Should I still be using my granular fertiliser this time of year?
Generally here the answer is no. However this is only because you won’t see much of a result from it, if any, and it's not worth the risk with disease management. This time of year is reserved for liquid and foliar applications only. Granular soil amendments can be applied if needed, but aside from that, we generally don’t advise granular fertilisations.

 

Why aren’t my weeds dying after following instructions?
Some products do require some warmth to be in the ground (especially group B or group 2). Herbicides will still be absorbed by the plant, just not translocated (move) within the plant enough to kill it. They may still harm it, but it won't be fully effective. This goes for many other applications as well, at least in Geelong anyway, it's just too cold. We do need weeds to be growing for herbicides to be effective. If you have applied a herbicide and noticed this, don't apply it again; wait till temperatures rise and they will likely die then.  Repeated failed applications can lead to herbicide resistance.

 

Nothing! I'm oversimplifying there, of course there are things you can do. The first is to keep traffic off it until it has melted. You can expedite this process by applying a light water cycle just as the sun is coming up. Just like you would de-ice your car, you can do the same on grass.  Other than preparing your lawn with the correct nutrients prior to winter to combat the cooler months, there is no magic serum to stop severe frost damage.

Can I aerate this time of year?
Yes, ideally a solid tine only. This will still allow oxygen into the profile while not causing the lawn too much damage.  This time of year it will struggle to recover from any damage done in the process, like mechanical or traffic damage done by us stomping all over it.  Hollow tines will pull too much of the lawn out, thinning it resulting in a muddier result.

 

Do I need to wait to do a soil test?
No, the soil doesn’t change too quickly without us doing anything. Therefore, now is the perfect time to get a test done, it gives enough time for the sample to be sent, analysed and reviewed for a spring renovation. Spring renovation is also one of the most ideal times to apply any soil amendments that aren’t part the regular routine.

 

Can I use “X” product this time of year?
It depends!! I know, I know, but honestly it does. A lot of our usual recommendations have been turned on their heads this year, as mother nature seems to be on holiday somewhere. The biggest recommendation of which is usually not to utilise a wetting agent during winter, as we don’t want the water holding capacity in the profile.  As well we haven’t had a whole heap of rain in Geelong just yet, we are still recommending people to use a wetting agent and keep watering to try and keep some health. Even though it's not going to be a full summer watering rates keeping some moisture in the soil is still beneficial as it will help with foliar fertiliser and herbicide uptake (if you use the right one).  It might sound strange, moisture helps maintain some thermal mass of the soil, stabilising the temperature and reducing the cold stress on the lawn

 

If you are a lot further up than us, (Qld, NT, and Northern WA I'm referring at you), you're rapidly entering the period where growth regulators can help. Everyone else, hold tight; your time is coming. Growing degree days (GDD) track heat for plant growth. Imagine a temperature threshold - that's the minimum warmth a plant needs to develop. warm season grasses that's 10 degrees C, for cool season grasses that's 0 degrees C. GDD adds up the daily average temperatures above that threshold. The more GDDs, the closer the plant is to maturity. This is particularly useful in turf management to estimate the growth stages of grass and to schedule management practices such as fertilisation, irrigation, mowing, and pest control. The reason we are mentioning this now is that a quick check on the Syngenta GDD calculator is that Mackay is already at 300 GDD for the month, while here in Geelong we are at 30 GDD for warm-season grasses. 

 

For the Addicts keeping up with our warm season free lawn plans, were approaching Kelpro, Fusion and Phosfighter application.

 

For the Addicts keeping up with our Cool season free lawn plans, were approaching Refine applications, and for those who use it, Primo Maxx. Be sure to check the GDD calculator to ensure you are applying Primo Maxx at an appropriate time. 

Some exciting developments at the new Lawn Addicts site, many months of planning and the vision is becoming a reality.

We have had the walls go in over the past week and yeah… HQ is going big!