LAWNPORN

SPRING
TURF CARE

Turf calendar & logbook  

Sept 2018 - Dec 2018 

INTENSIVE TURF CARE PROGRAM

MAINTENANCE | TIPS | REFERENCE
www.lawnpornonline.com
SEPTEMBER
SPRING
Spring is the start of growing season.

Warm-season grasses such as couch,

TIPS
kikuyu, zoysia & buffalo start actively Fertilise with Four
growing again. Seasons at season start,
a few weeks before
RENOVATION renovation
Warm-season grasses benefit from

renovation, removing thatch and Organise renovation

refreshing soil. Early spring renovation will equipment hire early
take longer to recover than those done

later in spring, due to warmer climate later Renovate with mates,

in the season. share costs and labour

WATERING Cheaper domestic pest

treatments from garden
Renovation requires extra water
shops are effective and
during repair. Immediately post
generally give 6-8 weeks
renovation requires more. Gradually
coverage
reduce as lawn recovers. Aim to get

to 2 deep morning waterings per

week at recovery stage.

LAWN PESTS
Treat for lawn pests at the start of

spring. Pests will adversely affect

recovery so it is vital they are not

present.
SEPTEMBER
BUFFALO CONSIDERATIONS
Buffalo only spreads above ground. TIPS
It must not be scarified, or mowed to
Fertilise with Launch+
the ground. Buffalo needs green
post renovation
leaves for photosynthesis.

Renovation of buffalo requires a

Start conditioning soil with
number of mows, over a number of
Moist end of month and
weeks, gradually lowering height and
continue monthly
removing excess runners and thatch.
application through
Aerate and topdress with a sandy
growing season
loam - still allowing some green

leaves to show to the sun.

Aeration cores and
scarification clippings can
SOIL WETTING AGENT be replanted in bare
areas and create new
Soil Wetting Agents are often
lawn
ignored by home lawn carers, and at

peril.
Water in early morning.
Healthy soil can easily become
Evaporation is minimised
hydrophobic (not accepting water)
and there is less chance
and stop water getting to the root
of causing fungus
zone.

Soil Wetting Agents condition the

soil to accept and hold water, supply

water to the root zone and lessen

evaporation.

Ultimately, they can save your lawn

and save you money using less water.

 Sat  Wed

Spring
September - week 1
Mow:
A light mow

Fert:
Spring is here! Hooray!! The start of growing season. Water:
Four Seasons slow release. A deep morning watering. 1 - 1.5
1.6kg per 100m2. Irrigate in. You may already notice some growth prior to spring. inches of water. Pay attention to

Sep 1 Sep 5
Lucky you! any pooling.

The starting point of basic fertilisation is once at the

 Sun start of every season with a slow release fertiliser.  Thurs
While good, you can certainly improve on this.

The early focus of spring lawn care is to prepare for

renovation. Renovation consists of scarification and
aerating, followed by a topdress to refreshen soil.

We want the best condition of the lawn possible before

Pest:
renovation. Renovation is hard on the plant, so we want
Acelepyrn 8-15mL per 100m2. the nutrients and soil condition to give the lawn the best
Irrigate immediately. scenario to grow and self repair.

Sep 2 A light mow at the start of the season is done to Sep 6

encourage growth, let a bit more heat to the ground and
 Mon remove some material stopping water and nutrients  Fri
getting through. A quick groom to remove thatch is also
effective.

Fertilising with Four Seasons is a great way to feed the

lawn nutrients and promote growth. Done at the start of
the season and 2-3 weeks before renovation it provides
nutrients for growth pre and post renovation.

Pests such as African Black Beetle are treated for early.

No reason having them impede on lawn recovery.

Sep 3 Sep 7
 Tue  Notes:

Mows:
Water:
Fert:
Herbicide:
Sep 4 Fungicide:
 Sat  Wed

Spring
September - week 2

Water: A few notes about using this calendar.

A deep morning watering. 1 - 1.5 1. Treatment times are centred on weekends but these
inches of water. Pay attention to are recommendations - not must dos! Be flexible and
any pooling.
Sep 8 move your care times to suit.
Sep 12
2. Treatments are recommended at 100m2. Measure
 Sun  Thurs
your area and adjust for your area size.

3. With any fertiliser or product you are putting on your

lawn, always read the label directions and follow
recommended rates and care practices.

4. If products you intend to use clash with a cultural

practice in this calendar, eg mowing, the product
recommendation takes precedence and the cultural
practice in this calendar disregarded.

