Tips on maintaining a healthy lawn

If your lawn care routine has involved giving your lawn a daily light sprinkle, it is time to rethink that strategy, according to an industry expert.  

Queensland turf specialist, Tinamba Turf, which rolls out more than 2.5 million square metres of turf each year, actually recommends a less-frequent deep watering, as you would your veggie patch or indoor plants.

Tinamba Turf has partnered up with John Deere to provide some lawn care tips as part of the latter’s Lawn Legends series.

Although Tinamba Turf utilises precision-agriculture methods for its operations, where every droplet of water and speck of nutrient is carefully measured to maintain consistency in the product, the company has some simple lawn watering tips which will work well at home.

Your lawn does not need a drink every day like us humans do. In fact, depending on the grass variety and lawn soil type, you might only need to water once a week.

“As a broad rule of thumb, I recommend a deep watering once or twice a week for most backyards,” said Tinamba Turf General Manager, Hugo Struss.

He recommends watering less in winter and also during periods of frequent rainfall. “If your lawn looks lush, you know it’s getting adequate hydration,” Struss said.

“People often think it’s best to water lightly five times per week, but that method only encourages shallow root growth when, in reality, you want a deep root system for a healthy lawn.”

When you do water your lawn, you want to make sure you give it a deep watering instead of a quick sprinkle. Struss said this will encourage proper root growth which is important for the health of the crop.

“Deep watering encourages the roots to grow extensively and to stretch out to source more water and nutrients deeper down,” he said.

“A thriving root system under the surface is beneficial to a plant’s leaf health above the surface. In dry times, the ground can turn hydrophobic – when the soil gets so dry it will start to repel water – but deep watering will help lock in the moisture, so it becomes more resilient during dry spells.”

There’s no hard and fast rule as to how much and how long you should be watering your lawn. After all, each soil condition is different.

Struss said the best way to gauge when your lawn has had enough to drink is by observing the water’s impact on the ground. If done correctly, your lawn will look sodden.

However, watch out for water runoff or pooling which means the water isn’t being absorbed properly. If you see that happening when you water, you need to aerate the soil or add a wetting agent.

A wetting agent is a product that helps to lower the soil’s surface tension and allows water to better penetrate the profile.

“Using a wetting agent means there is a much more efficient use of the precious resource, hopefully saving time and money as well,” Struss said.

Wetting agents come in liquid and granular form and are widely available in gardening supply or hardware stores.

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