At Crewcut, we’re committed to using our skills to help others where we can. This is why a couple of weeks ago, we donated some of our time to give BirdCare Aotearoa Wild Bird Hospital a much-needed lawn makeover.

BirdCare Aotearoa holds a special place in our hearts. As a charitable organisation and DOC (Department of Conservation) permitted wildlife rehabilitation centre, they play a crucial role in caring for injured New Zealand wild and native birds. Their highly professional and experienced team cares for over 6,000 birds annually, including many endangered species.

But BirdCare can’t do it alone. They rely on the support of volunteers and the generosity of the community to continue their vital work. That’s where Crewcut stepped in to help where we know best, the lawns. Our team rolled up their sleeves and got to work, tackling the overgrown edges of the lawn. It was great to see the transformation unfold before our eyes.

We understand the importance of a well-maintained environment for rehabilitation centres like BirdCare Aotearoa. A clean and tidy space not only enhances the centre’s appearance but also play a crucial role in the well-being of the birds. By clearing the overgrown hedge and rejuvenation of the lawn, we hope this creates a space where birds can thrive and recover more comfortably.

Crewcut’s collaboration with BirdCare Aotearoa is just one example of how businesses and communities can come together to make a positive impact. We are immensely grateful for the opportunity to do our part in lending a helping hand and support the incredible work BirdCare Aotearoa does.

Your lawn’s needs in summer can dramatically differ from its needs in winter. You can go from seeding and feeding to tackle the drought conditions to barely needing to water the lawns at all!

However, unless you’re a lawn care expert, you might not know exactly what the transition from summer to autumn lawn care can look like. We’ve included some helpful advice below:

Raise Your Cutting Height

Autumn is not quite the season for putting your mower into hibernation. We’re still treated to a few good days here and there! However, you’re likely not far away. While you might have mowed your lawns quite short in summer, you may like to start raising the height in autumn. Try to keep the lawn height at around six to eight centimetres.

The taller your grass is, the more shade your soil gets and the more moisture it can retain. This can be helpful as the weather becomes cooler and drier.

Start Fertilising

Your lawns will likely need a little helping hand during the cooler months of the year. As soon as summer turns to autumn, venture to your local garden centre and purchase a fertiliser with a decent amount of potassium. The potassium content will strengthen the grass roots and make them more tolerant of the upcoming cold weather.

Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for when and how to apply the fertiliser. Most manufacturers recommend putting it on your lawn around mid to late autumn.

Aerate Your Lawn

The cooler, wetter weather in autumn can take a real toll on your soil and grass. When your lawn is water-logged and sees plenty of traffic, it’s often not long until the soil is packed down. When it’s compacted, it’s not able to access vital nutrients, air, and water. This can dramatically affect grass growth!

Fortunately, when you add lawn aeration to your autumn to-do list, that doesn’t have to be a problem. Aerating your lawn with a manual aerator or an aerating machine involves putting multiple small holes into the soil. Grass roots can then get everything they need to thrive and create healthy, strong grass blades.

Overseed the Bald Patches

Summer is not always kind to our lawns. After lawn games and general use, it’s not uncommon for a few bald patches to appear. The good news is that they don’t have to be there forever. Autumn is an excellent opportunity to overseed your lawn and enjoy new growth in the seasons ahead. 

Simply choose a grass seed blend that suits your region and spread it evenly over the existing lawn to help it blend in. Don’t forget to water it regularly so it has a chance to germinate and establish. If you have pets, do your best to keep them off new grass for around two or three weeks to give your lawns a fighting chance of survival.

Adjust Your Watering Schedule

Unless there have been water restrictions in place, you may have been watering your lawn throughout summer to stave off drought conditions. After all, the more water your lawn gets, the more luscious and green it is!

Autumn is the best time to start adjusting your watering schedule. The cooler temperatures are about to set in, and evaporation rates will reduce. Your lawn will still need water, but you can water deeply and more infrequently.

