As we say goodbye to summer and welcome its much milder friend, autumn, you might wonder if now is the right time to make some lawn improvements. Summer isn’t always kind to our lawns, with inconsistent rainfall and plenty of lawn games over the festive period, and your patch of grass might be in dire need of TLC.

Fortunately, early autumn is generally the best time for lawn improvements, like new turf, seeding, weed control, and feeding. If you have these tasks on your to-do list, these tips might help you on your way.

Seed Your Lawn

Whether your entire lawn needs your attention or you’re just trying to repair the dead patches from your dogs, early autumn is one of the best times to seed your grass in its entirety or in patches. Generally, autumn is when the soil has enough moisture and the conditions are milder to help your lawn seed germinate. Once you’ve planted your lawn seed, it’ll continue growing and thriving until it’s strong enough to manage the ever-changing conditions of spring and summer.

Seeding your lawn can be a significant decision to make, especially when there is an abundance of grass varieties to choose from. Typically, local garden stores offer options for shaded grass, robust grass, and grass you don’t need to mow as often. If you’re only patching your lawn this autumn, a lawn repair seeding product might also be worth your attention. 

To grow grass from seed in autumn, take the following steps:

1. Remove rocks and debris and rake the surface to flatten it

2. Apply fertiliser or use grass seed that already contains it

3. Spread out the seed evenly

4. Top-dress it with 2-3mm of top-dressing soil

5. Apply a wetting agent on the fine mist setting of your hose

6. Water daily and keep at least the top 10mm of your soil moist

Feed Your Lawn

If you’re happy with your current lawn but are worried about its survival abilities coming into the colder weather, purchase lawn food and feed it to improve its health. There are many different organic products on the market designed to enhance soil and grass health. Typically, these feature goodies like seaweed, fish manure, chicken manure, and blood and bone. Follow package instructions to give your lawn the best start in the cooler conditions to come.

Lay Turf Lawn

Not everyone has time to watch the grass grow – literally. If you’re in a hurry to enjoy your new lawn, consider buying turf lawn. Autumn is the perfect time for this to establish itself in its new home. Once you’ve purchased your preferred turf lawn product, you can follow these steps to give it the best chance to thrive.

1. Remove all weeds

2. Cultivate down to around 100-150mm and mix in lawn food

3. Ensure the soil is level

4. Place your turf

5. Water well

Take Control of Weeds

Lawn weeds can be frustrating. They detract from the attractiveness of your lawn and even take over where your healthy lawn once was. Autumn is one of the best times of the year to take control of pesky lawn weeds.

Identify what you have and head to your local garden centre for an appropriate weed-killing product. You can now also purchase weed and feed products, which simultaneously help your lawns and kill off weeds.

Trim Trees and Shrubs

As the days get shorter and the temperatures plummet, your lawn will receive less light to help it grow. It might even enjoy less than most lawns if trees and shrubs tower about it. Before your grass is impacted by too much shade, use the early days of autumn or the last of summer to trim your trees and shrubs. With this vital job taken care of, your grass can stand a better chance of remaining healthy once the cooler conditions hit.

Be Prepared for Pests

Pests like moss, fungal disease, and grass grub all like to take hold during the coldest months of the year. While you might not need to prepare for them before autumn, it can be a good idea to have products on hand to give them their marching orders should they arrive sooner than you expected.

Inspect your lawn often, look for the tell-tale signs of grass grubs like patchy, wilted, and discoloured grass, and treat when necessary.

Be Ready for Autumn

It’s never easy saying goodbye to the warm summer months, especially when we always have such fun relaxing in the sun and playing backyard cricket. However, you can at least be ready when autumn arrives. Once you’ve taken care of these necessary lawn care tasks like seeding, feeding, and weeding, your lawn can stand the best chance of premium health until summer comes once more.

The lawn care industry is competitive, with multiple companies fighting for market share in several towns and cities across the country. You might know you can provide a high-quality lawn care service that surpasses your competition, but being given the opportunity to prove it isn’t always easy.

If you’re struggling to obtain new clients, that might not be a problem for long. Here are some of the most effective strategies you might like to try for winning new lawn care clients in the new year.

Create a Website

More than five billion people use the internet, so it’s fair to say that people looking for lawn care services in your area are hopping onto their computers or mobile devices, searching for the right business to provide them. If you aren’t on the internet, you might not be considered.

Lawn care providers might be able to improve their chances of securing new customers by creating standout websites. Fortunately, when you align with franchises like Crewcut, you can field new client inquiries through an already well-established and optimised site.

Try Direct Mail

It’s easy to assume that the days of enjoying new business from flyers in the mailbox are long gone, but that’s not the case. Many people see a return on their investment of between 1-5%, which might equate to a significant number of new clients depending on the number of flyers you distribute.

Create a well-designed, high-quality flyer that includes all basic information about the services you offer, who you are, what your business is, and how people can contact you. You might even see the value in providing a one-off deal to encourage people to utilise your services sooner rather than later.

Provide High-Quality Services

Sometimes, the best way to win new lawn care clients is simply by being the best at what you do. People will sit up and take notice if your lawn mowing, hedge trimming, tree pruning, and edging skills are immaculate.

Word-of-mouth advertising remains one of the most effective forms of marketing, and if customers are satisfied with your offerings, they might be more likely to recommend you to their friends and family, helping you to build up your client base before long.

Join a Franchise

Starting a new lawn care business from scratch can be hard work. Not only do you have to create marketing materials and build brand recognition, but you also start with no clients and have to build your way up from there.

Joining a franchise can be advantageous in this respect. Some of the best lawn care franchises provide new franchisees with a base client list to start with, and you get to piggyback off the already well-established name and marketing materials.

What’s more, you have more than one option for how you join the franchise. You might buy a pre-existing franchise with a list of clients or buy a developing round with new customers in your preferred region.

Brand Your Vehicles

If you pulled up outside a client’s property in an ordinary vehicle and proceeded to mow their lawns, most people would think you were the homeowner tending to their own yard. However, if you turned up in a smartly branded vehicle with a business logo and contact information, they would immediately know you were a lawn care service provider.

Many lawn care service providers enjoy new business simply by parking on residential streets. If one property owner is having their lawns mowed, another might realise they, too, could benefit from your services and contact you before long.

Rely On Social Media

More than 89 percent of the New Zealand population uses social media, with a 9.6% increase between 2021 and 2022. While many people use the platforms to stay in touch with their family and friends, they also browse business pages and learn more about products and services. Be where the masses are, and you might win new lawn care clients.

Explore your options surrounding Facebook ads, and don’t be afraid to post information about your services on the community pages of areas you service. Sometimes, people have been considering hiring someone to help them with their lawns and gardens, but they don’t take the first step towards hiring someone until they see an ad for services. If you’re in the right place at the right time, you might be the person they hire.

Welcome New Clients Onboard Today

As challenging as it can be to build your client base, it’s not impossible if you’re willing to put in the effort. Join a supportive franchise, brush up on your marketing skills, and provide a standout service. It might then only be a matter of time until you have as many clients as you need to enjoy financial success.

If you live anywhere in little ol’ Aotearoa, you’ll be familiar with the all-too-common problem of having heavy rain impacting your lawn. Sometimes, it falls faster than your soil can absorb it, leading to puddles and flooding that takes its toll.

While you might assume that your lawns are robust enough to handle excessive rainfall every once in a while, it can actually cause a range of problems. Learn about the impacts of too much rain below – and what you can do about it.

Soil Compaction

Both heavy rain and traffic, like pets and children, can contribute to soil compaction. When your soil becomes compacted, you might notice that your grass is worn and patchy. This is because soil compaction stops water, air, and nutrients from being able to access the root zone. To solve this problem, you’ll need to wait until the puddles of water clear and get to work aerating your soil.

For a small lawn, soil aeration is as easy as poking holes into the ground with your garden fork. Pierce the ground down to around 5cm and move the fork prongs backwards and forwards. Do this every 10cm across your entire lawn.

However, if you have a larger lawn, you might see the value in purchasing aerator sandals and walking around your property or purchasing or renting a lawn aerating roller. These can be much faster methods than a garden fork!

Lawn Mowing Services Might Not Operate

If you have trouble mowing your lawns when your region experiences heavy rainfall, so will your lawn care service provider. As a result, heavy rain might mean your lawn mowing and other services are delayed.

You can encounter many problems while mowing wet, soggy lawns, with one of the most frustrating being clumps of grass getting stuck in the blades. There is also a significant health and safety risk, as slippery lawns might cause people mowing your lawns to have trouble maintaining grip. On slopes, this can be a recipe for disaster.

Your lawn might also suffer. When the ground is soft, lawn mower wheels can cause significant damage, which can take a long time to repair. As tempting as it can be to keep on top of yard maintenance, challenging weather conditions can sometimes see it put on the back burner.

Insects

We have plenty of beneficial insects that many homeowners love welcoming onto their properties, such as Harvestmen, spiders, ground beetles, hoverflies, and parasitic wasps. They can combat all manner of problems, like getting rid of tomato-destroying whiteflies, aphids, and slugs.

But not all insects are welcome. When your lawn is wet – or even when it isn’t – you can encounter troublesome critters like grass grub. Grass grub is our most significant lawn and pasture pest in New Zealand and is found throughout the country. They lay eggs in the soil throughout spring and summer, and the resultant larvae that hatch two weeks later start eating grass roots. They then leave infected and dead grass in their wake.

