Winter Product Guide
The change in seasons means we need to change tack in the way we manage our lawn. While growth and recovery slows substantially, if you keep our lawn healthy through Winter, you will hit the ground running in Spring setting you up for a more productive growing season. Let's have a look at which nutritional products are suited to keep your warm season grass going through the cool seasons and why.
The drop in temperatures means the soil based microbes slow down in activity. These are essential for converting nutrients from granular fertilisers and other soil based products to being plant available nutrients. This, along with the decreased rate of growth of the grass means many nutrients can be leached away from the soil faster than they can be absorbed. While a granular product can still be used in many states around Australia, we would recommend one balanced in N to K such as 2Spec Endurance or Komplex. The increased amount of Potassium (K) will improve the resilience to disease along with increasing plant vigor. The Nitrate source of Nitrogen in Komplex is immediately available to the plant.
A liquid diet can be highly beneficial over the cooler months as the nutrients are taken up immediately by the leaf of the plant and don't rely on the previously mentioned soil microbes to convert them like granular products. Phosfighter is a 0-13-25 NPK which will increase plant vigor and really boost the natural resistance to disease. The P content in Phosfighter isn't plant available for root growth like many would assume, but has natural fungicidal properties and is a great way of combating disease.
You can combine this in a tank mix with Special Fex or Fusion which are 15-0-0 and 12-0-12 respectively. These will provide some Nitrogen for growth and Iron for colour. Fusion having the added benefits of growth promoters to keep your turf going in very trying conditions.
Keep up the seaweed/kelp extract (Kelpro) applications year round which assists with root and shoot growth and improving the plant's tolerance to stress.You can also add in our Humic and Fulvic acid product UMX to keep improving soil conditions and nutrient availability if you so choose.
Personally we don't incorporate a soil wetter through the winter months as we don't want to hold on to excess moisture. However, if the soil is hydrophobic and you are seeing a lot of run off, then by all means use Hydrolink Advance at low rates to get the water into the profile without excess retention.
To simplify the process, we have the Winter Glow and Winter Fusion bundles available.
Our own monthly Winter mix per 100m2 is as follows:
120ml Kelpro
100ml Phosfighter
250ml Fusion (can substitute for Special Fex)
Winter also brings out many broad leaf weed varieties as well as Wintergrass. Ideally having put down a pre emergent like Spartan before it cools down should stop most issues however it can also be applied later in the season if you missed the early window and should stop the need to fight it all winter long.
Raising the height of cut will increase the amount of surface area of leaf available to absorb sunlight and if you are in Perth, remember there is a "sprinkler switch off" over the winter months so keep that retic off until September.