Get Rid of the Lawn Weeds

Weeds are one of the most frustrating things about being an avid gardener. It can sometimes feel like you spend more time ripping out weeds than actually tending to the plants you want! Your lawn is no different. They, too, can succumb to pesky lawn weeds.

Autumn is an ideal time to be focusing on eradicating lawn weeds. Purchase selective herbicides that minimise harm to your lawn while still giving lawn weeds their marching orders. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and recommendations and avoid applying on windy days.

Remove Leaves

As beautiful as autumn is, it can also be messy. Fallen leaves can end up all over your property, smothering your lawns and putting them at risk of disease. Get into the habit of raking or removing leaves often. You might even consider investing in a leaf blower to make it a fast, easy, and fun task!

Alternatively, leave them on your lawn and use the mulching feature on your lawn mower. The smaller leaf litter can function as a natural compost.

Leave Autumn Lawn Care to the Experts

Autumn lawn care might be necessary to keep your yard in tip-top shape, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it! You can contact the friendly team at Crewcut and get a helping hand. Our lawn care experts can help with a range of autumn yard tasks, like lawn mowing, tree trimming, water blasting, and more.

With shelf upon shelf in your average garden store dedicated to lawn fertilisers and pesticides, it’s only natural to be overwhelmed. You can be even more confused when you realise synthetic and organic/natural options exist. Which should you choose and why? You may be more inclined to choose organic lawn fertilisers and pesticides for these reasons:

Better for the Environment

There’s more than effectiveness and convenience to consider when buying lawn fertilisers and pesticides. Environmental-friendliness can also be an essential consideration. Organic fertilisers and pesticides are far better for the environment than their synthetic counterparts. They tend to have natural ingredients like plant extracts, compost, manure, and bone meal. These ingredients are biodegradable, meaning you don’t have to worry about chemicals being in the soil for decades to come.

In contrast, synthetic lawn and garden products can be harmful. They may leach chemicals into the soil and waterways. Studies have even found that excessive fertiliser and pesticide use can contribute to soil degradation, a decline in water quality and availability, and increased greenhouse gas emissions.

Enhanced Soil Health

While synthetic lawn fertilisers and pesticides contribute to reduced soil health, organic varieties do the opposite. They can often improve soil structure and even enhance microbial activity. This, in turn, can result in better soil health and fertility. After swapping to organic lawn care products, you may see more helpful organisms like beneficial bacteria and earthworms.

Safer Wildlife and Pets

We do everything in our power to keep our pets safe, such as ensuring adequate fencing and booking regular vet checks and vaccinations. Yet, many pet owners take these actions before releasing them into a yard with synthetic and potentially poisonous lawn fertilisers and pesticides.

These products can be hazardous to health and may also cause skin irritation if touched. You don’t tend to have to worry as much with organic products. While you should still take care with pets around organic fertilisers and pesticides, the risk of harm is generally much lower.

To Ward Off Lawn Diseases

Lawn diseases can be frustrating for yard-proud homeowners. All your hard work can go down the drain when lawn fungus or creatures take hold. While organic fertilisers and pesticides may not prevent diseases, they can play a role in warding them off.

Organic fertilisers, in particular, work like booster shots. You can enjoy beneficial soil microorganisms that help your lawn access the necessary nutrients. Healthy, strong lawns are much less likely to succumb to disease.

Slow Release

Synthetic fertilisers and pesticides are typically fast-acting. There is also a risk of runoff, nutrient leaching, and nutrient imbalances.

Organic fertilisers work a little differently. They tend to release nutrients slowly and decompose over time. Plants then get to enjoy a steady flow of nutrients when they need it. In essence, this can mean that plants get more of what they need, with less going into the surrounding environment.

Better Sustainability

Organic lawn care products are all about giving your lawns and plants a healthy foundation. When they are strong enough to take care of themselves, they can be more resilient in the future. This can mean that a small amount of effort with organic lawn fertilisers and pesticides in the beginning can mean less later on.