As many people encounter the most damage during winter, you’ll likely be dealing with soft ground, puddles of water, and bare patches. Fortunately, giving grass grubs their marching orders isn’t a challenging process.

You can use a specific grass grub-killing product from your local garden store throughout spring and summer. Most of these products are granular, so applying them just before moderate or heavy rainfall arrives is essential. During winter, you likely won’t be waiting long...

Flooding

Have you ever noticed that some parts of your property flood in heavy rain, but some don’t? You might have poor drainage, and addressing the issue might ensure it doesn’t happen in the future.

There are many effective ways to prevent flooding and keep your lawn from feeling the effects of too much water. You could start by diverting that extra water away, such as by installing gutters to collect rain from the roof.

You could also install a French drain, which essentially works like an underground creek. Install a drainpipe below the soil and let it drain water away to dry parts of your property. Many people install French drains when they have water pooling around their driveways, garden beds, and gutters.

You might even be able to reduce the effects of flooding simply by using heavier mulch products around your plants, investing in water-loving grasses and plants to soak up more water, and using rain barrels to collect water in heavy rain.

Weed Growth

Accelerated weed growth is a common problem people face after heavy rainfall because the water spreads weed seeds all over your lawn and gardens. While you might not be able to prevent this from happening, you can prevent those weeds from taking over.

Identify the weeds growing in your lawn, such as poa, broadleaf, Onehunga weed, moss, and clover, and purchase products from your local garden store to address them. If you only notice a small number of weeds, you can also pull them out by hand.

Don’t Let Rain Impact Your Lawn

We can’t control the weather, so we can’t always control the condition our lawns end up in or our ability to maintain them to a high standard at all times of the year. However, if you take care of weed growth, drainage problems, insects, and soil compaction, you might be surprised by how well your lawns fare.

As a lawn care business owner, your time is precious. You want your equipment to work at its best at all times without worrying about it performing poorly or not starting at all.

When you purchase quality brands, you can typically expect that to happen – but not without maintenance. If you don’t make time for care, you can spend more time fixing your equipment than actually using it. Learn more about maintenance requirements for lawn care equipment below, and you can provide your clients with a reliable, high-quality lawn care service they can trust.

Check Oil and Filters

If any equipment you own has a motor, it will likely need oil and filters to work at its best. When was the last time you checked the oil and filters within landscaping and lawn mowing equipment?

The more frequently you check and replace these components, the less likely your chances of engine failure, and the longer your equipment might last. The same goes for air filters, found on most residential and commercial lawnmowers. Clogged air filters can reduce air circulation and cause carbon build-up. Keep at least one replacement air filter on hand at all times to minimise downtime.

Sharpen and Check Blades

Just as you would sharpen knives you use in the kitchen, you need to do the same for any lawn equipment with blades—the sharper the blade, the cleaner the cut.

Typically, the best time to replace or sharpen your blades is when they have any dents or nicks. However, if you notice that your grass height is uneven after cutting, the grass blades look torn, or the edges of your grass are brown and frayed, these can be reasonably good signs that they’re in dire need of sharpening. Most rusty and dull blades chew and rip the grass rather than cut it cleanly.

Always carry a spare set of blades and tools for switching out old blades. You can then set time aside to sharpen the used blades yourself or take them to your local hardware store for sharpening. If you choose to sharpen blades yourself to lower your operational costs, make sure you wear safety gear, such as work gloves, eye protection, and ear protection.

Check the Spark Plugs

Spark plugs are such a small, inexpensive part of your lawn mowing equipment, but they can have the most significant impact. Failing spark plugs can make your lawn mower hard to start and even contribute to increased fuel consumption and poor engine performance.

Inspect your spark plugs at least every month. Be on the lookout for general wear, cracks, and chips. Consider stocking up on spark plugs so that you don’t have to be out of action for too long.

Clean Your Equipment

When you’re working in people’s yards day in and day out, your equipment is going to get dirty. When they’re not being covered in lawn clippings, they’re getting splattered with dirt, water, and other organic matter.

If you don’t clean your equipment often, you might experience rust and dirt build-up that’s both unsightly and harmful to your gear’s efficiency. Take the time to clean your equipment each day, and you might be surprised by how long it lasts.

Create a Maintenance Checklist

When you have a long list of equipment you use daily, like lawnmowers, hedge cutters, leaf blowers, and line trimmers, it’s hard to remember what you’ve serviced and what you haven’t. Take the guesswork out of the process by creating a maintenance checklist.

These checklists can incorporate all the tasks you need to perform on each piece of equipment and the dates you need to perform them. If you can’t remember the last time you changed the oil in your mower, you can simply refer to your maintenance sheet to find out.

Rely On the Pros

During the growing seasons, you’ve probably got more than enough tasks on your to-do list. At this point, equipment maintenance is simply cutting into your free time. If your goal with taking on a lawn care franchise was to enjoy a better work-life balance, consider leaving maintenance and repairs to the experts.

Develop a relationship with your local mower shop and discuss your current and future needs with them. When they know you have several pieces of outdoor power equipment you’ll need regular servicing for, they might be inclined to provide competitive prices and fast turnaround timeframes.  

Maintain Your Mowers Like a Pro

A successful lawn care business is about more than buying the right equipment and building up a loyal and satisfied customer base. It’s also about making sure you maintain your equipment to keep providing a high-quality service. Take note of these tips above, and you might enjoy having reliable, long-lasting equipment that suits your needs for years to come.

It can sometimes feel like keeping your lawns tidy is a losing battle. Between pets, children, and the elements, they always tend to end up looking messy, unkempt, and downright untidy.

But you don’t have to be destined to a lifetime of fighting against a messy lawn. Take some of the following actions, and you might be able to enjoy a tidy property at all times.

Get the Kids Involved

There’s nothing better than the sound of children’s laughter echoing across your property. They’re enjoying kicking a ball around, playing a Kiwi classic game of backyard cricket, running around, or swinging on their swing set.

There’s every reason to encourage your children to play outside, but consider the benefits of having them pick up after themselves. If they’re playing with a ball, remind them to bring it inside when they’re finished playing soccer. If they’re digging in the sandpit, remind them about putting their sand tools back where they came from.

When children know they have to clean up after themselves when they’ve finished with an activity, there’s less for you to pick up when you mow your lawns, and you also get to enjoy a tidy yard without an assortment of toys scattered throughout it.   

Have Solutions For Your Pets

There are few things as disheartening as venturing into your backyard only to discover that your dog has tried to dig a hole through to another country. A previously immaculate yard now looks like it has been the site of a treasure hunt.

Pets can also flatten lawns and create burned patches with their urine, leading to an unsightly lawn that takes considerable effort to fix. You love your lawn, but you love your pets more, so it makes sense to come up with solutions so that you can have both.

Growing hardy lawn varieties might be one of the most effective ways to keep your lawns in excellent condition. The stronger the lawn, the less everyday use affects it. Alternatively, you might like to aerate your grass frequently to ensure daily dog zoomies don’t compact the soil.

Some people also see the value in exercising their pets in a specific area and creating a designated pet area where you don’t care as much about the lawn being ruined. You might even be able to combat unsightly burns by introducing Dog Rocks to your dog’s water bowl and watering down their urine on the grass to dilute the nitrogen content. Keeping your lawns healthy and tidy doesn’t have to be as challenging as you think it is.

Mow Right

You might think you’re mowing your lawns properly, but are you? Lawn mowing can be an art form, and mastering it can take time, reading, and patience.

Start by mowing at the right time. This is typically mid-morning when the heat of the day hasn’t yet arrived, but the dew has already dried up. You’ll generally need to mow every week or second week in summer and every two to five weeks throughout autumn and winter.

As tempting as it can be to mow when the grass is wet because you have free time, refrain from doing so. You can spread lawn diseases through wet grass, and you might also find that wet grass gets stuck in your mower’s undercarriage while being torn or shredded rather than cut by your blades.

Then, focus on your cutting height. Remove up to 40 percent of your grass height each time – and no more. You can even keep your grass longer in the colder months of the year when it’s at its most vulnerable. If you usually catch all your lawn clippings, consider leaving them on your grass on the odd occasion. Clippings can provide essential nutrients like potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus that your lawn needs.

Finally, choose the right mower for the job. The perfect mower can depend on the size of your lawn, your power preferences, and even your grass type. Petrol and ride-on mowers often come highly recommended for large lawn areas and rougher terrain, while electric and some battery mowers are often better suited for smaller areas.

Hire the Experts

Not everyone has the time or inclination to put in the effort required to keep their lawns looking their best. If you’re time-poor but still want to enjoy beautiful grounds year-round, consider hiring the experts.

Lawn care experts like those at Crewcut are not only handy with hedge cutters, line trimmers, and leaf blowers, but they’re also lawn masters. They can mow, trim, edge, and treat so that your lawn looks the picture of perfection. Now might be the right time to explore your lawn care options so that your patch of grass is the envy of all your neighbours.

Most people with lawn care knowledge have no problem keeping their lawns looking perfectly healthy. And if they don’t have lawn care knowledge, they outsource this task to lawn care experts who do have it.

