We’re well into autumn now and if you’ve been out in the lawn in Colyton, St Clair or Erskine Park lately, you’ve probably noticed the grass isn’t quite as enthusiastic as it was back in March. The nights are cooler, the days are shorter, and the lawn is definitely starting to wind down.
But — and this is important — it’s not time to stop mowing just yet.
I’ve had a few people lately tell me they’re thinking about skipping a few weeks because the grass “isn’t really growing.” And sure, it’s not growing like it was. But it is still growing. Leave it three or four weeks right now and you’ll come back to a lawn that’s thick, patchy, and much harder to get looking neat again.
I’d still recommend mowing every two to three weeks through April and into early May. It keeps the weeds down, removes dead material before it builds up, and means your lawn goes into winter looking tidy instead of scruffy.
Watch those edges
This is the time of year when edges start creeping over footpaths and driveways, mostly because people aren’t paying as much attention. Once they get away from you in autumn, they’ll be solidly overgrown by spring — and that takes real work to bring back. Much easier to give them a quick tidy up now while the grass is still manageable.
Fertilise if you haven’t already
If you didn’t get a slow-release fertiliser down in March, it’s not too late. The soil is still warm enough in mid-autumn to take it up, and it’ll give your lawn a bit of a store to draw on through the colder months. A good quality lawn fertiliser from Bunnings will do the job — just water it in well.
Keep an eye on clover and bindii
As the grass slows, weeds see it as their chance. I’ve been noticing clover starting to pop up in a few lawns around South St Marys and Erskine Park. Now is a good time to get a selective herbicide down, or if it’s only a few spots, just pull them out before they get established and spread. We do selective lawn weed control as well as general garden tidy-ups, so if you’d rather leave it to someone else, that’s what I’m here for.
Don’t let leaves sit on the lawn
With the trees dropping their leaves at the moment, it’s worth raking them up regularly. A thick layer of wet leaves will smother the grass underneath, block airflow, and can cause fungus problems. Your lawn needs to breathe through winter.
A good time for the other jobs
Autumn is also a great time to catch up on things that might have got away from you during the busy months. Hedges that have gone a bit wild, shrubs that need a prune, garden beds that need a tidy — now’s the time to sort them before the cooler weather really sets in. It makes a big difference to how your place looks through winter.
The good news is that once we get into late May and the overnight temperatures drop consistently, things will settle right down and you can ease off to a monthly mow through winter. But until then, keep on top of it. Your lawn will thank you for it come September.
If you need a hand getting things sorted before winter, give me a call on 0407 435 642 or fill out a quote request. Happy to come have a look.