What is the Best Organic Fertiliser for Lawns?  

You might know that organic fertiliser is the best option for your lawns, but that doesn’t mean you know what to buy. Whether you’re looking for a fertiliser for vegetables, trees, plants, or lawns, look for products with these critical components:

• Blood and bone

• Sulphur

• Magnesium

• Calcium

• Trace elements  

How to Create Your Own Natural Pesticides

While your local garden store likely has many organic pesticides to choose from, you can also make them yourself using everyday pantry ingredients.

Anyone with aphid and caterpillar problems may see the value in garlic mixed with dish soap and water. It has a pleasant odour and takes care of those pesky insects. If you have fungal problems, baking soda can be the answer. It can be a recipe for success when mixed with vegetable oil, dish soap, and water.

Even beetles and mites can be given their marching orders with household products. Vegetable oil mixed with mild liquid soap sprayed onto the affected plants can often be effective. The moral of the story is that you don’t always have to reach for harmful chemicals to get rid of nasty bugs and diseases threatening your plants and lawn.

Ask Our Lawn Care Experts

If you have lawn care-related questions like the best organic lawn fertilisers and pesticides, our lawn care experts are here to help! You can also rely on them to provide a range of lawn care services like lawn mowing, weeding, gardening, tree trimming, and more.

Some customers are happy to hire a lawn care service provider without seeing their previous work. They will often sign on the dotted line as long as the lawn care worker has the right tools for the job and a competitive price.

However, that’s not the case for all customers. Commercial clients and yard-proud homeowners want to be sure that the person they choose to look after their property is skilled, experienced, and professional. But how are you supposed to showcase your best lawn care projects to win more clients without taking them to see the properties you’ve worked on? You may like to take some of these approaches:

Create Portfolios

If you’re trying to obtain more high-value clients for lawn care tasks like lawn mowing, hedge trimming, and tree pruning, consider creating professional portfolios for these services. Get into the habit of taking before and after photos of current client work and write down important details about them.

Once you have all the information you need, you can arrange your work into a physical or digital portfolio. You can hand out physical portfolios to potential new customers and upload them to your website for potential customers who stumble across your website.

Create a Website

Speaking of websites, make sure you have one! As of 2022, only a little over half of New Zealand businesses have a website. Just 75% have an email address, and 53% have social media. If you’re not online with 94% of the New Zealand population, you risk not being able to show potential customers what you’re capable of!

Whether you already have a website or plan to create one, dedicate a page to your work. Share a gallery of images and include information about the tasks you completed and any challenges you had to overcome.

Use Social Media

Many lawn care customers follow lawn care providers on social media for helpful advice. However, there’s no reason why you can’t use your platform to showcase your best projects. You never know; a homeowner or business owner might see what you’re capable of and call you to help with their lawn care needs!

Keep your social media platforms active with before and after photos of your latest projects. Share information about what the customer requested and what you did. Don’t be afraid to blow your own trumpet in pursuit of those fresh new leads!

Collect Customer Testimonials

We Kiwis aren’t always good at saying positive things about ourselves. If you struggle to talk about the advantages of you and your business, let your customers do it for you! Collect customer testimonials that you can publish on your website, social media, ads, and within your portfolios.

Sometimes, customers can be unsure about hiring a new lawn care provider because they don’t know anyone using your services. If you have genuine customer reviews for them to read, they may feel more confident in their decision to give you a go!

Attend Local Events

Showcasing your best lawn care projects doesn’t only have to happen when someone has approached you, curious about your offerings. You can evoke interest in what you have to offer at local events.

Consider booking a stall at a local event and offering branded merchandise, leaflets, and brochures. You might even display some of your lawn care equipment to show customers what they can expect you to use when you provide lawn care services on their property.

Sometimes, being in front of potential customers before they even realise they need your services can be the motivation they need to act.

