.

When laying turf in winter it is important to keep in mind that the lawn will not root down properly until the weather begins to warm up again. This doesn’t mean that the lawn will die off, it will simply be sitting idle until it gets some warmer temperatures.

Vinegar can kill weeds

In short, yes vinegar can kill weeds, however when applied to your lawn it can harm it too. Vinegar will only treat above-ground vegetation, leaving the underground root systems unharmed, letting most weeds grow back.

Selective herbicides are the best option when removing common weeds from your lawn. Estate Herbicide and All Purpose Weed Control are both great options to use when treating common weeds.

The War on Weeds

Posted on April 27, 2021September 19, 2024 by Sarah

The most noxious lawn weeds (nutgrass + others)

As the name suggests, noxious lawn weeds grow aggressively and can spread rapidly with few control options. These weeds can appear in even the most well-maintained lawns and can take over quickly.

To help you, we have put together a list of the most common noxious weeds and what you can do to remove them.

Nutgrass

Nutgrass belongs to the sedge weed family and can be identified by a lighter green leaf that will grow taller than the rest of your lawn. It has 3 leaf blades that shoot up from a triangular stem.

How does nutgrass spread?

Nutgrass spreads by a series of bulbs on the underground rhizomes which grow to create new plants. One plant can produce multiple of these bulbs at one time. These bulbs can remain inactive for up to 10 years until they become disturbed and can be activated simply by an addition of nutrients or water.

When nutgrass matures, it can produce a series of seeds. Most common weeds will spread by its seeds, however only a very small portion of nutgrass will spread this way.

Treatment

So, how do I get rid of nutgrass?

It is best to act as soon as possible to help stop the spread throughout your lawn. If there is only a small amount present, you can dig the plant out by hand using a small spade. When removing nutgrass this way, be extremely careful to make sure that there are no roots, rhizomes, or bulbs left in the soil.

What do I do if the nutgrass has already spread?

When there is a larger amount of nutgrass in the lawn, a treatment with a selective herbicide such as Sedge Control is the best option. Be aware, when using these products, repeat applications may be needed for a full knockdown. Although these products are on the expensive side, only a small amount is usually needed to treat the affected area. If you decide to not treat these weeds, they will continue to grow and invade your whole lawn. So, purchasing an herbicide is definitely worth the investment.

Onion Weed

Onion weed can be a troublemaker in many lawns and garden beds. It is one of the most difficult to get rid of and can spread throughout your yard quickly. Onion weed gets its name from its bulb as it gives off an onion smell when crushed. It can be identified by its thin green strappy leaves which grow from a white bulb.

Treatment

The best way to remove onion weed is to dig the weed-clump out and throw the entire clump away. When digging these out, best to either use a spade or trowel to remove all the plant and roots. It is best to not pull these weeds out by hand as bulbs can remain in the soil. When these bulbs are left in the soil they can continue to grow into new weeds.

Another method is to use a non-selective herbicide. As onion weed does have a waxy leaf, a surfactant or a slight amount of household detergent will help the herbicide stick. When using a non-selective herbicide, carefully apply using a small paintbrush or weed wand to target the onion weed and avoid your lawn.

Paspalum

Paspalum has a series of broadleaf leaves that stem from a central crown. It spreads from its sticky seeds which are usually transported by birds, shoes, clothing and animals.

Treatment

As paspalum doesn’t contain any underground bulbs, it can be removed by hand. When removing, make sure you dig underneath the crown to remove the entire root of the plant.

If the paspalum has spread throughout the lawn, you may want to look at using a selective herbicide like Paspalum, Nutgrass and Clover Weed Killer. Repeat applications may be needed to fully eradicate paspalum from your lawn.

*For kikuyu and buffalo lawns only spot treat and do not spray the entire lawn as it can harm the grass as well.

Red Caustic Weed

Red Caustic Weed has reddish purple leaves with stems that contain a sappy white milk. These can be found in thin and sparse lawns, garden beds, and cracks between concrete.

Treatment

Red Caustic Weed can be treated with a broadleaf herbicide such as All Purpose Weed Control and Bin Die. Please note, repeat applications may be needed 7-10 days later to ensure the weed is properly treated.

For areas that are not surrounded by other plant material, it is best to use a non-selective herbicide such as roundup. However, you will need to make sure that you don’t apply it to any other plant material which you are wanting to keep.

For more information on other lawn weeds not mentioned in this blog, check out our other blogs on weeds here.

