101: How to care for your lawn

Mowing Team Manager Mark Manning says you should cut a maximum of “one third of the leaf” each mow. 

“That’s crucial for maintaining the health of your lawn.” 

If you cut it lower the grass can initially “bounce back” and grow more quickly, meaning you might need to mow more often. 

And if you cut your grass really short it can rip it out at the root, allowing weeds to move in. 

Mark says kiwis traditionally tend to cut their lawns much too low. 

“In New Zealand people tend to scalp their lawn to within an inch of its life.”

In terms of length for Council sites, it depends on the grade of lawn, but they generally aim for between 50mm to 120mm. 

As for catching versus mulching, that comes down to personal choice and how much time you’ve got. 

“By mulching grass you can release nutrients back into the soil, however there is a risk of smothering the grass, creating diseases and making a mess,” says Mark. 

“A mix of catching and mulching is sometimes best - catch the grass when it’s wetter and mulch when it’s dry. Again, people have their own ideas and sometimes time is of the essence.” 

But then again, do you really need to mow your lawn at all? 

For some Council sites, the mowing team is exploring ways of increasing biodiversity at some appropriate sites by creating meadows, Mark says. 

 “Rather than just cutting grass for cutting’s sake, we might be able to leave some sites for an annual cut. 

“This will also allow the team to deliver better service in the more useable areas.” 

If you’ve got a particularly steep site, consider planting with plants instead of grass.

Some of the more hazardous Council sites have been planted with native bush – a better solution than putting staff at risk by having them mow steep banks. 

Here are some other quick tips to keep in mind:

• Water your lawn in the morning rather than evening and give thorough less frequent soakings instead of short, frequent waterings. This will encourage deep rooting of the plant and deliver a higher quality turf. 
• Fertilise your lawn two to three times per year. The ideal times are at the start of Autumn and Spring. This will produce a stronger, healthier root system which will enable lawns to survive under stressful conditions. 
• Spring is the ideal time to restore your lawn with some renovation ‘TLC’. Things such as dethatching, aerating, fertilising, top dressing and over sowing with grass seed are areas to think about. 
• Sharpen your blades at least once a year. Blunt blades rip and tear the grass, which opens up your lawn for weeds to establish. 
• Do you need to mow all your lawn? Is there a space in your yard you could retire from mowing or decrease mowing, e.g slopes. Let these naturally vegetate, or sow with wildflowers to encourage bees.