Big Scrub Garden Care & Lawn Mowing

To achieve the perfect lawn you need to mow at regular intervals and keep your grass within its optimum height range.

Left unchecked, common grass species can grow up to 1m high. You need to keep your grass low so that it grows into a smooth matted surface.

Mowing your lawn is very stressful to the plant. To maintain a healthy lawn, no more than a third of the leaf blade should be removed at any one time. If your grass is very long, you should do several cuts at differing heights over a period of weeks.

Once your grass is at it's optimum height, it can tolerate being mowed more frequently and will thrive under those conditions.

Cutting your grass too short can result in scalping where too much of the green matter is removed resulting in die-back and longer recovery periods.

The optimum cut height varies with different species of grass. This list will give you a general idea of the height you should be maintaining your lawn:

Green couch (Cynodon dactylon) 15-30mm
Buffalo grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) 30-50mm
Kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) 30-50mm
Japanese lawn grass (Zoysia japonica) 15-30mm
Manila grass (Zoysia matrella) 10-20mm
Seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum) 15-30mm
Sweet smother (Dactyloctenium australe) 30-50mm
Queensland blue couch (Digitaria didactyla) 15-30mm
Broadleaf carpet grass (Axonopus compressus) 30-50mm

Generally leaving your lawn slightly longer will help shade out any weed species and give your lawn a lusher look.

You need to mow your lawn at the right frequency to keep it within it's optimum height range. A good rule to follow is to mow fortnightly in summer, every three weeks in Spring/Autumn and once a month in winter. This will of coarse differ depending on the type of grass and the amount of rain, fertiliser and sun it's getting.

Most commercial grade mowers have the option to either catch or mulch the grass. On a well maintained lawn, mulching is favourable as it provides fertiliser for the lawn and reduces waste and mowing time. A mulching mower cuts the grass into tiny particles and spreads it evenly across the lawn. If done properly, it is hard to tell the difference between a lawn that has been mulched vs a lawn that has had the grass clippings removed.

Try to mow your grass when it's dry to avoid clumping and clogging of the mower blades. Keep your blades sharp to avoid damaging the cut leaf. Dull blades also make it harder to mow and result in an uneven lawn surface. Pick up any debris, rocks or sticks, etc. that can become projectiles and cause injury or damage to property. Fill in any depressions in the ground to avoid scalping your lawn.

Follow these simple rules and you too can have the perfect lush looking lawn.