Don’t Forget About Marketing and Branding

While word of mouth is a powerful form of advertising, it’s not the only tool you have at your disposal. Put time and effort into marketing and branding, and you might reap the rewards.

Create a website and social media platforms, buy social media and Google ads, and invest time, effort, and money in SEO for paid and organic growth. Create and use consistent branding materials across all online and physical marketing avenues to help potential customers remember your name.

By building up a following and reputation, you may find that it’s much easier for potential customers to see your lawn care projects and want to utilise your talents for themselves. If you work for yourself and don’t have the time or skills to prioritise marketing, outsource this task to a marketing company. However, if you own a franchised lawn care business, you may enjoy plenty of head office support to set you up for success.

Start Winning More Clients

There’s no denying that winning new clients can be challenging, but it’s possible with effort. Start showing off your best lawn care projects using these tips above. It may only be a matter of time until you’ve expanded your client base and can take your business to new heights.

As beautiful as large, sprawling gardens and lawns are, they are generally not a match made in heaven for busy homeowners. While stunning to look at, they can be time-consuming to maintain. They can also quickly become overgrown and jungle-like when left to their own devices.

Being a time-poor homeowner may mean you can’t always have your dream garden, but it doesn’t mean you can’t have a beautiful yard that you’re proud to call yours. Explore some of these low-maintenance landscaping ideas below for an eye-catching space that requires minimal upkeep.

Grow Drought-Tolerant Plants

Plants that require intensive watering to stay alive can be hard work. Busy homeowners don’t always want to be outside, wrangling with a hose to stop their prized plants from dying. Fortunately, the average plant nursery has many different varieties of beautiful drought-tolerant plants to choose from.

If you grow plants like Dietes, Lamb’s Ears, Poor Knights, and Japanese Iris, you can enjoy a beautiful, thriving garden with minimal intervention.

Install Automated Irrigation Systems

While you might not have time for regular watering, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t own plants that require frequent watering. Install an automated irrigation system, such as a soaker hose or drip irrigation. These watering systems are designed to ensure your plants receive consistent moisture without you having to play a part in providing it.

You can simply set up the system and let it work its magic. You’ll then be able to enjoy healthy, vigorous plants that take care of themselves.

Create Rock Gardens

While soil-heavy gardens are aesthetically pleasing, they typically require a great deal of maintenance. This is especially true if you need to add mulch and break up the dirt to help your plants thrive.

Creating a rock garden would spell the end of that time-consuming task. Install rocks in your garden and plant drought-tolerant plants between them, like succulents and grasses. Rock gardens are easy-care and attractive. The rocks also help by retaining moisture, meaning you’ll rarely have to worry about watering the plants.

Grow Groundcover Plants

Weeding is undoubtedly one of the most time-consuming parts of tending to a yard. It can sometimes seem like they grow back as soon as you pull them out! However, weeding might nearly be an activity of the past if you were to grow ground cover plants.

Ground cover plants like New Zealand Cushion Bush, New Zealand Daphne, and Baby’s Tears can form a barrier against weed invasion. As the plants are taking up all available growing space, there’s no room for weeds to thrive.

Install Hardscapes

Plants, even the low-maintenance variety, can be hard work. Even lawns need at least a small amount of care, like regular mowing. If you have limited time to dedicate to living plants, install hardscapes. They can be aesthetically pleasing while also reducing how much green space you have to tend to.

There are many different hardscape elements and materials to choose from, such as decks, patios, pathways, pavers, and gravel. Hardscapes are also the perfect option for lock-and-leave properties you may not visit frequently.

Try Artificial Turf

While artificial turf won’t suit everyone, it may be ideal for homeowners with small yards who want to say goodbye to lawn mowing for good. Artificial turf can look like natural grass but looks perfect without any fertilising, watering, or mowing.