But keeping your lawn healthy when you have pets like dogs can be an entirely different story. Animals love the outdoors, and your lawn can sometimes pay the ultimate price. Before you end up with a muddy, messy, and entirely destroyed patch of grass, consider doing some of the following things. Your lawns (and pets) might just thank you for it.

Grow Hardy Lawn

If your lawn is currently so destroyed that you’re thinking about growing new lawn from scratch, take the opportunity to research the hardiest lawn options. The stronger your lawn, the better its chances of survival might be.

Of course, there’s no such thing as an entirely pet-tolerant lawn, but some grass types are more suitable than others. Talk to your local lawn care expert about varieties designed for high-traffic areas, such as ryegrass and turf fescue blends, which are often chosen for backyards, driveways, playgrounds, and other high-use areas.

Aerate Your Lawn

Our sweet furry friends love doing zoomies. They sprint around the yard without a care in the world, letting out all their pent-up energy. It’s fun for them, and it’s fun for us, but it’s not so fun for your lawn.

Over time, their antics can result in the soil underneath your grass becoming compact, stopping the grass roots from getting all the nutrients they need. To combat this problem and ensure your grass roots get air, water, and nutrients, dedicate time to lawn aeration.

Lawn aeration involves piercing small holes across your entire lawn. You can purchase manual or motorised lawn aeration tools for the job or even footwear so that you can simply walk on your lawn and create the necessary holes. Aeration can be temporarily unsightly, but it might be the difference between a happy lawn and a sad one.

Exercise Your Pets Elsewhere

If it seems like your lawn is never getting a chance to bounce back from your pet’s outdoor antics, give it a much-needed break by exercising them elsewhere. Rather than throwing a ball in your backyard, take them to a local dog park to interact with other dogs or walk them around your nearby dog-friendly parks and walking tracks.

Exercising your dogs elsewhere is not only beneficial for them to be able to explore new areas, but it might also mean your lawn isn’t subjected to the same daily wear and tear that’s contributing to its untimely failure.

Create a Designated Pet Area

Your dog realistically might not need your entire yard to do their business. If you exercise them elsewhere, you might see the value in creating a designated pet area and making the rest of your lawn off-limits.

In this area, you can set up a toileting space, a dog run where they can relax and enjoy their own company, and even a pet-friendly sandbox if they typically enjoy digging up your lawn. While they’ll be able to enjoy their outside time, you’ll also benefit from a pet-free area where your lawn has a chance to survive and thrive.

Rinse Urine

Nitrogen and salts in urine can damage your lawn, but your pet has gotta go when they’ve gotta go! Rather than letting the nitrogen kill off your grass and create unsightly dead patches, supervise their toileting time and water down where they’ve urinated with a watering can or hose.

The less nitrogen concentrated in one area, the less harmful it can be to your lawn. Alternatively, you might like to try the many different dog products on the market, like Dog Rocks, designed to filter out impurities in water that would typically pass through the urine and damage your grass.

Train Out Bad Habits

You might think you need to put up with your dog digging holes in the grass or pulling out your prized plants, but you don’t have to. With the right training programme in place to suit your dog’s needs and temperament, you might be able to replace their bad habits with new, better ones.

At a minimum, you might be able to switch their focus from digging a hole in your grass to digging one in a pet-friendly sandpit instead.

Ask Your Local Lawn Care Expert For Advice

As much as we love our pets, it can sometimes seem like we can’t have pets and nice lawns. Quite the opposite might be true. Take the above actions and talk to your local lawn care expert for advice. You might be surprised at how a proactive approach to lawn care might be all it takes to have your lawn back in tip-top shape.

Moss is one of those frustrating lawn weeds you never seem to see the back of. No matter how often you apply moss-killing products, it seems to keep coming back year after year.

Indeed, a one-off application of a moss-killing product is not the silver bullet, so how do you control moss in your lawn in New Zealand? It might take some of the following actions.

Apply a Moss-Killing Product

Moss-killing products should form part of every gardener’s arsenal, especially if you struggle with moss and achieving a healthy lawn at any time of the year. As previously mentioned, such products aren’t a silver bullet, but they can be the first step to taking control of the issue and setting you on the path to solving it permanently.

Sulphate of iron is one of the most effective options, which is the core component of most high-quality moss-killing products on the market. Sulphate of iron controls moss and feeds your lawn simultaneously.

Once the moss turns black, you can rake it out of your lawn and oversow with lawn seed to help your lawn take back over. If you’d prefer not to use chemicals on your grass, you might opt for an organic solution, such as lukewarm water with baking soda or dish soap with water.

However, it’s important to note that moss grows for many reasons and in various situations. If you don’t combat the cause of the moss growth, you can expect to see it returning before long.

De-thatch and Aerate

Moss can return year after year if it’s growing on parts of your lawn with poor drainage and compacted and damp soil. Address these problems, and you might give moss its marching orders for good.

Removing thatch and aerating your lawn might be the answer. Thatch is a layer of organic matter on top of the soil that can stop water from draining through your soil as it should. While a small amount of thatch isn’t an issue, a significant amount can be.

Use a sharp-toothed bow rake or dethatching rake to remove as much thatch as possible. Some people also hire powered dethatchers to speed up the job. Note: Your lawn isn’t going to look at its best immediately after dethatching, but it won’t look awful forever!

After dethatching, your lawn will have a chance to soak up excess moisture that might otherwise give moss a chance to take hold. However, it might be less able to do this if your soil is compacted. At least once per year, use aerating tools to pierce holes in your lawn.

Remove Shade

Moss thrives in cool, shady environments. So, it makes sense to remove whatever is creating that cool, shady environment. Something as simple as removing a shrub or pruning a tree might be all it takes to see the back of moss growth for good.

However, if moss is growing on the south side of your home, which is typically the coldest, you might consider removing the grass and using gravel or pavers.  

Improve Your Soil’s Health

Sometimes, moss grows when your soil has pH and nutrition problems. Acidic soil provides the healthiest foundation for moss growth. Perform a soil pH test to see where your soil sits, and correct the problem if your soil is too acidic.

Sometimes, alkaline powder can be the ideal solution for overly acidic soil, while some people manage to solve their moss woes with a layer of wood ash or pulverized limestone.

Fix Your Drainage Problems

If moss is still prevalent, even after trying dethatching, aeration, shade removal, and moss-killing products, you might need to consider whether your property’s drainage is to blame.

Sometimes, such issues are caused by high clay content, but they can also be caused by too much foot traffic, underlying subsoil problems, and the contours of your yard. In these situations, more intensive solutions might be required.

For example, you might need to head to your local park to kick around a ball rather than letting your children use the lawn. Or, you might need to change the contours of your yard to help excess water drain away or even dig up the lawn to change the subsoil.  

These might be solutions you consider if you’re already about to undergo significant landscaping changes. Otherwise, you might put up with the moss or use some of the other mentioned solutions to keep it at bay for most of the year.

Ask for Help

Most people experience lawn woes from time to time, and you might not have all the answers. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get them. Never be afraid to reach out to your local lawn or garden experts for help. You might then be able to enjoy a moss-free lawn sooner than you think.

When the last smattering of snow graces your region, and you begin preparing for the onset of spring, it’s only natural to feel both excited and daunted.

You might be looking forward to spring lambs, warmer weather, and those all-important daffodils, but the impact that winter conditions had on your property might leave you feeling overwhelmed by how much work you have ahead of you. You might also not know where to begin or what’s involved in early spring lawn care.

Fortunately, taking care of the lawns after a damaging winter doesn’t have to be a time-consuming or expensive task. It might just require you to do some of the following things.

Fertilise the Lawn

Technically, fertiliser application is a late-spring task rather than an early spring one, but it’s still worth keeping in mind as you start gearing up for lawn rejuvenation.

Throughout the year, as you regularly mow your lawns and remove the clippings, you end up removing much-needed nutrients in the process. Applying fertiliser allows your grass to take back what it needs to thrive while also preventing moss and weed growth in the process.

Tackle Moss

Many people struggle with moss growth throughout the colder months of the year, and it can wreak havoc on the average property. It can be a slip hazard on hard surfaces and quickly take over lawns if they’re acidic, damp, and poor draining.

Two products might be required to take care of moss: one to kill the moss and its spores, and another to raise the pH of your soil to improve your lawn health and prevent moss growth in the first place. There is an abundance of moss products available in most garden stores for convenience.

Weed the Lawns

As if it wasn’t bad enough that you’re not able to take care of your lawn in winter as much as you would like, then the fact that many lawn weeds thrive in winter would surely be the icing on the cake. A number of weeds take hold in cold weather, such as lawn daisies, oxalis, Onehunga weed, and clover.

When your lawn is thick, healthy, and vibrant, it can easily give those weeds their marching orders. However, it’s less in a position to do so when it hasn’t been given the nutrients it needs. Consider the use of herbicides to control weeds without harming your lawns.

You can also apply a number of herbicide products throughout the year to keep on top of weed growth and give your grass a chance to thrive as the temperatures plummet.

Dethatch the Lawn

If you continually find yourself trying to combat lawn disease, weeds, and insect pests, no matter which herbicides you apply and how well you care for your lawn, ask yourself this question: when was the last time I dethatched my lawn? If you can’t think of the last time or you’ve never dethatched your lawn, early spring might be the ideal time to perform this task.