Sep 9 5. Cultural practices such as aeration, scarification,

verticutting, grooming and mowing are placed on dates
Sep 13
as examples. These dates are flexible.
 Mon  Fri
6. Watering and Irrigation dates are similarly flexible.

7. The seperate days are left blank for you to record

information important to you and for your reference.
The bottom right is an example but you are open to
record in your own style. eg. Water can be time or
inches. Mowing can be height etc.

8. Lawnporn accepts no responsibility for possible

damage following this program could cause.

Sep 10 9. This calendar is for personal use. Republishing for Sep 14

sale is prohibited and such practices could breach
 Tue copyright. Please respect the spirit in which this  Notes:
program was created. If you want to share direct them
to www.lawnpornonline.com to download their own
copy. The download is free.

10. Get your lawn on!!!

Week 2 is recommended that you organise your Mows:

equipment and resources for the renovation next week Water:
and let Four Seasons fertiliser do its thing. Fert:
Herbicide:
Sep 11 Fungicide:
 Sat  Wed

Spring
September - week 3
Water:
A deep morning watering. 1 - 1.5
inches of water. Pay attention to
any pooling. Renovation!! Water:
Time to give your lawn a fresh start. It might seem what 20 mins morning
you are doing is cruel but you need to be cruel to be 20 mins early afternoon

Sep 15 kind. It is daunting to the home owner who hasn't

renovated before.
Sep 19
 Sun  Thurs
What is renovation? In the case of couch, kikuyu and
zoysia - these varieties spread above and below the
ground. The below ground spread are done by
rhizomes. Rhizomes allow these varieties to be mowed
to the ground. Then aerate and topdress with a sand or
blended loam.

** Buffalo varieties only spread above ground. Mowing

Renovation:
them to dirt risks killing to plant. The process is more Water:
Scarify, Aerate and Topdress involved. It recommended lowering height over a few 20 mins morning
** See notes in relation to buffalo weeks to a month, leaving some green tips for 20 mins early afternoon
varieties
Sep 16 photosynthesis and removing runners and thatch as
you go. When the height is lowered, aerate and
Sep 20
topdress with blended loam, leaving some green tips
 Mon exposed.
 Fri

Renovation time can be delayed to later in the month

and certainly, the later you leave it the quicker the
recovery is. October is sometimes better if you are in a
cooler climate.

Renovation timing and styles vary, person to person,

year to year and the future intended use of the turf may
Water: Water:
dictate your decisions.
20 mins morning 20 mins morning
20 mins early afternoon 20 mins early afternoon

Sep 17 If you don't have a scarifier - don't panic. An effective

renovation can be done with a rotary mower. Sep 21
 Tue I deeply water the day before renovation to assist  Notes:
aerating. Last year I didn't have a scarifier, so I used a
dethatcher and rotary to achieve a similar result. I assist
the repair with applications of Launch+.
Click below to see my 2017 renovation.

Mows:
Water:
Water:
20 mins morning Fert:
20 mins early afternoon Herbicide:
Sep 18 Fungicide:
 Sat  Wed

Spring
September - week 4
Lawnporn Launch+
Fert:
Launch+ (50mL per 100m2) Launch+ is a professional grade foliar fertiliser designed
No need to water in to be applied to the foliage (or leaf) of the turf. This

Sep 22 method of application is often deemed the most efficient

form of avoiding nutrient losses in the soil. While
Sep 26
designed for all year round use, Launch+ is best suited
 Sun to during times when turf root development is required.
 Thurs
The high amount of phosphorus (P), plant available zinc
(Zn) and inclusion of kelp concentrate, all act to
stimulate root growth.

Applications:
Ideal situations of use for Launch+ include during seed
establishment, following renovation or scarrifying, or
when recovery is required on injured or stressed turf.
Water: Water:
20 mins morning 20 mins morning
20 mins early afternoon Analysis 20 mins early afternoon

Sep 23 8-10-5 + KELP

Sep 27
 Mon  Fri
We've got the Four Seasons working in the soil profile
and now we are going to assist our lawns renovation by
adding Launch+ to further stimulate root growth.

When first introducing foliar treatments to lawn, always

start at the lowest concentration and build up over
several applications. Foliar feeding is like spoon feeding
a baby, start small and build up as they get used to it
and want more food.