However, it’s important to be aware of its drawbacks. Many homeowners find that artificial grass can be hot to walk on in the summer, is expensive to install, and isn’t the most eco-friendly option. You may be better off installing natural turf and hiring a lawn care expert to tend to it for you.

Build Raised Garden Beds

Garden beds cut into lawn areas can look beautiful, but they aren’t always the most convenient option for busy homeowners. They require edging, weeding, and ongoing care. It’s also not uncommon for plants to grow out of control.

You may be able to enjoy the same plants but with less maintenance by building raised garden beds. You can fill them with high-quality soil to reduce the need for constant soil improvement. Plants can also grow in a controlled environment, with weeding being a faster and more manageable task.

Grow Perennial Plants

Replanting your favourite plants can be time-consuming. You might enjoy how they look, but not how much time they take to produce yearly. Grow perennial plants, and that can be a problem of the past. Perennial plants grow year after year without needing to be replanted. There are many different varieties to explore, like Achillea millefolium, Ageratum houstonianum, and Campanula lactiflora.

Outsource Yard Care to the Experts

You don’t always have to design a low-maintenance yard to match your busy schedule. Instead, you can create your dream garden and lawn area and outsource its care to the experts. Contact lawn mowing and gardening experts like Crewcut today so you can admire your beautiful slice of paradise without having to lift a finger.

The world is your oyster when you’re a lawn care service provider. You can tend to residential lawns, tackle commercial lawns, or take care of lawn care-related tasks like hedge trimming and garden tidyups.

However, branching out or changing direction can require forethought and planning. If you’re considering exploring new markets and are unsure if residential or commercial lawn care is a better option, consider the following information.

Residential Lawn Care

Residential lawn care is a service provided to homeowners and tenants. Private property dwellers can contact you to book lawn mowing and other related services so they don’t have to tackle these tasks themselves! There are many advantages and challenges to consider before entering the residential lawn care market, including the following:

Advantage: Large Customer Base

There are undoubtedly more residential properties than commercial ones. As a result, there’s potential for you to build a much larger customer base when working for residential customers.

Challenge: Seasonal Demand

The colder months of the year can be challenging for some lawn care service providers. Demand for lawn mowing and other services can drop, meaning you must get creative and offer additional services to retain consistent income. Fortunately, many seasonal activities can help fill your days, such as leaf clearing, gutter cleaning, water blasting, and garden tidyups.

Advantage: Service Flexibility

Residential customers don’t always just want a lawn mowing service. They also often request other yard services like hedge trimming, tree trimming, garden tidyups, and water blasting. Every day can be varied when you’re catering to a broad range of residential customers.

Challenge: Price Challenges

Many residential clients can be more sensitive to pricing than business customers. You may be required to offer the sharpest possible price, even if it means you have a much smaller profit margin. However, most customers also see the value of your service reflected in the quality of your workmanship. The more detail-oriented you are, the less price-sensitive your customers might be.

Advantage: Flexibility

Lawn care, in general, is a flexible industry. As your own boss, you can work your own hours and enjoy being able to attend activities that may not be possible if you worked a standard 9-5 job. However, residential lawn care tends to be more flexible than commercial lawn care. In most cases, you can schedule jobs at any time of the day. Commercial lawn care service providers often have to schedule them around when a business is or isn’t open.

Commercial Lawn Care

Commercial lawn care involves providing lawn care and related services to commercial companies, businesses, and organizations. You typically undertake all tasks related to ensuring the outdoor environment of business premises is well-maintained and beautifully landscaped.

There can be several advantages and challenges to consider before entering the commercial lawn care industry, including:

Advantage: Income Stability

Many commercial customers hire lawn care service providers on a long-term agreement. You can enjoy consistent, regular income for the period of that contract. This can provide much-needed peace of mind that you’ll always receive a set sum of money, even if your other customers’ needs fluctuate.

