Lawn Growing Guide

There is nothing quite like wandering barefoot across your backyard savouring the feeling of grass between your toes. A lush, green lawn really sets off a house and is the pride and joy of any keen gardener. Knowledge and quality products are key to lawn care, to ensure a beautiful, healthy lawn with minimal maintenance later on.

Prepare

Autumn and spring are the best times to sow a lawn and to carry out lawn care.

To ensure you have a successful lawn the soil needs to be in the best possible condition to give lawn seed the best chance of germination. When starting a new lawn from scratch, spray the area to kill any existing grass and weeds. When patching your lawn, spray weeds and any grass you want to remove. Clear away weeds and grass once it has browned off.

Apply a 25-30mm layer of Tui LawnForce® Lawn Preparation Mix to the area to provide lawn seed with a base of essential nutrients and fertiliser.

Create a level and compact area for your lawn by raking, rolling and filling in where needed. Add SaturAid to assist with water distribution before sowing lawn seed.

Plant

• Water before sowing lawn seed.
• Choose a fast growing seed such as Tui LawnForce® Superstrike Lawn Seed. All Tui Superstrike Lawn Seed varieties feature a unique treatment which encourages fast establishment of lawn seed, so you can see results in as little as seven days under ideal growing conditions. This industry leading treatment also protects the seed from common fungal diseases during establishment and reduces bird theft.

choose the right lawn seed

• Sow seed on a fine day at the rate set out on the packaging. Scatter seed in an east to west direction then a north to south direction to ensure an even spread.
• Rake in lightly to ensure seed is covered.
• Water lightly and keep moist on a daily basis during the germination period. Try to avoid making puddles with the water as this can move the lawn seed around. Don’t be tempted to mow your new lawn straight away – wait until it has grown to at least 5cm so the root system has had time to develop.

Nourish

Your lush new lawn will need to be cared for throughout the year. A thick, healthy lawn stops broadleaf and other weeds from becoming established.

Apply Tui LawnForce® New Lawns slow release fertiliser to encourage lush, thick, green growth in your new lawn. Once established, fertilise your lawn in spring and autumn with Tui LawnForce® All Purpose or Tui LawnForce® Rapid Green.

Keep your lawn well watered. Well watered, well nourished lawns will have a better chance of keeping weeds, pest insects and diseases at bay.

Moss

If moss is a problem Tui Moss Control for Lawns is the best solution to control moss in lawns. Once the moss turns black rake it out and oversow with lawn seed. Reasons for moss growing include poor drainage, heavy clay soils, or a shaded side of the house or trees shading the lawn. 

Prickle Free

Enjoy the feeling of grass between your toes over summer with a prickle free lawn. Apply Tui LawnForce® Prickle Weedkill & Feed, it's dual action formulation includes a selective weed killer to eliminate prickle and other common weeds.

Tui Tips

• Before mowing, wait until it has grown to at least 5cm so the root system has had time to develop. Use sharp blades and set your mower to the highest level, gradually lowering over the next three months until you reach the optimum height of 2.5cm-3cm.
• Restore your lawn to its previous glory by repairing bare patches with the conveniently sized Tui LawnForce® Superstrike Lawn Seed Easycare Patch Pack. 

Discover more lawn advice with the Tui LawnForce® Hub