Dethatching involves removing the dense, spongy layer of ‘thatch’ at your lawn’s base, consisting of compacted stems, leaves, and roots. If your grass has more than two centimetres of thatch, it might be more at risk of pest insects and disease.

You might also find that your lawns are more at risk of developing high levels of thatch if your soil pH level isn’t correct or you have poor drainage. While lawn care experts can assist with dethatching, it’s also something you can do yourself.

Purchase dethatching products from your local garden store that can promote thatch breakdown. You can then manually remove thatch with a grass rake, mechanical scarifier, or dethatcher rake. While your lawn might look dismal for a short period of time after dethatching, it won’t be long until it has grown back healthy and strong.

Overseed the Lawn

Winter is generally the time of year when your grass is more at risk of being damaged. It’s softer from the wet weather, and people and pets walking on it can cause a great deal of damage. You might even notice that the lawn is sparse after performing weed removal.

Early autumn to mid-spring is the ideal time to overseed the lawn. Loosen the surface of the soil with a fork, create a layer of loose soil on the top, and water it until it’s damp down to around 15 centimetres.  

You can then scatter lawn seed over the dirt and gently rake it to mix it into the soil. Try to keep it protected from birds and other animals with netting or noisy plastic bags. You might then notice new growth within around one week.

Do the Work, Get the Reward

By putting all this effort into your lawn during early spring, you put your grass in the best position to thrive once the warmer weather arrives. By the time summer is on the doorstep, you can have a strong, healthy lawn that everyone can enjoy.

Is your lawn sulking? Is it not looking at its best? Having sad-looking grass can be devastating, especially if you pride yourself on a beautiful yard that has long been the envy of your neighbours.

Fortunately, there are a number of different ways you can address your lawn failures, no matter the cause of them in the first place. Take note of these tips below, and your grass will be looking its best in no time.

Stay Off It

The elements can take their toll during the cooler months of the year. The soil is soggy, the grass isn’t growing, and everything is cold. Using your lawn when it’s at its worst is one of the quickest ways to see it requiring extensive maintenance when the warmer weather arrives.

You might be able to avoid a soggy, muddy, messy lawn by staying off it during periods of heavy rainfall. Sometimes, this might mean sending the kids off to their local sports field to kick a ball and giving your pets an alternative area to use the bathroom until it has a chance to dry off.

Take Care of Weeds

You might think weeds are only a garden issue, but they can also be problematic in your lawns. While winter undoubtedly gives you a break from tackling your garden lawns, broad-leafed weeds thrive in the colder weather and can quickly take over your yard.

If you’ve encountered weeds in your lawn in winter, apply a selective herbicide to stop them in their tracks. You might also be able to use herbicide products throughout the remaining seasons while cutting out weeds as you see them.

De-thatch the Lawn

During the warmer months of the year, when most parts of Aotearoa experience less rainfall, it becomes even more important to ensure your lawn has access to all the water it can get. Otherwise, you might find yourself with a patchy, dying, or dead lawn that can’t seem to recover on its own.

Give your grass the best chance to thrive by de-thatching. This involves using a rake or a de-thatching tool to remove the layer of thatch underneath your grass that stops the roots from getting all the air and moisture they need.

While time-consuming, de-thatching is a straightforward process. Simply pull your rake through the lawn with even strokes and press down firmly to remove as much thatch as possible.

Try Top-Dressing

If you’ve noticed that your lawn is uneven, patchy, or even a little bit yellow, consider top-dressing. This process describes adding a thin layer of a growing media, such as a mixture of topsoil, composted bar, and sand, over the top of your lawn, with a particular focus on those inconsistent areas.

Top dressing can be beneficial for a number of reasons. It can make your lawn more drought-resistant, improve lawn drainage, and even increase its pest resistance. You might also find that your lawn is more capable of retaining nutrients and water and requires less maintenance over time.

Feed It Fertiliser

Many of us take it for granted that our lawns will remain the picture of perfection without our assistance. While some lawns are undoubtedly better than others based on the type of grass seed used and the climate, most will benefit from the occasional fertiliser application.

There are a number of lawn fertiliser products on the market you might like to try, such as synthetic granular fertiliser, combination fertiliser, slow-release lawn food, and liquid hose-on fertiliser. All options have their pros and cons based on your lawn’s needs and your preferences.

You might opt for liquid hose-on fertiliser if you want a fast and easy solution for a brown spot without worrying about soil nutrition. However, you might be more inclined to choose a slow-release fertiliser when you want your grass to benefit from nutrients over time.

There are also many different organic lawn food options, which contain nutrient-rich ingredients like blood and bone, animal manure, seaweed, and even fish.

Aerate the Soil

The appearance and health of your grass ultimately rely on the soil underneath to be at its best. If the dirt has been compacted over time with wet weather and regular use, your grass roots might not be able to access the air and water they need to produce strong, healthy, green grass.

Fortunately, you can solve this problem by aerating it. Use a garden fork or aerator tool and create small holes about five centimetres deep into the soil. Work your way across the entire lawn.

If you have an expansive area to cover, consider purchasing spiked aerator sandals and walk across your lawn, creating holes about 20 centimetres apart.

Ask Lawncare Experts for Help

It’s okay to admit that you don’t know how to improve your lawn on your own. If you lack knowledge, experience, or even time, there will always be lawn care experts you can call upon to lend a helping hand. Your lawn can be looking at its best in no time.

If you’ve always been quite proud of your lawns, then you’ve likely spent a lot of time maintaining them with activities like lawn mowing, weed eating, and de-thatching. While such tasks can keep your grass looking like the picture of perfection, that doesn’t mean it can’t succumb to troublesome lawn diseases that threaten to undo all your hard work.

If you believe you’ve encountered a lawn disease and need a helping hand combatting it, you’re in the right place. We’ve listed some of the most common lawn diseases in NZ and included helpful tips for taking care of them.

Brown Patch

Brown patch is perhaps one of the most common lawn diseases you’ll encounter in New Zealand, caused by the plant pathogenic fungus Rhizoctonia solani. Most turfgrass species can be at risk of this disease during the summer months, especially when the air is warm and humid and your soils are poor-draining. Homeowners who don’t de-thatch their lawns might also be at risk of brown patch.

Typically, you’ll notice brown patch on fine fescue lawns, which presents as circular patches of grass that take on a purplish hue before turning light brown. Sometimes, the grass will recover in the middle, which offers the appearance of a brown-tinged ring.

There is no overnight fix for brown patch, but it is a solvable problem. Apply a fungicide to your lawn and make de-thatching your grass in autumn a priority. If your soil has drainage issues, aeration might also assist with these.

Dollar Spot

Dollar spot gets its name from being a bald patch on turf grass around the size of a one-dollar coin. Many property owners in the North Island experience this issue, which can often be caused by plant leaves being wet for long periods – often in spring and autumn.

You might notice small, light patches of grass that eventually form large patches. Fortunately, these spots heal quickly, especially when you apply nitrogen-rich fertilisers followed by a fungicide if the fertiliser isn’t effective on its own.

Leaf Spot

Have you noticed that your grass is thinning out and possibly even browning? You might have a lawn disease called leaf spot. It’s also known as ‘melting out’ and looks like brown or black spots on grass blades that kill the grass above the roots.

Hot and humid weather can increase the chances of your lawn succumbing to this disease, but there are ways to reduce the risk and stop it in its tracks if it does arrive. Avoid cutting your grass too low and add nitrogen to your lawn if you notice any signs of leaf spot.

You might also see value in fungicides, but these tend to be more effective during the early stages of the disease.

Crown Rust

If you have ryegrass and the weather conditions in your region are mild and humid, be on the lookout for crown rust. This lawn disease tends to take hold from summer to autumn in mild, humid weather.

You might notice that your grass has taken on a rust colouring, and this is due to yellow or orange spores on the blades. Most commonly, this lawn disease affects grass being grown in low-fertility soils.

If you’re in the unfortunate position of having crown rust, you’ll be pleased to know it’s easy to correct. Apply a nitrogen-rich fertiliser just before or during rain, or water your lawn thoroughly after application.

Slime Moulds

Cooler weather conditions can wreak havoc on our properties, and our lawns often don’t make it through autumn and winter unscathed. Some people notice slime moulds on their lawns, particularly during long periods of dampness and where grass is growing in shaded areas.

Slime moulds look like eggs or crystal-like growths on the leaves, stems, or blades of grass. While they are often white and yellow, they can also be grey, orange, and other colours.

This type of lawn disease can appear and disappear without your intervention, but not everyone is happy for it to be there. If you’d like to see it gone, spray the affected area with a moss-killing product like LawnPro MossClear, which can kill moss, algal slime, and liverwort.

Red Thread

If you notice that your lawn has taken on a reddish-pink tinge during spring or autumn, it might be diseased with red thread. Red thread is a common fungal disease that mainly affects lawns with low nitrogen levels.

It can infect grass leaves, turn them red, then kill off patches of your lawn entirely. Sometimes, the problem can be further exacerbated by poor drainage, low cutting, and low soil fertility. Address these problems and treat the problem areas with a fungal control product.