Challenge: Competition

Competition is fierce among well-established commercial lawn care providers. It can sometimes be challenging for newcomers to take a slice of the market. Fortunately, sound marketing practices can help with that. If you work for a reputable company and prioritize digital marketing, you may find it easier to make a name for yourself and, subsequently, land some of those coveted commercial jobs!

Advantage: Consistent Demand

There is generally consistent demand for commercial lawn care. Businesses want their premises to look tidy year-round, not just during the warmer months. Your workload may not be reduced in the colder months as it sometimes is with residential lawn care.  

Challenge: Licencing and Insurance

Some commercial clients require anyone working for their business to have special insurances and licences to work on their premises. While likely not challenging to obtain, these insurances and licences can add another cost to your lawn care business. However, they can also help you stand out from other lawn care providers.

Advantage: Opportunities for Referrals

Some business companies can be so happy with your workmanship that they refer you to other business owners they know. What can begin as one commercial relationship can blossom into multiple. Before you know it, you can have several commercial businesses on your books with minimal marketing effort.

Are You Ready to Explore Commercial and Residential Lawn Care?

Many advantages and challenges can be associated with residential and commercial lawn care. If you’re unsure which side of lawn care you’d be interested in, review the information above. The more you know about what to expect, the easier it might be for you to make an informed decision about the type of lawn care business you’d like to buy or start.

You might know that your lawn isn’t looking as healthy as it could be. But that doesn’t mean you know how to solve the problem. Aimlessly purchasing lawn health products from your local garden centre isn’t always the answer. But do you know what might be? Aeration.

Lawn aeration involves poking small holes into your lawn to let air, nutrients, and water travel to the roots. You might enjoy many of these astounding benefits when you add lawn aeration to your weekend to-do list:

No More Compaction

Soil compaction has a lot to answer for. When the soil layers underneath your grass are packed closely together, there are very few openings for essential nutrients, water, and oxygen. Without these crucial goodies, your grass roots can grow shallow and malformed. Eventually, your grass can start to discolour, succumb to diseases, and die.

Soil aeration can be a game-changer for homeowners struggling with soil compaction. By poking small holes into the lawn with an aeration tool, you can let water and nutrients flow freely for robust and healthy grass.

Better-Looking Grass

When you look at your neighbour’s bowling green-like lawns, do you become the green-eyed monster? You can have that desirable lush, green grass when you spend time aerating it. As the roots spread out and strengthen, your lawns can grow more densely, resulting in thicker and greener foliage. Before long, it can be your neighbour looking at your grass with envy.

Increased Disease Resistance

Soil compaction weakens your lawn’s root system. A weakened root system can make your grass more susceptible to common lawn diseases like brown patch, dollar spot, and crown rust. However, when you spend time aerating your lawn, it now has access to all the oxygen, nutrients, and water it needs. This is a recipe for disease resistance and health!

Better Weed Control

Most of us don’t love spending our free time pulling weeds out of the lawn. Frustratingly, it can even seem like as soon as you’ve gotten rid of the weeds, more show up to take their place! Why not let your lawn take care of its own weed control?

When you aerate the soil to promote healthier grass growth, there can be less room for weeds to grow. A thick, dense patch of lawn says ‘no room at the inn’ to those pesky weeds.

Drought Tolerance

Summers can be intense here in Aotearoa New Zealand. Depending on where you live, you can go several days or weeks without decent rainfall. Grass won’t last forever without rain or regular watering, but aeration undoubtedly makes it more robust to last the distance.

Remember, soil compaction causes your grass to grow shallow roots. When you address the soil compaction issue, those roots grow longer and can access moisture further into the ground.

Reduced Runoff

Our lawns can only handle so much water when it rains before it starts puddling on the surface. However, you’re bound to notice far more surface flooding with compacted soil. Layers of tightly packed dirt let in far less water than porous, well-aerated soil.

After spending time aerating your soil, you’re bound to notice a difference. The more porous your soil is, the more water it can absorb!