How wet is too wet for mowing?

Posted on March 31, 2021May 20, 2022 by Sarah

Is it too wet for mowing? Often after a long period of rain, the grass can become a bit too long for our liking. Although it can be tempting to go and give the lawn a mow as soon as the rain stops, it is best to wait until the lawn is dry. Not only will waiting an extra day or two make mowing an easier job, but your lawn will look better and healthier.

In recent months many areas have experienced continued rain over a long period, which has made not mowing the lawn almost impossible given how long the ground has been wet. Understandably at some point during such extreme conditions, the need to mow will outweigh the benefits of waiting until it is drier and it simply becomes impossible to wait any longer if it’s been many weeks. If you have experienced these conditions recently, please check out our blog on how to help your lawn recover after flooding here.

Why its best to wait until its less wet before mowing

Leaf-blades

When the grass is wet, a mower will struggle to cleanly cut the lawn. Mowing when wet can cause the leaf of the grass to tear and become bruised. When the blade is torn rather than cut it can cause more stress to the grass. This results in a deterioration in the plants’ health.

Lawn diseases

Normally when the lawn is mowed, the grasses clippings will be dry and can be scattered throughout the whole lawn. These clippings when left on the lawn can quickly break down and provide the lost nutrients back to the lawn.

However, when the grass is wet, these clippings will stick together forming clumps. These clumps will be damp and will sit on top of your lawn unless they are raked up. This can then restrict the airflow, sunlight, and other nutrients from getting to your lawn. These damp conditions beneath the clippings are perfect for fungal diseases such as brown spot to develop.

These clumps can even get stuck underneath your mower creating a build-up of grass clippings and debris. This overtime can interfere with your mowers blade movement and deterioration of parts. So, if you do happen to mow when there is moisture on the leaf, make sure you wipe out the lawn’s clippings from underneath the mower to help stop the clippings from building up over time.

Uneven cut

After a lawn receives rainfall, the leaf blades of the grass tend to not stand as tall as they usually would. This is because the leaf blade becomes weighed down by the water droplets causing the grass to bend unevenly. As a result of the bent leaf, not all leaf blades will be cut evenly when mowing.

When the lawn dries, the leaf blades which were bent will stand tall again. This will leave an uneven and patchy look to your lawn. So, it is best to wait until the lawn has dried out to get the cleanest, most even cut.

Mowers and wet grass

After rainfall, the soil beneath your lawn can become quite soft.

When mowing, ruts can be formed from the mower moving along the soft surface. This will badly affect your lawn levels and cause significant deviation in the height of your finished grass cut.

When moving a lawnmower over wet soil, there is a chance that the mower could become bogged. After a mower gets stuck, the turf underneath will likely get ripped up, leaving the area bare without any grass, but will also leave big ruts in the soil. As these ruts can be quite large, topsoil may be required to bring the levels back up again.

A wet lawn is a slippery lawn

Mowing the lawn when the grass is wet can become a more labour-intensive task as the mower will require extra force to push through.

The extra effort required to push the mower also causes a potential risk of slipping. This risk of slipping over will become greater if you are mowing on a slope. Slipping over when operating a mower with fast rotating blades will not only give you a fright but can be a significant safety hazard for obvious reasons.

Morning Dew

Unlike rain, morning dew is moisture mostly on the leaf and doesn’t cause excessive amounts of water to be present within the soil. This can mean that mowing while there is still dew present on the leaf, isn’t as much of a concern as mowing after rain. Golf courses and some other facilities have no choice but to mow their grass nice and early when there is dew still on the surface and they manage to keep their grass beautifully manicured. But if you do have the option to wait until the dew has dissipated, then it would be best to do so in the home lawn situation.

Zoysia Grass

Zoysia grasses have a high silica content within the leaf blade making them strong and robust. This means that these grasses require a sharp mower blade that can ensure a nice clean cut every time. With zoysia grasses specifically, a small amount of moisture on the leaf can actually be beneficial to cutting and can help the blade cut cleaner when using a cylinder mower.

So, if you are tossing up between mowing or not mowing your lawn while it is still wet, it is best to let the area dry out a bit further. This way you will be able to keep your lawn in its best shape.

For more mowing tips and advice, check out more of our blogs here.