Sep 24 Sep 28
Post renovation watering is important. The trick is to not
let the soil dry out for too long. You may even choose to
add Moist soil wetter here but assuming you've put
 Tue good top soil down you'll be ok for now. The first week  Notes:
post renovation is a water every day, the next week,
every second second day. As the lawn recovers it will
require less water. What to aim for is 2 x deep
waterings a week, in the morning, by about week 3 or 4.
Deep watering promotes a deeper root system, making
the lawn more drought tolerant and efficient obtaining
nutrients. This leads to a tougher plant, more tolerant to Mows:
disease. Water:
Water:
20 mins morning Fert:
20 mins early afternoon Herbicide:
Sep 25 Fungicide:
 Sat  Wed

Spring
September - week 4+

Kelp: About 2 to 3 weeks post renovation, when we are

Root Builder+ (50mL per 100m2) aiming to get watering deeply and infrequently, is when
No need to water in. we want to further promote the root system to grow.
Sep 29 Now we introduce Root Builder+, a kelp sourced from
Oct 3
South Africa. The cape of South Africa is considered
 Sun  Thurs
the world's best kelp. It is harvested and the kelp is
obtained in a propriety process, without heat or
chemicals destroying the purity. Root Builder+ is the
best kelp on the market, specifically designed
for turf.

Root Builder+ has the ability of tripling the

root mass, making the plant more efficient,
Soil Wetter: healthy and disease resistant.
Moist (100mL per 100m2) Water:
Water in immediately Deep Morning watering 1 - 1.5inch

Sep 30 Now this is when I personally introduce

a soil wetter to my program. Not only is Oct 4
the end of the month easy to remember,
 Mon but I like to add my soil wetter when I
 Fri
reduce watering, to make best of the
reduced water used. With the boosting
I've already given the root system with
kelp from the Launch+ I am now starting
to give the root the best growth hormones,
(totally legal guys) in the business with Root Builder+

September is a glorious month, especially for the footy

Water:
finals. While the best teams win in September, the best
Deep Morning watering 1 - 1.5inch lawns start in September. A renovation refresh gives

Oct 1 you a clean slate, the topdress the canvas and your
product use are the paints and brushes towards your Oct 5
masterpiece. Now you've got the foundations, time to
 Tue go Michelangelo on the yard.  Notes:

Mows:
Water:
Fert:
Herbicide:
Oct 2 Fungicide:
OCTOBER
RECOVERY FOCUS
The focus for October is recovery
TIPS
from the renovation. Keep an eye on Fertilise with Launch+ and
any weeds that may germinate in Root Builder+ post
bare areas during recovery and renovation
remove.

FOLIAR APPLICATIONS
Foliar applications feed the plant
through leaf transfer and is the most
efficient way to feed the plant, with
minimal wastage.
Foliar applications -
always start at the lowest
concentration first use.
Build up over a number of
applications before
getting to full-strength

Slightly wet down dirt

Now you are introducing the plant to
areas just before mowing
foliar apps. Start at lowest strength
turf that hasn't fully
and build up strength over apps.
recovered

Water in early morning.

PRE EMERGENT FOR SUMMER Evaporation is minimised
A couple of weeks after full recovery
and there is less chance
consider applying pre emergent
of causing fungus.
herbicide to stop the germination of
Aim for 2 deep morning
grassy weeds like summergrass &
waterings per week.
crowsfoot that appear over spring
Adjust for rain.
and summer. 
 Sat  Wed

Spring
October - week 1

Kelp: October is when you start seeing the fruits of your

Root Builder+ (50mL per 100m2) September labours come to fruition.
No need to water in.

Sep 29 This is the time I think week by week programs become

less meaningful. Although a great guide, you are
Oct 3
becoming more experienced with lawn care and
 Sun  Thurs
recognising changes in your lawn. You are starting to
identify your lawns needs, how lawn responds to
products, watering and mowing. You'll start making your
own decisions.

You will notice as you become more experienced...

Soil Wetter:
Moist (100mL per 100m2)
Water in immediately
hmmm, "I want a bit better condition" - go Launch+
oh, "a bit deeper green without too much surge growth"
- go Green Light.
heck, "I may as well improve the roots" - go Root Water:
Builder+ -- This is when the products become fun... Deep Morning watering 1 - 1.5inch

Sep 30 Mowing starts at near recovery of your renovation. A Oct 4

little trick here is to lightly wet the area before you mow,
 Mon so sand and soil doesn't get into your cylinder mower
 Fri
blades from areas yet to grow in. You also mow at this
stage to promote the grass into bare areas rather than
grow upwards. At this stage I start mowing at about 4-
5mm.

