LAWN CARE GUIDE
How to care for your new Lawn
A healthy lawn needs regular care to keep weeds, disease and pests out. This guide applies to every new lawn, whether it's hydroseeded, instant or conventionally sown.
Fertilising
KEY TIP
Fertilise 2 weeks after sowing, then monthly. Use 1 handful per m², on dry grass, and water it in well.
Fertilising is the most important part of lawn care. It encourages good growth and helps keep out disease and weeds. New lawns need plenty of fertiliser, and a lack of it is often why a young lawn looks poor. Just before rain is an ideal time to apply it.
Good options include Nitrophoska Blue or Di-Ammonium Phosphate. Once your lawn is established, switch to a slow-release fertiliser every 3 months. A healthy lawn stays dark green, so if it turns light green or yellow, fertilise straight away. For bigger lawns, a spreader gives more even coverage.
Mowing
KEY TIP
Never mow below 40mm, and never cut off more than a third of the height at once.
Longer grass crowds out weeds and grows deeper roots, which helps your lawn get through dry spells. Give a new lawn its first light trim at around 60mm to help it thicken up.
Mow as often as you like, just not too short. Keep your mower blades sharp and always use a catcher.
Watering
KEY TIP
Let the lawn dry out a little between waterings to encourage deep roots.
Don't wait for signs of stress, like grass losing its springiness, before you water. A new lawn needs watering in spring, summer and autumn unless there has been significant rain, and in dry conditions that can mean 2–3 times a day.
Windy weather dries lawns out fast, especially in warmer months, so water more often when it's windy.
Instant lawn care
KEY TIP
Keep new instant lawn well watered until it establishes, especially in summer.
If instant lawn dries out, the joins between rolls can shrink and separate. Water generously for the first few weeks.
Weeds
Weeds come up in every lawn, from seed already in the soil or carried in by birds and wind. A regular spray programme makes them less of a problem over time. Don't spray until your lawn is at least 2 months old.
Flat weeds
Easy to control with selective sprays that only kill flat weeds. Spray 2–4 times a year.
Couch & kikuyu
Hardy and hard to remove. Brush a strong glyphosate mix (e.g. Roundup) onto each plant, and keep grass above 50mm.
Paspalum & summer grasses
Very hard to remove. Spray in spring before they establish.
When to Sow a Lawn
Autumn
March – July
BEST
The best time to sow. Weeds slow down, summer grasses are dormant, and roots establish before the heat.
Winter
August – September
GOOD
Still a good result, but slower to establish.
Spring
October – November
GOOD
Seed germinates faster, but weeds do too. Keep up the fertiliser and watering, and mow at the right height.
Summer
December – February
FAIR
The hardest time to sow and very high maintenance. Hydroseeding gives far better summer results.