Celebrity gardener Charlie Albone reveals the insider’s secret to a perfect lawn
Sydneysiders love their big blocks and their beautiful green lawns too. Charlie Albone shares his top tips on how to grow yours.
Local
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- A veggie garden is a great idea but you want it to look gorgeous too; here’s how
- This is the secret to a beautiful garden says gardening guru Charlie Albone
Sydneysiders have an obsession with their lawns, but our long hot summer (remember that?), followed by widespread flooding (and that too?) means many once lush lawns could now do with a bit of rejuvenation.
If your lawn is one of those which took a hit, here are my top tips to get it back in shape.
First, pull out any weeds. Weeds are easier to spot when grass is longer so don’t mow beforehand. Once the weeds are removed whip a mover over the lawn. But don’t mow the grass too short. You don’t want it scalped.
Instead, set your mower one rung higher than your standard setting.
Now, remove the build up of dead leaves that accumulates at the base of plants as it clogs the grass and holds moisture increasing humidity-borne diseases.
Do this by raking with a stiff rake. Be quite vigorous.
Now aerate the soil. While it may seem a distant memory the long dry summer will have compacted the soil and the roots will find it hard to move around gaining water for the plant. Aerating can be done by plunging a garden fork into the ground and jiggling it up and down over the surface of the lawn.
If you have a larger lawn a petrol aerator is a good option.
The last physical step is to apply a top dress.
The best mix is an 80/20 mix – 80 per cent sand to 20 per cent soil. You want it to get into all the new holes you created, as well as levelling out the surface. Running over the surface of the lawn with a soil spreader will give you an enviable bowling green finish.
I like to then apply a soil wetting agent such as EZI-wet. This ensures rain and irrigation get down to the roots effectively and little is lost to run off.
It also ensures even coverage of moisture throughout the soil profile which helps in ongoing health above the ground level.
You can give your lawn a boost by applying a fertiliser to the surface and watering it in well — in accordance to the current water restrictions of course.
Lawn specific fertiliser is high in nitrogen and iron, both of which will help create lush green turf.
With all the hard work you have just put into your grass, remember maintenance is key. I feel more frequent mowing with your mower set on a slightly higher level than usual creates a healthier lawn as the turf is not stressed, it can out compete with weeds and better still, requires less water.