Achieve the Perfect Lawn

Grass and soil types differ tremendously throughout the Peninsula. Although Kikuyu grass has been popular in the past, it has been surpassed by our indigenous species, namely Buffalo and various Kweek varieties such as Cape Royal.

How to take care of your lawn during Spring :

• In Spring, scarify the lawn by raking it hard with a plastic rake and removing any dead thatch and runners that have accumulated over the past season.
• Top dress to fill in any dips and add freshness to the soil.
• Feed with “Lawns and Foliage 7.1.3” at a rate of one handful per m².
• Mow the lawn regularly to encourage thick, lush growth.
• Feed with 4.1.1 with Karbaspray from October to eradicate lawn caterpillars.
• Water sufficiently so that the roots receive water deep below the surface.

How to take care of your lawn during Winter :

• Feed with 2.3.4 to encourage strong runners and good root growth.
• In areas that experience more shade as the sun dips, over-sow with “Shade Over” to keep green during winter.
• Winter grass (bright green tuft grass that germinates in damp, shady areas) can be controlled by the use of KERB – a selective herbicide.

Follow these steps and you will have a lawn that is acceptable to the “mower man” :

• If the lawn is old and sponge, cut it as low as possible by crosscutting and lowering the blade after each cut. This will get rid of the layer of dead thatch hiding between the soil surface and the “green top”.
• Remove all loose material. (Sweep! Sweep! Sweep!)
• If the ground is hard and compacted, water it well.
• If the drainage is poor and/or the soil is compacted, use a hollow tine fork to aerate. (Hire it or buy it).
• After hollow tining, remove all cores and fill the holes with a loose and friable mixture consisting of sand and compost. If necessary, the correct amount (60gm per square meter – a small handful) of 2:3:2 or Super phosphate fertilizer may be added.
• Water well again!
• Decide whether you need to top dress – only do so if the soil is very poor or the ground is very uneven. If necessary a good top dressing can be applied, NOT more than 10mm thick.
• Depending on the weather, (lets hope it does not rain at this stage), do not water until the new grass begins to peep through the topsoil. The reason we do not water is that a mud bath will develop and an uneven surface will result. If it does rain, then pull a heavy rug or sack over the lawn to assist with leveling.
• Start watering gently once the lawn is through.
• Enjoy!

This treatment can be done in Autumn or Spring. We usually try and time it just before or after the rainy period.