Gardening projects for this Easter long weekend

Posted on March 31, 2021March 31, 2021 by Sarah

Are you looking for some gardening projects to tackle this long weekend? Whether it be a quick tidy of your outdoor spaces, creating a veggie patch, garden bed, or helping your existing plants flourish, we have put together a few project ideas that you and your family can create to make your garden an oasis.

Veggie garden

If you are a up for a bit of gardening this weekend, have a look at creating a veggie garden.

When looking to choose what to plant, look for seasonal winter veggies such as lettuce, spinach and beans. For more seasonal specific vegetable ideas for your climate, have a chat to your local garden centre to see what will grow best in your area.

The vegepod is a great option to consider when looking at installing a vegetable garden. These handy pods are designed to create an environment where your plants will thrive but are also waist height, so no need for bending over or having to get down on your knees to care for your veggies.

What if I don’t have enough space for a vegetable garden in my yard? Most veggies don’t have a large root system, they can be planted in smaller contained areas like pots and tubs.

Wall planters

If you are up for a bit more of a project, vertical gardens create the perfect place to grow smaller flowers, succulents, vegetables and herbs.

These gardens can be upcycled from an old pallet and can be filled in with plants. Before you start, give the pallet a quick clean and remove or hammer in any nails that may be sticking out. Depending on the pallet you find, additional wood may be required to help create the pockets for the plants to go in.

After the pockets have been created, line with a thick layer of plastic or another waterproof material. This will help protect the surface that the planter will be up against.

You can then go ahead filling up the pallet with a good quality potting soil and add in your plants!

Gardening for the kids

If the kids are wanting to have their own little garden project, why not make a fairy or gnome garden!

For these little gardens you will need a garden pot, potting mix, small birds house to paint, collection of gems or rocks and little plants such as succulents or flowers.

The first step is to fill the pots up with soil and put in your plants. The bird houses can then be painted and placed in their new garden followed by decorating the garden with rocks, gems or any other small toys.

Fertilise

The Easter long weekend is the perfect time to give your lawn some much needed TLC. After facing some unusual conditions this summer, your lawn may be in need of a boost.

Fertilising now will give your lawn will get the nutrients it needs to help repair itself from damage caused over summer and give it the best start heading into the cooler months.

We recommend using a slow-release granular fertiliser such as our Lawn Solutions Premium Lawn Food. This is a slow-release granular product that will provide your lawn with nutrients for up to 12 weeks after the initial application. This product has been designed to not only improve the appearance of your lawn but provide the essential trace elements for a healthy lawn.

Aerate

Fertilising your lawn is not the only way to help your lawns health improve. Aerating your lawn now will allow for better root growth and further thickening before winter.

As we have seen a lot of rainfall in the last few weeks, the soil base will be softer making aerating a less labour-intensive task.

When aerating the lawn, you can either use a garden fork, tyne aerator or hire a specialised aerator if you have a large lawn.

Add lighting to your garden

Garden lights not only hold practical benefits of illuminating your garden and outdoor areas but can add a stylish touch to help create a relaxed atmosphere.

For pathways, we recommend using solar garden lights that are on a spike. It is best to choose a stand-alone light that doesn’t have any above ground wires that can easily be damaged or mown over.

Decorative solar lanterns are a great feature piece for creating an ambient mood for after dark dinners. Or, if you are after a ‘brighter’ solution, there are lights available that can be mounted up high to light up an entire area.

After you have created your backyard haven, there is one thing left to do! Get out in the garden and enjoy your hard work!

For more lawn project ideas, see more of our blogs here.

Do you have ants in your lawn?

Posted on March 31, 2021March 20, 2025 by Sarah

Why Ants Play an Important Role in your lawn

Ants and other insects play an important part in our lawns and our gardens ecosystem. In small numbers they can assist in creating a healthy soil by aerating the ground through underground tunnels. However, when large infestations of these critters start to appear, they can cause both cosmetic and root damage to your lawn.

Why are there ants in my lawn?

Ants help create a balanced ecosystem in our gardens as they help break down plants and help get rid of dead insects.

Ants will feed on the dead bugs, beetles, leaves and other organic material that can be left sitting in our gardens. This will then be brought down into the ant nest which is commonly located underneath the soil. As this material decomposes it can act as a natural fertiliser for your soil.

What ants make up an ant colony?

All ants within a colony play an important role in bringing in food, protecting the nest and ensuing the colony is populated enough to last into the future.

In every colony there is a queen ant. She is responsible for laying all eggs for the colony, so that they will continue to survive and thrive into the future. The queen is located deep within the ant colony so that she is protected from any predators who try to get into the nest.