Our recommendation is you continue with Launch+ and

Root Builder+ which encourages repair and root
strength till you have full coverage.
Water:
Deep Morning watering 1 - 1.5inch Once recovered, we look to adding Green Light with a

Oct 1 higher nitrogen content and iron. This can happen in

October if your recovery is faster. Green Light with Oct 5
nitrogen and iron gives the lawn that deep green that
 Tue lawnies crave. Green Light is used by professionals for  Notes:
those times that stadiums and turf sports are on show.
They want it looking the best. We want the home lawn
looking the best.

Green Light tank mixes very well with Root Builder+

and this is my favourite application.
Mows:
Water:
Fert:
Herbicide:
Oct 2 Fungicide:
 Sat  Wed

Spring
October - week 2

Fert: Spring and summer grassy weeds are best controlled

Launch+ (60mL per 100m2) with pre-emergent herbicide. Pre-emergent herbicide is
No need to water in. watered into the soil profile by 10-15mm of water and
Oct 6 works by stopping the seeds from germinating in the
first place.
Oct 10
 Sun  Thurs
Embargo pre-emergent herbicide is my choice.
Application between Sept-Dec will stop crabgrass,
summer grass, barnyard grass, chickweed and
crowsfoot from appearing.

Application of Embargo must happen when the turf is

Water:
Deep Morning watering 1 - 1.5inch
100% recovered and the root system is beyond 3cm in
length. As a good safe practice, leave pre emergent
application till about 2-3 weeks after full coverage is
obtained and assuming you've maintained good care Water:
practices. Deep Morning watering 1 - 1.5inch

Oct 7 Maybe on your calendar you could mark a star for the Oct 11
day you have full coverage to plan your pre emergent
 Mon application. For the reason above, this is why I have left
 Fri
it off the calendar as a suggested application time.

Pre emergent herbicide and many other professional

turf products are available from Nuturf.
www.nuturf.com.au

When choosing any products for your lawn, check that

they are suitable for your grass type, always follow
applications rates and pre and post care practice
recommendations. When using a new product on your

Oct 8 lawn for the first time, test on a small section of lawn
first. Oct 12
 Tue  Notes:

Mows:
Water:
Fert:
Herbicide:
Oct 9 Fungicide:
 Sat  Wed

Spring
October - week 3

Kelp: Exciting times! Your renovated lawn is starting to look

Root Builder+ (60mL per 100m2) sweet. Time to start mowing. Mow:
No need to water in. Mow 4-5mm

Oct 13 I like to go with a low-mow (bowling green) look for my

lawn. I have Santa Ana couch which is fine leaf and
Oct 17
 Sun suitable for this style of lawn. Great results can be  Thurs
achieved with other varieties. Kikuyu, zoysia, buffalo
and many others.

I go for the look, not an actual playing surface, which

requires about 2-3mm and is rather involved to achieve.
In my opinion 5-10mm gives you that look and is much
Water: easier on maintenance. When you pop a pic up on
Deep Morning watering 1 - 1.5inch
social media of your lawn in good nick, you'll get
Mow: comments like, "you could play bowls on that". This is a
Afternoon mow 4-5mm home lawn after all, not a bowling green, so growing in Water:
that 5-10mm range is much less maintenance to Deep Morning watering 1 - 1.5inch

Oct 14 achieve a good look than a 2-3mm bowling green. Face

it, we do need time for life. That extra height will also Oct 18
give you a deeper green and a lawn that is more
 Mon  Fri
rugged to the rigours of home life.

To achieve the low-mow look more easily, and produce

lines and patterns - you need a cylinder mower. This is
an expensive proposition. Maintenance is more
involved. Cylinder mowers cut the grass like scissors,
which is cleaner cut at the leaf blade and causes less
stress on the lawn to repair. The roller pushes the grass
over. The sunlight reflecting off the grass bent in
different directions causes the line effect - like
Wimbledon.

Oct 15 Don't discount rotary mowers. They are cheaper to Oct 19

purchase and run, and are much easier to use. Rotary
 Tue mowers slash at the leaf blade rather than cut. Sharp
 Notes:
blades on these mowers make a huge difference. They
are harder to get a low look but going up a notch if you
are getting some scalping can look super neat and dare
I say, your mates could still say, "you could play bowls
on that!"

