Sydney and many other parts of the country saw an abundance of rain a week or so back leaving our lawns drenched and over watered. It was no exception on our Green Life Turf farm where our team were up at dawn’s crack to start dealing with the problem.

The last few weeks of (mostly) sunshine should have dried most lawns out a little by now, but we may be in for more rain and as the sun continues to get weaker and weaker, our lawns are in for another brutal cold season. With predictions of a lot more rainfall to come this winter, there won’t be many opportunities to do much about it.

So what do we recommend on our farm for turf lovers in our Sydney climate? First some background:

Industry research has shown that as a nation we tend not to fertilise our lawns in winter for two reasons:

1. Some say it doesn’t yield any results;
2. Others say it actual hurts the lawn.

The same research however shows that for regions that continue to be relatively warm in - like ours - fertilising significantly improves the colour for many types of turf – particularly most Buffalo, Kikuyu and Zoysia.

What to do with your lawn NOW to help keep its green colour 

Here’s what we recommend if you’re in Sydney and surrounding suburbs, or a similar climate:

Buffalo Turf –

Fertilising – We recommend fertilising Buffalo turf in mid-June and then again in mid-Spring. We use (and recommend!) our special blend Organic Health Booster Plant & Lawn Food fertiliser, which we now supply to the public!

Mowing – Continue to leave a decent length in your lawn. Mow your lawn through winter just to remove the frost burn on the tips of the leaf, and this will instantly green up your lawn.

Kikuyu Turf –

Fertilising – For low wear lawns like in your front and back yards, we recommend fertilising Kikuyu turf in mid-June and again in mid-Spring, just like for Buffalo turf. However, for high wear lawns like sports grounds, playgrounds, and even backyards with outdoor pets, we recommend you fertilise more regularly, even as often as every two months. For our Kikuyu turf, we use our special blend Organic Health Booster Plant & Lawn Food fertiliser (now supplying to the public).

Mowing – Mow your Kikuyu lawn at a decent length to remove any frost burn.

Zoysia Turf –

Fertilising – For low wear lawns, we recommend fertilising your Zoysia turf in mid-June. If your Zoysia sees high wear, fertilise again in mid-Spring just like you would for Buffalo and Kikuyu turf. We use and recommend our special blend Organic Health Booster Plant & Lawn Food fertiliser (now supplying to the public) on our Zoysia turf.

Mowing – Unless you have a lot of shade, you can afford to mow your Zoysia a little shorter than you would most other types of turf. If you have a shaded lawn area, keep your mowing height a little longer but remember to trim it down as soon as Spring hits.

Couch Turf –

Fertilising – Here's an exception to our Sydney-climate fertilising guide - Couch turf doesn’t respond as well to fertilising in winter. Instead, fertilise again early Spring, and use the special blend Organic Health Booster Plant & Lawn Food fertiliser as we do on our farm.

Mowing – Keep a little extra height in the colder months.

That's it! And of course, if you have any questions or lawn concerns, get in touch with us here: Contact Us.

Psst! Take a look at The Grass Guru's special winter offer to help keep your lawn green and healthy this season!