Lawns in Moreton Bay and Brisbane's north are almost all warm-season grasses: couch, buffalo, zoysia and kikuyu. They grow hard from spring to autumn and slow right down in winter. Timing your lawn care to that cycle is the easiest way to get a thicker, greener lawn with less effort.
Here's what to do through the year. Exact timing shifts a little with the weather, so treat it as a guide rather than a strict schedule.
Spring (September to November): wake-up and renovation
Spring is the most important season for lawn care here. As soil temperatures rise, grass starts growing again, and anything you do now has the whole warm season to pay off.
- Feed with a slow-release lawn fertiliser once growth has started, usually September or October
- Renovate tired lawns: scarify couch and kikuyu, aerate compacted areas and top dress low spots. See lawn restoration
- Apply a pre-emergent in early spring if summer grass and crowsfoot are a problem
- Increase mowing to every one to two weeks as growth picks up
- Lower the mowing height gradually, not all at once
- Lay new turf: spring is one of the best times. See turf laying
Summer (December to February): keep up and protect
Summer brings fast growth, storms, humidity and heat. The focus is on keeping up with the mowing and protecting the lawn from stress.
- Mow weekly to fortnightly. Never take more than about a third of the leaf off at once
- Raise the mowing height a little in heatwaves and dry spells
- Water deeply and less often, early in the morning, rather than a light sprinkle every day
- Watch for fungal patches after humid, wet weather, and avoid watering in the evening
- Start checking for lawn grubs from late summer: brown patches that spread quickly, and moths hovering over the lawn at dusk
- Treat grassy weeds like summer grass while they're young
Autumn (March to May): feed and prepare for winter
- Feed again in March or early April so the lawn goes into winter strong
- Keep watching for lawn grubs, which are often at their worst in late summer and autumn
- Treat broadleaf weeds while the grass is still growing well
- Start treating bindii from late autumn, while the plants are small
- Reduce mowing frequency as growth slows
- Aerate compacted areas if you didn't in spring
Winter (June to August): ease off
- Mow every three to four weeks, with the height a little higher
- Treat bindii and winter grass before they set seed in late winter and spring
- Keep foot traffic off frosty lawns in the colder, low-lying pockets near the rivers
- Avoid heavy fertilising and renovation, as the grass won't recover until it warms up
- Plan spring renovation and book early, since spring is the busiest time
The year at a glance
| Task | Best time in Moreton Bay |
|---|---|
| Fertilise | September–October and March–April |
| Scarify / dethatch | September–November |
| Aerate | Spring, or early autumn |
| Top dress | October–December |
| Lay new turf | Spring and autumn (summer with extra water) |
| Treat bindii | May–August, before prickles form |
| Pre-emergent for summer grass | Early spring |
| Watch for lawn grubs | Late summer to autumn |
Mowing heights at a glance
Cutting too low is the most common mistake we see. As a rule, fine couch and zoysia can be kept lower, especially with cylinder mowing, while buffalo and kikuyu prefer a longer cut. In all cases, cut a little higher in shade, in winter and during dry spells.
Watering through the year
Established warm-season lawns in our climate rarely need watering in the wet season, and over-watering in humid weather encourages fungal disease. In dry spells, especially late winter and spring before the storms arrive, a deep soak once or twice a week is far better than a light daily sprinkle, because it trains roots to grow deeper. Water early in the morning so the leaf dries during the day.
Rather hand the calendar to someone else?
We mow, feed, renovate and treat weeds on a schedule that follows the seasons.
- Lawn Mowing: Regular mowing, edging and whipper-snipping for homes and rentals, on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly schedule.
- Lawn Restoration: Bring tired, patchy or weedy lawns back with scarifying, aeration, top dressing, fertilising and patch repairs.
- Weed Control: Targeted weed control for lawns, garden beds, driveways, fence lines and large sites, with the right method for each area.
- Cylinder Mowing: Precision reel mowing for a low, dense, manicured finish on fine-leaf couch, TifTuf and zoysia lawns.