Job done! Mows:

Water:
Fert:
Herbicide:
Oct 16 Fungicide:
 Sat  Wed

Spring
October - week 4
Fert: Things are starting to heat up now. The season is
Launch+ (80mL per 100m2)
No need to water in.
getting warmer and lawn starts growing faster. Constant Mow:
mowing is required. It starts to increase in frequency. Mow 4-5mm

Oct 20 Thatch is the decaying grass that naturally occurs

Oct 24
under the canopy of the grass. It is supposed to
 Sun  Thurs
happen. The trick is you don't want it to build up too
much and get too thick. If it gets too thick it will limit the
amount of water, air and nutrients getting to the soil.
This can cause all sorts of problems.

Thatch is the enemy of maintaining a low-mow. Too

Water: built up you'll get brown spots or scalping, showing
Deep Morning watering 1 - 1.5inch
through after your mow. Not very attractive.
Mow:
Afternoon mow 4-5mm Management of thatch can be done in many ways. The Water:
best thing you can do is mow regularly. Letting the Deep Morning watering 1 - 1.5inch

Oct 21 grass get too long between mows increases shade to

the lower parts of the canopy and produces more Oct 25
thatch.
 Mon  Fri
Another strategy is a groomer, which is particularly
used on fine leaf couches. Tightly spaced, thin vertical
blades vertically cut longer lateral runners, which cause
more shading and thatch, and remove a bit of thatch at
the same time. Groomers also cut at the top of the
canopy, creating more growing points at the top of the
plant which thickens the lawn after recovery. Grooming
recovery is quick. You'll hardly notice the grass has
been groomed after a day or so. The more growing
points created obviously takes a little longer. Grooming

Oct 22 is an effective way to manage thatch, improve the

uniform look of the turf and help to maintain a lower Oct 26
height of cut.
 Tue Dethatchers - such as the one made by Swardman, that  Notes:
can be interchanged in their mower do much the same
thing, remove thatch with as little damage to the grass.

Mows:
Water:
Fert:
Herbicide:
Oct 23 Fungicide:
 Sat  Wed

Spring
October - week 4+
Soil Wetter:
Kelp: Another strategy in achieving the low-mow, apart from Moist (100-300mL per 100m2)
Root Builder+ (80mL per 100m2)
No need to water in.
cultural practices of mowing, dethatching and grooming, Mow:
is using a product called Plant Growth Regulator Mow 4-5mm

Oct 27 (PGR).
Oct 31
PGR works in the very basic sense to slow the vertical
 Sun  Thurs
growth and put that growth into lateral growth. Another
desirable effect is it will lessen and stunt the height of
seed heads that come up this time of year. My Santa
Ana likes to start showing seed heads around this time
of year, and the seeds are sterile, as are many other
grass types that throw up seed heads. I personally don't
Water: like the look of seed heads - and the stalks when
Deep Morning watering 1 - 1.5inch
mowed can strip and leave what looks like grey
Mow: whiskers on the lawn. Not a great look for a 'bowling
Afternoon mow 4-5mm green' look lawn. Water:
Deep Morning watering 1 - 1.5inch

Oct 28 Only use PGR when lawn is 100% recovered. PGR

when applied can discolour lawn for a short time and to Nov 1
counter this it is good to tank mix this product with a
 Mon nitrogen/iron fertiliser like Green Light. My favourite
 Fri
application is a Green Light/Root Builder/PGR tank mix.
I find I cover a lot of bases with this tank mix and the
don't get discolouration.

I'll aim to introduce PGR a couple weeks after recovery

and a week or so after my first application of Green
Light for the season. Reason being, I'm introducing
Green Light for the first time and the lawn needs to
adapt.
PGR apps must be used at 4-5 weeks apart.

Oct 29 Another benefit of PGR is reduced mowing clippings Nov 2

and reduced mowing frequency. After application you'll
 Tue notice your lawn become more uniform and thick,  Notes:
almost like a carpet and you'll use your discretion as to
whether or not your lawn needs a mow.