Male ants, also known as Drone ants, only have one job. This is to mate with the queen ant to ensure that the nest will continue to grow.

Female ants in the colony are responsible for building and maintaining underground tunnels and the nest itself. Other female ants will go beyond the nest to look for food, while others will protect the colony from other ant colonies.

Why are we sometimes anti-ants?

Ants are territorial insects who will protect their nest. When ants become territorial, they can often bite and sting the person or thing they become threatened by. This can often lead to painful bites.

Ant’s nests produce mounds above the ground, which can be of annoyance to some when mowing as they can cause damage to your mower blades. These nests also create an unpleasant appearance when you are trying to relax and enjoy your lawn.

How to spot an ant infestation

You can identify an ant infestation by looking at 2 factors:

A significant number of ant mounds
Dead and dry patches in the lawn with small holes usually nearby

Mounds are made up of dirt and sand. The ants will dig and build underground tunnels and nests within the soil. The material that is dug out by the ants is then left on top of the ground as mounds. These can appear in various spots across your lawn.

Dry patches caused by ants will only occur when there is an infestation present. These patches will occur when ants tunnel through the lawn and will eat through the root of the plant. This causes the green grass to turn yellow and start to die off.

When should I treat ants in my lawn?

When deciding whether to treat insects in your lawn, it is important to consider the impact you will be making to the ecosystem in your backyard. While ants can be annoying, they do play an important part in keeping your lawns ecosystem in balance.

Ants not only help control the number of small insects in your lawn, but they are also eaten by other animals in the garden, these include spiders, frogs and lizards. This means that when there is a balanced number of ants in your lawn, removing them will create a loss of food source for other animals living in your yard.

However, when there is a large infestation of ants, a pesticide may be required.

How to stop an ant infestation

There are a few different options that you can choose from when treating ants in your lawn. 2 Popular options are:

Battle Insecticide
SureFire Fipronil

When using these products, always use as per the label instructions.

If you are in need of advice to identify and treat issues with your lawn, get in touch with your local Lawn Solutions Australia expert.

Charlie Albone shares his favourite gardening products

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Sarah

There are a lot of gardening products on the market, some are great…. Others not so much and I have been lucky to try a lot of them out. When it comes to keeping a perfect lawn here’s what I recommend.

Auto Mower

My number one favourite landscaping product has to be my robotic auto mower. Mine is a Husqvarna but Gardena and other companies also make them. I was dubious of the robot I now know as “Nigel” as I thought it might take the romanticism out of the garden, but it has in fact changed my life for the better. I spend a lot less time on lawn maintenance and much more time on garden maintenance and lawn health.

There are guide wires that sit under the lawn that keep the mower contained and it is programmed to come out, cut the lawn and return to base when low on battery or the allotted time is up.

The benefits of an auto mower are twofold, firstly the time it saves you. This extra time can then be spent focusing on other plants or overall health of the lawn…. Or dare I say sitting and relaxing in the space. You also always have a well-maintained lawn, so you’re not embarrassed if somebody just pops in unexpectedly.

Secondly, an auto mower is much better for the health of the lawn it cuts. By taking off only a small amount you never risk scalping and the cut the blades make are clean and rarely fray the end of the grass. You also allow the clippings to return to the soil so you’re not draining the soil of its nutrients as fast as if you took the clippings away.

Secateurs and edging shears

Clean cuts are vital in all garden pruning as frayed ends increase the surface area pathogens and diseases can get into the plant. To get a clean cut you need sharp tools, when it comes to pruning shrubs and perennials, I love my Felco secateurs and I keep them sharp by running a sharpening stone over them before and after I’ve used them. For a lawn, if its small I like to use long handles edging shears on my edges for a professional crisp finish. I started using these whilst I was in England, partly as my boss at the time hated the noise of petrol-powered edger’s and partly due to the health of the lawn, you never risk scalping a section of edging. Keep these sharp with a stone sharpening tool like you would secateurs or hedging shears.

Whipper snipper

If you have a larger lawn and edging shears simply are not practical, you’ll need a whipper snipper to tidy up the perimeter (even with the robot mower working). I love battery powered as they are clean, low noise and give a great finish. When selecting a whipper snipper get one with a reversible head, like mine, so you can throw the clippings back onto the lawn rather than into the garden or on the path the lawn boarders as this will make clean up a breeze.

