Instead of reaching for fertiliser when your lawn has brown spots, patchy areas, or doesn’t look as lush and green as you’d like, consider the following ways to sustainably improve your lawn’s health and appearance.
Water less – but for longer
Watering everyday can create a shallow root system. By spreading out your watering days you can encourage grass to develop deeper roots systems. Lawns with deep roots tend to be more resilient, especially during Perth’s long hot summers. Consider dropping a watering day but increasing the watering time.
Aerate your soil
How dense is your lawn’s soil? Give the frequent foot traffic, if your lawn is patchy and dry, your soil is probably compacted. Test this by grabbing a trowel and seeing if you can stick it onto your lawn. If you can’t, or it’s a struggle, consider aerating your soil. Treating compaction through core aeration helps air reach the roots of the turf. Once aerated by machine or hand, top-dress the lawn with organic compost and scatter seeds to promote dense turf growth.
Reduce your mowing
This one might make you anxious, especially if you love using your ride-on mower in Perth but leaving it longer between cuts can improve turf health, creating more resilient plants that can go longer between waterings.
Don’t rake up grass clippings
Put the rake down! Did you know that leaving grass clippings where they fall adds tiny pieces of organic matter that will naturally break down and enrich your grass?
Overseeding – scatter seeds on sparse patches
If areas of your lawn look worn or the turf is sparser than you’d like, try overseeding. This is where you scatter grass seed directly over an existing lawn to encourage dense growth. Overseeding can also out-compete weeds. Best actioned in spring or Autumn, follow this process:
- Begin by mowing your Perth lawn with a ride-on mower or walker mower set to a low height.
- Once mown, scatter lawn seed mixed with sand evenly over the turf and top with a thin layer of compost. If you’re already applying a layer of compost to fertilise, it can be a great time to reseed.
- Rake thoroughly to encourage seeds to penetrate the turf.
- Water consistently until seeds germinate (7-21 days, depending on growing conditions).
Use the right equipment
Start by considering a mower based on your lawn size.
- Big lawns: a ride-on mower might be best
- Small lawn: a walker mower might be a better option.
Next, decide what’s most important for you. Is it the price, cut quality, speed, maneuverability or power? If one of these factors stands out, it helps narrow the search. If you still can’t decide, ask one of our friendly team members.
Coastline Mowers – we have what you need
Our Rockingham showroom and workshop are packed with the best quality brands to keep your lawn looking its best. As a popular Perth Kubota stockist and a regular stop-in for Stihl fans, our clients trust us to only offer premium quality garden machinery.
We’ve provided ride-on and walker mowers in Perth for over thirty years. Visit our showroom and workshop, check out our online store, or talk to our team today.
