Episode: #7 14/10/2006
Presenter: Paul Hoffman

Nothing completes a garden more that having a nice lawn. You can have an ok garden but if the lawn is looking good than the garden looks even better. It is time for your lawn to get a good spring clean so Paul has a few tips to get you started.

To kick start your lawn after winter, you need a plan of attack. Walk over the lawn and look for any bare or worn out areas. Is the area compacted, or under a tree fighting for light and nutrients?

The soil in these areas will need to be de compacted and loosened up other wise any water or fertiliser will run off and not into the ground. Weeds are next on our list. Keep an eye out for bindii and clover as weeds compete with the lawn for water and nutrients, not what we want to waste our time on.

A strong and healthy lawn will cope with the daily stresses of kids and dogs. So job number 3 is to fertilise. To help do to jobs at once, check out Lush Weed and Feed Hose-On. As the name suggest it fertilises the lawns as well as knocking out the broad leafed weeds, just click onto the hose and you are away. Remember not to use on broad leafed grasses like soft buffalo and carpet grass.

It is a good idea to check over your mower now while you have time. Always remember before you start to do anything to disconnect the spark plug. Then turn your mower onto its side with the fuel tank up.

Check the blades as they will do all the work. It they are not sharp why not shout your self a new pair.

Check the air filter it may also need replacing. Check the oil, if it hasn?t been changed in a while they now is the time.

For those gardeners who are in an area with water restrictions, don?t despair. Simply keep a bag of fertilizer and your rain coat on hand in the shed for the next thunder storm. Look for a slow release lawn fertilizer. The nutrients are released slowly over the next 3 months for even growth and a nice dark green colour. Also look for one with an added wetting agent. This just helps to penetrate the soil and not run off.

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