Maintaining a high use lawn

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Melissa - Lawn Care Support Blogs

Perhaps you have the next Jonathon Thurston at home, perhaps you’re raising a Tim Cahill or a Michael Clarke, whatever the sport, if your lawn is copping it from hours and hours of harsh treatment it can begin to suffer. But, we can help you learn how to maintain a high use lawn so everyone can continue to enjoy it.

If you’re in the position of installing a brand new lawn ask for a hardwearing variety such as Platinum Zoysia or Queensland Blue Couch.

Maintenance tips for the health of the lawn and the sportsperson:

Mowing

A lawn used for a lot of sport needs to be able to be kept fairly short in order to offer a good playing surface.  To be healthy the grass does need to have sufficient grass blade remaining to encourage new growth as well as minimal thatch. Regular mowing will ensure that you only mow off small amount of the leaf blade leaving the lawn still green after mowing. If you do take too much off and the lawn is looking more brown than green after mowing, it just won’t cope with high wear and a time out will need to be called for a few days to allow the lawn to recover. Any excess thatch that is causing a problem with the playing field should be able to be raked out. A high use lawn will thrive best is mowed on a regular/weekly basis throughout the growing season.

Feeding

With this regular mowing and the high usage comes a lawn with a higher than normal feeding requirement. While you shouldn’t over care for the lawn by applying too much water or fertiliser it’s important to keep on top of its needs. Always apply fertilisers as per the manufacturer’s instructions but if you are applying it quite frequently then a little less than the directed amount might be best. Half as much as directed but twice as often usually works well with high use lawns.  A regular dose of a garden tonic like a seaweed solution will also aid in your high use lawn staying healthy and strong.

Bare Patches

It’s fairly likely that a high use lawn will result in bare patches – particularly in areas like the cricket pitch or the soccer goal – and these patches can allow weeds to take hold if not dealt with. Apply a light fertiliser to the area and water in while providing a few days to recover. The pitch might need to be move for a short time.

Compaction

High use lawns will suffer more than other lawns with soil compaction and therefore will need to be aerated at least once a year and top dressed. This is probably a task best left to the end of the playing season so the lawn has the best chance to recover before pre-season training starts again. If your sportsperson plays numerous or continuous sport then aeration is best done late in the growing season.

For advice on selecting a variety of turf best suited for high use lawn areas, just contact the team at Harden Park Lawns.