Be Proactive With Lawn Diseases

No one likes to see their prized lawns succumb to problematic lawn diseases. Now that you’re aware of the most common ones to plague lawns in New Zealand, you might be in a much better position to identify and eradicate them.

Winter can be a challenging time of year for many homeowners. There are fewer daylight hours to tend to the lawns and gardens, and you might even struggle to know how to give your grass what it needs to make it through the coldest time of the year unscathed.

There’s no denying that most people’s properties aren’t the most attractive in winter, but there’s no reason why you can’t make sure they come out the other side of winter ready to look at their best. Are you on the hunt for winter lawn care tips in NZ? You’ll find some goodies below.

Feed Your Lawn

Unless you live in an incredibly cold part of the country with frost, snow, and frequently low temperatures, it’s highly likely that your lawn will still be growing. Sure, you might not be mowing it as often, but growth may not come to a complete standstill.

Therefore, feeding can still be necessary to keep your grass in excellent health. You might be able to promote good health and growth by applying granular lawn food or even commercial products with composted chicken manure to give your lawn much-needed beneficial bacteria.

If you’re looking for fast growth, temperatures might still allow for liquid fertiliser that you can purchase as a concentrate, mix with water, and apply with a watering can.

Weed Your Lawn

Many homeowners breathe a sigh of relief when the ‘growing’ seasons end. Colder temperatures might mean fewer weeds to contend with, but is that actually true? Technically, no.

Broad-leafed weeds love the colder temperatures, and it’s not uncommon to find yourself battling with Onehunga weed, oxalis, cudweed, clover, and many other weeds that thrive when the mercury plummets.

Fortunately, plenty of control products are available to eliminate those pesky weeds and promote grass growth. 

If you’re also struggling with moss, which flourishes in moist, cold environments, now might be an ideal time to tackle this issue. While most moss products work better in warmer weather, you might gain back some control of moss growth on your lawn and on hard surfaces like paving stones in winter.

Apply Lime

Winter is the ideal time to check your soil and see if its pH level allows for optimal growth. Purchase a soil test and if the pH level is below six, purchase lime and sprinkle it over the lawn to combat acidity and improve your growing conditions.

The best time to apply lime is at the end of the growing season, which can typically be at the end of autumn. This time of the year gives your soil plenty of time to absorb the lime and adjust the pH.

Spike and Aerate Your Lawn

Your lawn can look remarkably different during winter than in summer, and one of the most noticeable differences is how compacted the soil is. Compacted soil can affect your lawn’s ability to absorb nutrients and drain water.

At the end of winter, purchase aeration tools or equipment and puncture holes in the soil to let in oxygen. Oxygen allows for better, deeper, and healthier root growth, ultimately allowing better grass growth.

Two of the best tools for the job are plug aerators and spike aerators. Plug aerators remove a plug section of your grass, while spike aerators have solid tines to create holes.

Repair Your Lawn

Your lawn can take a real hammering in the summer month, especially with all those lawn games and outdoor entertaining in the sunshine. However, it can look even more worse for wear in winter when it’s soft and easier to damage.

Take the opportunity to repair your lawn so that it stands the best chance of thriving once the warmer weather arrives once more. This is a straightforward process, even if you don’t have previous lawn repair experience.

Purchase lawn seed and use a rake to soften your soil before adding potting mix or sandy soil to the bare patches. You can then sow your seeds and cover them lightly to keep them damp. Many different lawn varieties are available, so talk to your local lawn care experts about the best type to match your current lawn or the climate.

Avoid Using It

It’s hard being stuck inside for weeks on end when it’s too cold to venture outside. You might be tempted to spend time in your backyard simply because you’re tired of staring at the same four walls.

However, for the sake of your lawn health, refrain from spending too much time walking on it. The more you walk on your wet grass, the more compact your soil can become, and the harder it can be for your grass to experience healthy growth.

Take Care of Your Lawn This Winter

Lawn care might be the last thing you feel like focusing on when the temperatures drop, but it can be essential if you want a healthy, thriving lawn once the warmer weather arrives. These six tasks above might be all it takes for you to give your grass the best possible chance to survive and thrive.

If you’re a lawn care company owner trying to attract new customers, it never hurts to find out what they’re actually looking for when they make their hiring decision. Are they after affordability? Reputation? A wide range of services? Or all of the above?

Before you make significant changes to your business model to expand your client list, take a moment to review the following information. You might be surprised at what customers prefer when hiring someone to mow their lawns.

Reputation

Many people’s properties are their pride and joy, and they won’t just let anyone come in and start altering their landscape. Often, Kiwis will research the many well-known names in the lawn care industry to see who comes highly recommended.

They might start by typing ‘lawn mowing service’ into a search engine and seeing which names pop up. Generally, some of the best and most well-known companies feature on the first page of the search results, such as Crewcut.

Once they have a few different names written down, they might then explore their websites and social media platforms to find out more about them. When you work for a franchise, you generally get to benefit from an excellent reputation, potentially improving your chances of being the person someone in need of lawn mowing services will call.

Services

While many people simply want someone to help them take care of their lawns, others are looking for an all-inclusive property care service. They might need assistance with hedge and tree pruning, water blasting, lawn edging, and even gardening.

They might not want all of these services right away, but you may improve your chances of being a provider people call upon if you can offer a wide range of service options they can utilise in the future.

Competitive Pricing

According to some sources, the cost of living grew by 5.2% in a single year from 2021 to 2022. Many families are tightening their belts and sacrificing luxuries to afford the basics.

Lawn care is still a necessity for many, but it’s not surprising that homeowners are shopping around to find companies offering the most competitive rates. Lawn care service providers may like to strike a balance between quality and value for money.

Lawn care service costs in New Zealand can vary from one company and provider to the next. Customers might pay in the vicinity of $25 to $50 for a small lawn and upwards of $50 for large lawns. Travel costs might also be extra.

If you’re unsure how much to charge or how much you should charge, do your homework. Find out the service costs of similar businesses in your area, and don’t be afraid to negotiate.

A Job Well Done

You expect a professional finish when you’re paying an expert to perform a task using professional equipment. Sometimes, customers don’t concern themselves with cost or reputation, as long as the finished result looks better than what they could have done themselves.

Treat every yard as if it were your own, and go the extra mile to make sure any job you complete is performed to the highest standard. If you’re unsure what your client’s expectations are, ask them.

Some are more than happy for you to mulch clippings into the lawn, while others prefer for you to take them away. Some property owners also request regular edging and leaf blowing to leave a picture-perfect finish each time.

Convenience

Hiring someone to mow your lawns shouldn’t be more inconvenient than cutting them yourself. The more complicated the process is, the less likely a potential client might be to hire a particular business.

Think about the many different ways you could make the lives of your clients much easier, above and beyond ensuring they don’t have to mow their own lawns. For example, you might schedule their lawn mowing for the same time each week or month, so they can prepare for your visit. You might also offer convenient payment options like online banking.

Contactability

Your customers’ needs won’t always be the same. Some weeks, they might like their lawns mowed and edged, and other weeks, they might decide that the gardens need to be tidied and the trees trimmed. If you’re easy to contact, customers might prefer you over less-contactable lawn care service providers.

While having at least one contact method is preferable, you might see the value in multiple. A cellphone number with an answering machine service can ensure you never miss an important message, and email makes you accessible for those non-urgent inquiries.

Some lawn care service providers even use social media to make them even more reachable than several other lawn mowing companies.

Give the Customers What They Want

You’re likely already in hot demand as the provider of a convenient service that saves homeowners a great deal of hassle and stress. However, by considering these points above, you might be surprised at how many new customers you can welcome onboard.

It’s okay to admit that you didn’t look at every square inch of a property during an inspection or open home. It’s easy to miss those finer details when you’re sharing an open home event with several other people.

However, even the most seasoned purchasers might admit that they never paid much attention to the lawn before placing an offer. Even though any structures on a property for sale can take up most of your attention, it can be worth noting the following points regarding the lawns and landscape.

The Boundary Line

Where does your lawn end and your neighbour’s begin? That is sometimes the million-dollar question. When you decide to make an offer and start checking LIM reports and council files, take note of the boundary information.

Not only can you learn where you’re able to stop weeding the gardens, but you might also save yourself a considerable headache at a later date, should you decide to upgrade or install fencing.

Drainage

Drainage requirements in NZ can be complicated, but most builders are aware of the importance of making sure heavy rain doesn’t flow inside someone’s brand new living room.

However, with property alterations over time, drainage direction can change, and you may not gain insight into how well a lawn drains and where it drains on your first – or even second – visit.

Before signing on the dotted line, drive through the neighbourhood during heavy rainfall to see what the average yard looks like. You might even catch a glimpse of your dream home and see exactly what happens during less-than-ideal weather conditions.

Fortunately, lawn drainage issues don’t have to be a deal-breaker. There are many different ways to combat landscape flooding, such as a French drain to control excess water, a rain garden, or a swale.

Signs of Pests

Lawn pests like grass grubs can be frustrating, especially when you desire a bowling green-like lawn, but you’ve got a patchy, inconsistent mess instead. Just as you can’t control when lawn pests will take up residence on your property, neither can most other property owners.

Take a wander around the yard during an inspection or open home and see if you notice any yellow and dying grass patches. While dogs can cause such patches, grass grubs can also be the culprits.