I think good edges really take a good lawn to great lawn status so why not define them and show them off. I love sandstone banding around the edge as it gives a sense of formality and restraint but for a modern look corten or weathering steel gives a crisp modern finish too.

Watering and irrigation systems

All good lawns require water and irrigation systems have come a long way. Modern systems have weather stations communicating via Apps with the Bureau of meteorology to predict rainfall and adjusting the water usage accordingly.

However, I’m old school, I still love my hose and old galvanised watering can I have however fitted a water usage gauge to tell me how much water I have put on my lawn, this allows me to know how much is just enough and then I don’t waste excessive water.

How to Tackle an Overgrown Lawn

Posted on March 31, 2021November 12, 2025 by Sarah

Have you come back from a long weekend getaway to find your lawn has become overgrown? Or did you happen to miss a few mows (we all get busy) and you are now left with a lawn that is difficult to tackle?

If this is you, don’t fret we’ve got some tips and tricks up our sleeve to help get your lawn back to a more manageable height.

Mowing rule of thumb

A general rule of thumb when mowing is to only remove one third of the leaf blade with each mow. By raising the mowing height to accommodate this, you will be able to ensure that you will not be removing too much of the leaf blade at once.

When you remove more than one third of the leaf blade at one time the lawn can become scalped, and you will be cutting into the stem of the grass. This can result in a deterioration in your plants’ health and a patchy-looking lawn.

Mowing an overgrown lawn after a few days or weeks

If your lawn has gone without a mow for a few weeks, you may need to raise the mower height to ensure you are not removing too much of the leaf blade at once and badly scalping into the lawn.

To get your mowing height correct, we suggest mowing over a small area first on a high setting. This will ensure you don’t accidentally scalp it and you can bring the level down from there if required.

If the lawn does need to go lower, we recommend waiting 3 days before giving the lawn another mow to bring it down further.

On the next mow, follow the same process of adjusting your mowing height and wait another 3 days before the next mow.

You can continue with this process until you reach your desired mowing height.

While mowing your lawn back down to its original height may be tempting, it is best to be patient and slowly bring the height of the mower down, so that the plant will remain healthy. Although this process takes time, you will cause less stress to the grass and won’t undo all of your hard work that it took to get your lawn into a great shape in the first place.

Overgrown lawn above knee height

When your lawn has crept up on you and is past knee height, a different approach may be necessary. Taking the lawn down gradually will take too long and you will likely end up scalping the lawn regardless.

If the lawn is too high to use a mower, it is best to reduce the height with a whipper snipper. This should aid in getting the lawn down to a height that can then be mown.

Once the lawn is at a height that can be mown, you can bring the lawn right back down with your mower. A notch lower than your normal mowing height is best depending on your grass variety. If you have buffalo grass it is important to not go too low and damage the runners it needs to repair from. After you do this, your lawn will not be in the best shape with very little leaf and will need to recover in the following weeks. During this recovery period, it is best to keep water up to the lawn and continue to mow regularly back at your normal mowing height. This will allow the leaf to grow back at your desired level.

Once the lawn has started to recover and has some new green growth, you can fertilise. It is important to not fertilise straight after it has been mown down as this can create more stress for the grass. It is not recommended that you do this in the cooler months.

In spring and summer, the lawn should be able to recover in a few weeks as growing conditions are ideal. But in autumn and winter, the lawn will take longer to repair as the grass’s growth will slow down as the temperature drops.

How can I stop my lawn from becoming overgrown?

By consistently mowing your lawn, the turf will be more consistent in growth, healthier, less susceptible to weeds, pests and diseases and will look great.

Mowing will not only become an easier task when done frequently but will help your lawn flourish over time.

What should I do to my lawn before I go away?

If you are going away, best to mow the day before you are set to leave or close to your departure. Although it is tempting to mow your lawn nice and short, so it doesn’t get too out of hand, it is best to leave your mower height as normal. If you are planning on going away for more than a week in the growing months, it may be best to arrange someone to mow it for you.

If you are going away over the warmer months, you may want to look at using a PGR (Plant Growth Regulator) such as Primo HG. A PGR will help slow down the growth of your grass, requiring you to mow your lawn less frequently. You can find more information on PGR’s here.

What is an ideal mowing height?

Different turf varieties do have differing mowing heights. To see what mowing height is best for your lawn, check out our blog here.

For more information on mowing your lawn, check out more of our mowing blogs here.