I recommend starting at the lowest application rate for

your grass type (mine is 8mL per 100m2) for your first
application and cautiously increase in future
applications, bearing in mind your needs as the weather Mows:
gets hotter in summer months and increasing your Water:
lawn's growth rate. Fert:
Herbicide:
Oct 30 Fungicide:
NOVEMBER
NITROGEN & IRON
With full recovery obtained we now
start using Green Light with higher
nitrogen and added iron to really get
a darker green in our plant.
PLANT GROWTH REGULATOR
With growth rates increasing as the
climate gets warmer, and the days
longer, we look to control the growth
to make management of the lawn
easier. Plant Growth Regulator (PGR)
is used to reduce vertical height of
growth, seed heads, reduce mowing
and clippings and is a tool in the
arsenal of the lawn carer to maintain
low heights of cut and thatch
management.
GROOMERS & DETHATCHERS
Grooming & dethatching is
introduced to help minimise thatch
so a low height of cut is possible
without thatch exposure.
TIPS
Fertilise with Green Light
and Root Builder+ and
get a deeper green
Plant Growth Regulator is
introduced and should not
be used again for at least
4-5 weeks after the first
application.
Plant Growth Regulator
tank mixes very well with
Green Light and Root
Builder and is an effective
way to counter
discolouration that PGR
can cause
Primo MAXX is a
recommended PGR
Embargo is the pre
emergent herbicide I use.
Lawnporn products are
suitable for all grass
types. Other products
check suitability for your
grass type
 Sat  Wed

Spring
November - week 1
November is one of my favourite months. The lawn is
Groomer:
Fert+Kelp: recovered by now with virtually no thatch, the growth is 2-3mm above soil.
Green Light (200mL per 100m2) steady, but not summer-quick, and now we get to play a
Root Builder+ (50mL per 100m2) Mow:
lot more with products and care techniques.
No need to water in. Mow 4-5mm

Nov 3 In this month I introduce Green Light for the first time Nov 7
with Nitrogen and Iron to get that deep green. On my
 Sun second application of Green Light, I'll increase the  Thurs
strength slightly with added plant growth regulator
(PGR) that I am using for the first time. Grooming to aid
thatch management begins.

Water:
Deep Morning watering 1 - 1.5inch

Mow: Water:
Afternoon mow 4-5mm Deep Morning watering 1 - 1.5inch

Nov 4
Green Light is a professional foliar fertiliser designed
specifically to encourage a deep green colour and
growth response in turf. The inclusion of iron (Fe) in
Nov 8
 Mon chelated form helps get the nutrient into the plant  Fri
quickly, resulting in rapid and lasting greening effect.
Based on the same formulation as Australia’s most
widely used nitrogen (N) and iron (Fe) fertiliser, Green
Light, in one form or another, is used regularly on some
of Australia’s most prominent golf courses and sporting
facilities.

Applications:
Applications for this liquid fertiliser include tournament
preparation in golf courses, and prior to televised
games in sports facilities. On the home lawn, Green
Nov 5 Light is ideal for use before a BBQ or any time when
you want to get your patch looking its best.
Nov 9
 Tue  Notes:
Analysis
15% N, 6% Fe, 2% Mn

Mows:
Water:
Fert:
Herbicide:
Nov 6 Fungicide:
 Sat  Wed

Spring
November - week 2

Fert: Mow:
Launch+ (100mL per 100m2) Mow 4-5mm

Nov 10 Nov 14
 Sun  Thurs

Achieving the low-mow look starts to become more

involved now. The mows more frequent and grooming
to manage thatch. You may think this is starting to get
expensive, and in a sense you are right. But it depends
how deep you want to go into things.
Water:
Deep Morning watering 1 - 1.5inch
Remember, the best thatch management tool is a
Mow: Water:
Afternoon mow 4-5mm mower and using it regularly. So if you have a rotary Deep Morning watering 1 - 1.5inch

Nov 11
mower - and that's all the budget/war-office allows -
mowing regularly is the trick. An easy hack is upping
the height a notch and using a solid rake to rake out
Nov 15
 Mon thatch, if you get a bit of scalping on your mow. You'll  Fri
still get a good result. People won't easily see the
difference if you are notch 3 or notch 4 on your rotary.

If you have gone a bit deeper into lawn care and have a
cylinder mower, you might find it annoying that now you
are looking at another machine for a groomer, another
for a verticutter and so on = $$$$

My suggestion is go into it gradually. I had a cylinder

mower for 3 years before I could fund a groomer.

Nov 12 A clever way, I think, is rather than buying 3-4

machines, is to have 1 machine that can exchange
Nov 16
 Tue cartridges. It lessens maintenance as you only have 1  Notes:
machine. This is why I really like the Swardman.