Grass grubs and other lawn pests are generally not a severe issue. You may just need to pay a visit to your local garden centre for grass grub killer products to give them their marching orders once and for all.

Grass Variety

Grass is grass. Or, is it? We are fairly fortunate here in Aotearoa New Zealand, to have a variety of different grass types at our disposal. Some thrive in some parts of the country better than others, and some are more desirable than others. What does your dream home have?

In Auckland, you’re more likely to come across tall fescue than most other grass types. Tall fescue is a hard-wearing, dark green grass that’s coarse and bunches together. It also doesn’t easily flatten and is robust for those family games of backyard cricket.

However, fine fescue might also be a grass type you come across, along with couch grass, Kikuyu grass, ryegrass, and mixed blend. Each grass variety has its pros and cons, and if you don’t like what you have, you can always grow your own lawn from scratch.

The Soil Type

We have over a dozen different soil types in New Zealand, including brown soil, pumice soil, ancient soil, and even artificial Anthropic soil. When you inspect a property you intend to buy, you likely won’t know which type you’re looking at.

However, some soils are undoubtedly more fertile than others. Some homeowners won’t object to you taking soil tests if you’re an avid gardener, but you can also pay attention to what’s currently growing to get an idea of soil fertility.

Once you move in, you can perform more thorough soil tests, learn about the best soil for planting, and make any improvements as you see fit.

Lawn Slope

Many homeowners have sloped sections and have no trouble with landscaping and mowing. However, considering the slope can be worthwhile if you’ve never had to mow lawns on a hill before.

Mowing on a slope can require a far different set of skills than cutting on flat land, and extra safety precautions can sometimes be necessary. A sloped lawn is not a deal-breaker, but if you don’t have mowing confidence, you may see the value in hiring a lawn care company to assist.

Learn Your Lawn

When you’re in the process of buying a new home, or you already have, there’s no harm in learning your lawn. Test the soil, check the drainage, and look for signs of pests. The more you know, the easier you may find it to achieve that bowling green lawn you always wanted.

If you have been thinking about starting your own lawn care business, there can be many decisions to make. You’ve got to think about the equipment you’re going to buy, the services you’ll offer, and the hours you’ll work.

However, there’s one more thing to think about, and that’s whether you’ll get involved in residential or commercial lawn mowing. What’s the difference? Well, there can be many, such as these below.

The Types of Mowers You Use

In both residential and commercial lawn mowing, the use of a commercial-grade lawn mower can be crucial. The average homeowner mower isn’t generally made to handle multiple lawns per day for an extended period.

However, as commercial lawns can sometimes be much larger than the average Kiwi property, you may also need to consider whether adding a ride-on mower to your arsenal is worth your while. They can be helpful for use on large, small, sloped, and flat lawns.

You may still need a push mower for both commercial and residential properties, but having your pick of either option may help you be more productive with your time.

The Petrol Requirements

As most Kiwis know, petrol isn’t cheap right now, and most business owners are likely trying to save as much of it as possible. When you get involved in lawn care and use petrol-powered equipment, you may quickly become aware of how much it costs to service each customer’s lawn.

The differences between residential and commercial lawn mowing can be pretty significant in this respect. When the commercial lawns are much larger, they require more mowing time, which means you’re ultimately burning more fuel.

The Services Required

Many business owners want their work premises to look welcoming and attractive for all customers that walk through their doors. The last thing they want is trees to look scraggly, lawns growing out of control, and leaf litter covering all entrances.

As a result, you may find that you can provide a much more extensive range of services for time-poor business owners. Not only do they want you to tackle their lawns, but they can sometimes want hedges to be trimmed, trees to be pruned, gardens to be tended to, and paths to be water blasted.

These same services can be offered to homeowners, but many like to handle one or two tasks themselves for a sense of satisfaction rather than handing everything over to a lawn care company.

The Property Size

While not always the case, commercial grounds can be a lot larger than the average residential property in NZ. With more lawn area to mow, you may spend more time at a commercial property than you would a residential one with a much smaller patch of grass to cut.

It’s worth keeping this in mind when you decide whether to offer residential or commercial lawn mowing services. You could tend to fewer but larger sections in a day or more but smaller sections.

The Income

When commercial properties are larger and more services are required, you can charge more for your time and resources. As a result, you may expect to receive more income as a commercial lawn mowing operator.

However, it’s important to know that how companies pay other businesses can differ from how a residential homeowner might pay a business. Homeowners can be more likely to pay a bill when it comes in and within the month, whereas you may be waiting much longer when being paid by a company, depending on their payment structure.

The Competition to Secure Work

Many lawn care businesses see commercial work as lucrative, and it’s easy to see why. You can make a name for yourself in the business world while receiving more money for your hard work.

As a result of these benefits, the competition to secure work can be fierce. You may need to work harder on your advertising and align yourself with a quality NZ lawn mowing company to make sure your business stands out from the crowd.

If you’re interested in taking on more commercial clients, you may also need to visit various businesses with lawn care needs and make your pitch to see if you can lengthen your client list.

The Attention to Detail

Of course, attention to detail is something most reputable lawn care service providers pride themselves on. You aren’t going to treat your residential clients any differently from your commercial ones.

However, there’s sometimes an expectation that your attention to detail at a place that customers visit might be that little bit extra intensive.

Start Your Residential or Commercial Lawn Mowing Business Today

There’s certainly a lot to consider before you start your new business in earnest, but this information may give you plenty to think about. You may then decide to go full steam ahead with residential clients, commercial clients, or a mixture of both.

When you start looking for information on how to winterise a lawn in New Zealand, you may quickly learn that we don’t experience the same weather extremes as other countries. Our winterising processes are often far less intensive than those required in some parts of the United States or the United Kingdom, for example.

This is good news for those who don’t have the time or desire for this task. However, that doesn’t mean you’re entirely off the hook. If you want your yard to bounce back come springtime, there are a few things you may need to add to your to-do list in winter and autumn, such as these below.

Mow When you Need To

Lawn mowing is rarely required in winter and autumn as the majority of our grasses experience significant growth in the warmer months of the year. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t need to haul your mower out of storage at least once over that six-month period.

During particularly mild days, lawns still grow and begin to look a little bit unkempt. If you notice that your grass looks untidy and feels spongy underfoot, you may need to mow it. Wait until a dry day before you complete this task, or hire a lawn mowing business on a contract to take care of it for you.

Give Your Mower Some TLC

With the sun shining over the summer months, your lawn mower likely saw a lot of action. It worked hard, and now’s the right time to perform some much-needed maintenance and prepare it for life in the tool shed for a few months.

Start by cleaning it from top to bottom while paying particular attention to underneath the deck. Check all filter seals and clean or replace the air filter.

While inspecting and maintaining the blades, don’t forget to disconnect the spark plug lead. File down any bumps or nicks and replace or sharpen your blade if it’s damaged or blunt.

When you know you’re not going to touch your mower for some time, remove the battery and store it somewhere cool and dry, such as a secure garage. Once you’ve disconnected the battery cable from the battery, clean the terminal with a wire brush and coat all terminals with a protector product.

If you still have fuel left in the mower tank, add a fuel stabilizer product to ensure it doesn’t gum up inside your mower. Alternatively, drain the tank. However, it’s often recommended that you store a mower with a full tank of fuel and stabiliser to stop moisture from creating rust that clogs your carburetor.

By winterising your lawn mower, you stand a better chance of being able to drag it out of the garage in spring and have it start with minimal effort.

Look After Your Lawn

Spring and summer lawn care tasks can be overwhelming, which is why many people hire lawn care teams to take care of them. They get to enjoy a neatly manicured lawn and tidy property, but without all the effort associated with weeding, feeding, edging, mowing, and more.

You might assume that autumn and winter allow you to take a bit of a break, especially as the grass isn’t growing, but our lawns still need nourishment when the mercury plummets. Your lawns may not be growing as quickly as they do in spring, but they require help by way of fertiliser and tonics to repair any damage that colder weather can cause.

Seaweed tonics and granulated fertilisers are more than suitable for winter and autumn placement, and you can also purchase cool-season formula fertiliser. If you’re unsure when and how to apply such products to help your lawn survive and thrive, consult your local garden store worker or lawn mowing expert.

However, looking after your lawn can go beyond fertilising. You may also need to water it as you do in summer and spring. While winter and autumn are undoubtedly the wettest and coldest months of the year, that’s not the case in all parts of the country.

If you live somewhere with dry winters, your lawn may be in desperate need of water without you realising it. See if the soil feels dry, then water for half as long as you would in summer. Allow plenty of time before night falls to reduce the risk of the lawn succumbing to fungal problems.

Keep Weeding

Spending time in your garden is undoubtedly less fun during autumn and winter than in spring and summer. However, it can be necessary to keep weeding year-round to prevent issues once spring arrives once more. 

Annual weed plants grow and produce seeds while it’s cold, and some lawn weed types like broadleaf use those seasons to grow, spread, and smother the grass. Herbicide may be necessary for large lawns, but you may be able to cut out such weeds on small to medium lawns.

Winterise Your Lawn Today

Autumn has well and truly arrived, which means we have to adjust how we care for our properties. Now might be the right time to get some of these winterising tasks underway or start looking for lawn care companies to take care of them for you.

Whether you’re a homeowner or renting in New Zealand, you may be curious about your lawn mowing requirements. After all, getting on the wrong side of neighbours, tenancy services, or the council is the last thing most people want to do.

It’s important to note that every council sets different rules. Before you haul out the lawnmower for the first time at your new property, take the time to familiarise yourself with what may be required of you.

Rules and Requirements in Tenancy Agreements

If you’re a tenant who has just signed a tenancy agreement, you may see mention of property maintenance and your requirements. Some landlords prefer to take care of lawn mowing and gardening themselves, while others leave that responsibility to the tenant or a lawn care service.

Pay careful attention to which of these scenarios applies to you to ensure you can keep your property looking as tidy as possible.

Identifying Parts of Your Property

When you’re reading through the council requirements for lawn mowing in NZ, you may see a lot of different terminologies used that cause some confusion. The Wellington District Council has created a graphic to help homeowners understand what they may be required to do.

The council will maintain trees over 2m tall on road reserves, but you’re required to keep plants and trees on your property within the height and width restrictions outlined by your specific council.

Road reserves are located between the road and your property’s boundary. They are council-owned and maintained by the council. In contrast, verges are grassy areas between the street and your property boundary. These, too, are council-owned, but it’s generally the property owner’s responsibility to mow them.

Grass Verge Requirements

Depending on where you live, you might have a grass verge outside your property that requires maintenance and mowing from time to time. How that maintenance takes place and who manages it can differ from one council to the next. 

For example, Dunedin City Council’s policy is that all grass verge maintenance is the adjacent property owner’s responsibility. However, some exclusions may apply. A property owner’s illness, restrictions, or age, may mean that you can apply to have the council undertake verge lawn mowing to a minimum standard.

Rangitīkei District Council, Wellington City Council, and many others operate similarly. Here, property owners are responsible for mowing and maintaining grass verges between their property edge and the road.

Other maintenance requirements also exist, such as keeping plants and trees within height and width restrictions and keeping branches clear of accessways like footpaths and driveways.

Does the Council Maintain Berms?

While most councils throughout Aotearoa request that people mow the berms outside their properties to keep them clean, tidy, and attractive, there are situations in urban areas where they may step in to cut them on behalf of property owners.

For example, long grass in a particular area may create a traffic visibility problem, or the lawn is located in a high-profile site, such as an entrance to a town. If the grass is growing on a high bank that a traditional lawnmower can’t access, then the council may also take care of this grass.

If grass berms are left to grow higher than 150mm, they may be mown to around 50mm four times per year. Once again, these rules and regulations may change depending on where you live.

What If I Can’t Mow My Berm?

What happens if you can’t mow your berm or verge depends on what your council has in place for this situation. For example, in Tauranga, the council will use contractors to mow verges and berms once they reach 300mm long as part of their mowing program.

Ride-on mowers are used to cut these grassy areas, and as they don’t have catchers, the clippings are left behind. The mowing is performed to a minimum standard, which means most residents put steps in place to have them mowed by other parties to keep them looking as attractive as possible.

If you can’t mow your own lawns, and you don’t want to rely on your local council, you may decide to request help through the government. The government funds some household tasks, repairs, and maintenance, such as lawn mowing, gardening, housework, window cleaning, and more.

Eligibility requirements for this service include having a community services card and performing a needs assessment to prove you need this help.  

Alternatively, you may like to rely on friends, family, neighbours, or your local lawn mowing service provider. Some charities and foundations may also be able to help with general home maintenance if you require it.

Maintain Your Lawns Today

When you become the person in your household responsible for lawn mowing and maintenance, it’s not always easy to know what your requirements are. Check with your local council about which parts of your property you need to maintain, then contact a lawn care company to ensure your property looks well cared for year-round.

Most house-proud homeowners aspire to have a healthy lawn their family can enjoy. A lawn free of prickles, brown spots, weeds, and unsightly lumps and bumps. It might not seem achievable, but it can be.

Take note of these tips for maintaining a healthy green lawn below. You may then be better positioned to achieve that bowling green-like grass you always wanted.

Focus on Soil Health

Just as a house is only as sound as its foundation, grass is only as healthy as the soil it grows in. Before you do anything else, purchase a soil test to find out about your soil’s health and whether there’s anything you need to do to improve it.

If your soil’s pH level is less than 7.0, it’s acidic. If it’s more than 7.0, it’s alkaline. When soil is too acidic, you can add lime to neutralise it. If it’s too alkaline, peat moss, compost, or sulphur may solve that problem and give you a healthy foundation to work from.

Establish a Healthy Watering Routine

Watering can be a crucial requirement, whether you have new lawns or insufficient rainfall to keep your grass in tip-top shape. However, there is a right and wrong way to go about this process that you may like to keep in mind.

Always water early in the morning when the sun rises. This gives your lawn enough time to absorb the water before the heat of the day evaporates it. Water too late, and the leaf blades may not dry out enough before night falls.

How much water you apply may also make a difference to lawn health. If you’re only watering enough to moisten the grass itself, your lawn will develop shallow root systems that put it at risk of dying if you’re not there to water it. The more water you apply, the deeper the roots and the more self-sufficient it can be.

Achieve the Right Mowing Height

Mowing the lawns is not everyone’s favourite pastime, which is why many New Zealanders leave this job to the experts. However, if you intend to do it yourself, it’s essential to heed the following advice.

Never remove any more than a third of the lawn’s height during any cut. Your grass can become stressed with too much loss of its leaf blade, leading to damage that can be challenging to undo.

Mow your lawns frequently and consistently to achieve a height of around two centimetres in spring and three centimetres in summer. If you mow your lawns too short, your grass may develop short roots, which promote weed growth.

Fertilise Your Lawn

A healthy, lush, green lawn doesn’t happen by chance. It happens when you prioritise your lawn health and feed it fertiliser as part of your maintenance schedule. Fertiliser can encourage healthy grass growth year-round, and it’s something you only have to do twice-yearly in autumn and spring. 

Use a chemical or organic lawn fertiliser product and spread it evenly over your lawn with a lawn spreader. You can then water it to help it sink in. Alternatively, you can purchase a liquid fertiliser that attaches to your hose for easy watering.

Aerate Your Soil

Once again, your grass is only as healthy as your soil. If you don’t believe your soil is helping with grass growth, consider aeration. Small holes in your lawn may make it easier for the roots to access water, air, and fertiliser – all the necessities for growth.

Control the Weeds

Weeds generally have a chance to take hold of your lawn when it’s too thin or weak. Once you have healthy, lush lawns, they are unlikely to be a problem.

Once you identify the type of weed you have in your lawn, you can purchase specific products for those weed types. For example, if you’re trying to combat thistles, you can apply a herbicide product to individual cut stems about two centimetres above the soil.

At first, weed control can be time-consuming, but that’s unlikely to be the case once your lawn health has improved.

Give Pests Their Marching Orders

Lawn pests can be just as destructive as weeds, with beetles, crickets, grass grubs, and caterpillars all loving your lawn as much as you do. Fortunately, you aren’t stuck with them.

Identify the pests you’re struggling with and apply a product that’s designed to target those specific insects. The pesticide product you use and application instructions can depend on the insect in question.

Maintaining a Healthy Lawn Doesn’t Have to Be Hard

There’s no denying that lawn care can be daunting when you’re unfamiliar with what’s involved, but it can be easy to manage once you know the most important maintenance tasks. Watering, mowing, soil health, and weed/pest control can be straightforward, single-step tasks that contribute to an overall picture-perfect lawn your entire family can enjoy.

The hum of lawnmowers starting up one by one reverberates around the average Kiwi neighbourhood for at least half the year. Both young and old purchase and use lawnmowers, and it’s not uncommon to see even children out taking care of their parents’ yards in exchange for pocket money. 

With no visible dangers, lawnmowers don’t look all that hazardous, but they can be. To avoid being one of the over 21,000 people who experienced a lawn mowing-related injury in a five-year period, take note of some of these vital tips for mower safety below.

Always Read the Manual

The lawnmower you borrowed from your neighbour may not be the same as the one you purchased for yourself. Every make and model is different, and there can even be significant differences between models from the same manufacturer.

Before you fill up with fuel and get ready to start mowing, take a moment to read through the user manual for your unique mower. Familiarise yourself with the manufacturer’s recommended ‘do’s and don’ts’ and ensure you’re well aware of your mower’s safety features before mowing gets underway.

Wear Protective Clothing

It’s not uncommon to see people mowing their lawns in jandals, shorts, and a t-shirt. While that’s appropriate attire for relaxing in the sunshine or heading to the beach, it’s less suitable for mowing your lawns with a machine featuring a blade turning over 2,000 RPM.

Even if the sun’s shining, safety gear can be a crucial consideration. Invest in earmuffs for ear protection, a tough pair of shoes, long pants, gloves, and even safety glasses if your lawn might contain debris or backs onto hard materials like gravel.

Perform Routine Maintenance

Many people are transitioning towards electric mowers to help the environment, but they’re also enjoying how very little maintenance they require. Aside from blade sharpening, you don’t generally need to worry about too much.

Petrol mowers can be much different. You have to sharpen and replace blades, check and top-up oil and fuel, and even replace the spark plug from time. All this maintenance is essential, so whether you’re mowing your lawns frequently or infrequently, get into the habit of checking these components before you get to work.