Swardman is available from Mows:

Water:
www.allmowerspares.com.au
Fert:
Herbicide:
Nov 13 Fungicide:
 Sat  Wed

Fert+Kelp+ PGR:
Green Light (250mL per 100m2)
Root Builder+ (60mL per 100m2)
Primo Maxx (8mL per 100m2)
No need to water in.
Nov 17
 Sun
Spring
November - week 3
My first treatment with Plant Growth Regulator. Green
Light / RootBuilder / Primo Maxx tank mix is my Groomer:
favourite application. 2-3mm above soil.
Mow:
Mow 4-5mm
There are further reasons I go light in my first app of
PGR. It is called "Project Christmas" - the aim being
have the lawn in the best possible condition for
Nov 21
Christmas Day. The thing is I am thinking ahead here.
 Thurs
Early in December, I intend to do an aerate, and light
topdress. If I go heavy with PGR, I could limit the speed
of the recovery. Aerating and topdressing (lightly) early
Dec - or late Nov if that is what you prefer, is to further
condition the soil and level out peaks and troughs that
usually occur during the growing in period. We want a
quick recovery so by Christmas it is looking sweet.

You may notice that I have shifted the Sunday Mow to

Water: a Monday, this is just so you are not mowing too early
Deep Morning watering 1 - 1.5inch after a PGR application. You may also notice that I Water:

Nov 18
Deep Morning watering 1 - 1.5inch

Nov 22
have included 3 mows this week. This is to allow for
people that don't apply PGR. Again, as stated before in
this logbook, the mow dates are recommendations, not
 Mon  Fri
must dos. If you have been following this program and
paying more attention to your lawn, you'll know when
mowing is right for the lawn. You'll develop a feel for it.
You'll soon be developing your own style. You're
learning, and the journey of that is most the fun.

I'd assume now you are getting your lawn condition up

to scratch that you are paying attention to your edges.
You wouldn't frame a Picasso with chip-board. would
you?
Mow:
Clean neat edges makes all the difference. There's

Nov 19 Nov 23
Mow 4-5mm
many methods from line trimmers to solid blade
machine edgers. Check out Bushranger Power
Equipment's L2600 Straight Shaft Trimmer as an
 Tue option.  Notes:

Mows:
Water:
Fert:
Herbicide:
Nov 20 Fungicide:
 Sat  Wed

Spring
November - week 4
The last week of November we fertilise with Launch+ to
Mow:
continue our plant conditioning and end the month with Mow 4-5mm
Fert: Moist soil wetter treatment to continue the soils
Launch+ (100mL per 100m2) Groomer:
conditioning to accept and hold water. This will prepare 2-3mm above soil.
No need to water in.

Nov 24 Nov 28
it for the heat of summer ahead.

By following this program as a guide you would have

 Sun learnt a lot and be entering summer in awesome  Thurs
condition. You've treated for pests early, put down
some slow release granular fertiliser a couple of weeks
prior to your renovation. Your renovation was a lot of
manual work to complete and you were surprised by
how much material there was, but you got there and
improved the soil by aerating and topdressing.

Water:
Early on in the recovery you learnt how to apply the
Deep Morning watering 1 - 1.5inch
Mow:
foliar fertilisers and kelp, witnessing how Launch+ and
Mow 4-5mm Root Builder+ assisted for a quick recovery.
Water:

Nov 25
Deep Morning watering 1 - 1.5inch
The end of month Moist soil wetter application
continued the good work you did in the renovation and Nov 29
 Mon improving the conditioning of the soil. This is already  Fri
paying dividends and will prepare you for the brutal
summer ahead letting water get to the root zone.

Upon recovery of the lawn, you have grown in

confidence using professional products and care
techniques and created an awesome lawn base.
Soil Wetter:
Moist (100-300mL per 100m2
Now your focus goes into making your lawn a deeper Irrigate in
green, not only to wow your mates and family, but
create a healthier lawn plant. Green Light is high in Mow:
Afternoon Mow 4-5mm
Nitrogen with added Iron and will get you awesome
Nov 26 results. Nov 30
 Tue You are now dabbling in Plant Growth Regulator to  Notes:
control your lawn growth so care becomes
manageable. You're excited to see how it goes.

Summer is knocking, and it can be rather harsh on

lawn. You are entering the next season in top nick and
ready for the challenges that lay ahead.

Mows:
This is the journey of Lawnporn
Get your lawn on!!! Water:
Fert:
Herbicide:
Nov 27 Fungicide:
User Notes
User Notes