Clear Your Lawn of Debris

Children’s toys, pet toys, and general debris can wreak havoc on your lawnmower while also being a hazard. The fast-spinning blades underneath your mower have the potential to flick up debris and seriously injure whoever is pushing the mower.

Before you mow your lawns, always walk around your property and inspect it for anything potentially damaging or dangerous. Large sticks, stones, toys, and hard materials are all potential hazards hindering your mowing experience.

Select a Mower That’s Right For You

No two lawnmowers are the same, with some being heavier, lighter, larger, and smaller than others. Take your time to purchase a mower that’s right for you, rather than being driven by price alone.

Self-propelled lawn mowers are popular for people with sloping sections or who need a helping hand. Light mowers are generally ideal for small areas, and larger ones often suit medium to large sections.

The more suitable a mower is for your needs and capabilities, the easier it may be to control it and the safer you might be while operating it. If you’re unsure what type of mower you require, talk to your local lawn mowing retailers.

Never Let Children Under 12 Mow Your Lawns

Getting the kids involved with household chores is an excellent idea. It gets them off their screens and generally provides them with an opportunity to earn pocket money. However, there is a right and wrong time to introduce them to the lawnmower.

A 12-year-old is often seen as capable of mowing lawns, but you know your children better than anyone. Wait until they have the maturity, strength, and coordination to undertake this task safely. Don’t forget to run them through the most appropriate safety tips before they get started.

Take Care When Refuelling

One of the most frustrating things when mowing your lawns is running out of fuel halfway through. You might think nothing of opening the fuel tank and topping it up so that you can continue, but this isn’t a safe practice.

Fuel is highly flammable, and exposing it to a hot tank may not be the best choice. Get into the habit of refuelling before mowing or turning the engine off and waiting at least 20 minutes after running it before filling it.

Hire the Crewcut Team to Help

There can be a lot involved in running a mower safely. You have to maintain it, wear safety equipment, and make sure you’re confident using the lawnmower you own. If you’d prefer to enjoy a nice lawn without all the effort, contact the friendly team at Crewcut to take care of all the hard work for you.

As you mow your nice, flat lawn, spare a thought for those who are having to combat steep slopes and hills. Mowing on a slope, also called slope mowing, is hard work, and it’s not for the faint of heart.

Still, if you’re curious about what it takes and whether it differs from standard lawn mowing, read on. We’ll shed some light on the ins and outs of this unique type of lawn mowing.

What Is Slope Mowing?

As the name suggests, slope mowing is the process of mowing lawns on hillsides and slopes. If you work up a sweat just mowing your flat lawns, you can only imagine the difficulty of mowing on hills.

Some people prefer to call in specialists in slope mowing who have specific mowers designed for such work. However, others persevere with the mowers they have, taking every precaution necessary to keep themselves safe.

Why People Request Expert Assistance With Slope Mowing in NZ

Homeowners with steep sections may find it challenging to mow the lawns on their own. Their own lawn mowers may not be up to the task, or they don’t feel safe with the limited amount of lawn mowing knowledge they have.

Sometimes, specific machines are required to handle steep terrain, and these are not something the average residential property owner generally has tucked away in their garden shed.  

What’s more, there are several tips and tricks that lawn care business operators have picked up over their several years of experience to manage the job safely. Still, if you’re eager to maintain your own lawns, we’ve got a bit of helpful advice to offer below.

#1 Keep the Grass Short

Slope mowing can be hard enough without having to cut through long, unruly grass, as well. Keep the grass on your slopes short to make mowing them as straightforward as possible. You may also see the value in using a mulching blade, as this can provide a better result while also making less work for yourself.

#2 Be Careful Around Trees

Even though you are likely already being careful due to mowing on a slope, it’s worth being even more careful if you are mowing around trees. Bark and roots can be at risk of damage from a mower’s engine exhaust.

#3 Choose the Right Angle

It can be tempting to mow your lawn sideways to prevent an uphill battle, but this may not be the safest option.

If you are using a ride-on mower, up and down can be the safest option for preventing accidental tip-overs. However, make sure you’re riding within the parameters of your chosen mower’s capabilities.

Those using push mowers should find a comfortable angle that’s not too steep to manage. You should have complete, comfortable control of your mower at all times. Aim to mow in a straight line with your mower on an angle, starting at one end and progressing to the other.

#4 Know Before You Mow

Before you go all guns blazing on your lawn, take a moment to inspect what it is you will be mowing. Take notice of the grass height, so you know how high to have the mower. It’s also worth inspecting the lawn for children’s toys and dog messes to make sure you’re not going to encounter anything unexpected.

#5 Prioritise Mower Maintenance

The average mower can be put through its paces quite easily, but a sloping lawn can produce a few more challenges. Make sure it’s up to the task by carrying out quality mower maintenance regularly.

Sharpen your blades every few cuts if possible, as doing so allows your mower to cut through tough grass with ease. Check the fuel and oil levels often.

#6 Keep Yourself Safe

Even though it’s essential to look after your lawnmower, it’s just as important to look after yourself while you’re using it. Always wear long sleeves and pants while operating a lawnmower, especially near slopes.

It’s also a good idea to wear goggles and gloves, both of which can protect you from rocks and other flying debris you weren’t expecting.  

Never underestimate the value of hearing protection, either. According to WorkSafe, if the noise around you is so loud that you need to raise your voice to talk to someone just one metre away from you, you could be at risk of hearing loss.  Round off your health and safety accessories with a pair of covered shoes.

Take Care With Slope Mowing

Slope mowing requires a lot of extra care than standard lawn mowing. It can also take up a lot more time. Take note of this safety information above, or bring in the experts to tackle the tricky task for you. You’re bound to find a slope mowing expert near you to lend a helping hand.

There’s no harm in staying up to date with all that’s happening in the lawn care world. The more you know, the easier you may find it to take advantage of the latest and greatest trends to benefit your backyard.

However, as another year slowly draws to a close, it can be worth taking a moment to think about updates and trends that may present themselves in 2022. Some of the following trends are even starting to become obvious right now.

Battery and Electric-Powered Lawn Care Equipment

Only a few short years ago, battery-powered and electric lawnmowers and other equipment were few and far between. You may have even needed to visit a few different shops until you found what you were looking for.

That is starting to change, and it’s going to be exciting to see what 2022 has in store for us in that respect. When you browse the aisles (or virtual aisles) of your local lawn care equipment store, you will start to notice a dramatic shift in the ratio of petrol-powered to battery-powered/cordless lawn mowers and equipment.

While you can still purchase many different petrol-powered lawnmowers, there are equally as many, if not more, battery and electric models. It seems that more homeowners are starting to see their benefits, such as easy maintenance, low noise, and environmentally-friendliness.

Battery technology has also come a long way, which means it’s now no longer such a hassle to mow an entire lawn on a single battery charge.

Service Hire

As many of us have spent a lot more time working from home in recent months, you may have noticed an increase in just how many lawn care service provider vehicles you see driving past your house.

While there has always been a great demand for this service, there has been even more so in the last year as people begin valuing their spare time for activities outside the home. Well, when lockdown conditions allow, of course.

And people aren’t just hiring experts to mow their lawns, either. They’re bringing them in to tackle tree trimming, hedge cutting, fruit tree pruning, and more. It seems like after spending so much time at home, the last thing people want to be doing is spending more of it at home doing chores that other people are better trained to manage.

More Lawn, Less Garden

Gardens are pretty to look at, but they can also require a lot of hard work and time. And that might be time you don’t have if you’re a busy working professional.

While some people hire gardeners so that they can keep a beautiful garden, many homeowners have also decided that enough is enough – they want the garden gone. So, they choose a grass variety and turn it back into lawn.

At this point, they then decide whether they want to mow the lawn themselves or hire someone to mow it for them.

More Vegetable Gardens

June 2021 saw the largest price increase for vegetables in four years, at 8.5 percent after seasonal adjustment. When purchasing broccoli makes you contemplate remortgaging your home, you may decide to grow a vegetable garden and save money.

And that’s exactly what people are doing. Rather than purchasing the bulk of their fruit and vegetables in the supermarket, they’re growing their own. Nearly anyone can grow vegetables, whether you’re an apartment dweller or live in a home with a sprawling backyard. All you need is a pot or planter, healthy soil, seeds, and an excellent memory to remember to water them.

Spa Pool Areas

Many of us would get our spa pool relaxation fix by booking a hotel room for a week in a tropical location. COVID-19 has made that much harder, and getting away from home has also been a bit of a logistical nightmare.

So, with money saved from no overseas holidays and homeowners missing the luxury of a spa while away from home, many have purchased spa pools and created an outdoor area for them to sit. Inflatable spa pools are more popular than ever but permanent, hard-shell spa pools still have their place. 

You can then incorporate them into your outdoor area with outdoor furniture, plants, and garden art, and relax in your own little slice of paradise.

Keep An Eye On Lawn Care Trends of 2022

There’s no knowing when a lawn care trend is going to capture your attention and be something you want for yourself and your own backyard. So far, we’ve seen some massive changes like battery-powered outdoor equipment, increased demand for lawn care services, and a need for more lawns and less garden. It’s only a matter of time before we see even more big changes as we start the countdown to a fresh, new year.