Water Savings

Many proud gardeners don’t like watching their lawns suffer in the warmer weather. Before water restrictions are imposed, they set up sprinklers and spend time watering their grass to give it a chance to make it through the drought conditions.

You might enjoy incredible water savings by setting aside time for soil aeration. Well-aerated soil and grass with longer root structures typically need less water than shallow-rooted grass in compact soil.

More Helpful Critters

We don’t look after our lawns on our own. Beneficial organisms like aerobic bacteria, earthworms, and soil insects often give us a helping hand. These critters can set off to greener pastures when the soil is too compacted for them to enjoy. However, you might be welcoming them back with open arms when you aerate your soil. These organisms thrive in oxygen-rich soil and can be crucial for your overall soil health.

Increased Street Appeal

Proud homeowners want their properties to stand out for all the right reasons – whether they’re on the market for sale or not. That can be challenging when your lawn looks a little worse for wear. Spending time aerating your soil to get it back in tip-top shape can undoubtedly help with street appeal.

Need Help With Lawn Aeration?

There are plenty of lawn aeration tools on the market, but not everyone has the time or energy for this lawn care task! If you need a hand with lawn aeration, contact the experts for help. There are plenty of lawn mowing and yard care experts near you ready to get stuck in and help you achieve that perfectly lush, green lawn.

Thumb through the pages of garden magazines published a decade ago through to today, and you can’t help but notice dramatic changes in how people present their gardens. Like most things, gardens go through trends. The type of garden you prefer today might not even be the type you would have chosen for your property just a few years ago.

Out of curiosity or a desire to transform your yard, you might be eager to know what’s on the horizon for 2024. Allow us to fill you in on some of the most popular lawn and garden trends for 2024 and beyond.

Naturalistic Planting

Naturalistic planting describes arranging plants in an area to simulate a natural environment. You might grow grasses in gravel or ferns in a woodland-like setting. There are no twines, stakes, or any signs of intervention. You just let your garden…be.

Naturalistic planting isn’t for everyone. Essentially, you’re giving up control to Mother Nature and letting her do her thing. It’s an organised form of chaos that can take some getting used to.

But let us be the first to say that naturalistic planting has its place. You’re free from constant maintenance. You can let your plants go to seed and enjoy the many insects, birds, and bees that choose to call it home. You can also enjoy peace of mind knowing you’re doing your part for the environment. Pollinating insects and soil can live their best lives.

Easy Maintenance

We lead busy lives. When we’re not busy working 40 hours a week, we’re running errands and trying to make memories with our families. That can leave little time for home maintenance. That’s why many families are choosing to design yards that require minimal upkeep.

Hardscapes are now taking up more space in our yards than ever before, and some homeowners are even opting for fake grass rather than having natural grass they have to mow. Of course, time-poor nature lovers still have the option of outsourcing lawn mowing to a lawn care company.

Lighting…Everywhere

Gardens have always been something we’ve enjoyed during the day. At night, they’re essentially off-limits. It’s not exactly easy to enjoy something you can’t see.

That’s perhaps why one of the latest trends has been garden lighting. It also doesn’t hurt that there have been some incredible advancements in solar technology. You can illuminate your garden with an array of fairy lights, path lighting, and post lights without having to wire them into your home’s power supply. Now, homeowners enjoy their yards at all times of the day and night.

Native Plants

There is such an incredible range of non-native plants that suit our regions beautifully. We don’t think twice about buying plants that don’t even originate here. However, many people now realise how easy-care, robust, and beautiful our native plants are. It’s now not uncommon to explore the average well-manicured garden and see a selection of NZ native plants.

From phormium species flaxes that take centre stage in a modern garden to Corokia that will withstand harsh conditions like frost, wind, and drought, you’d be surprised by what we have available right here in little ol’ Aotearoa. New Zealand libertia species iris is also popular in exposed places, while hebe thrives in sunny, free-draining soil.

Organic Gardens

The average proud homeowner can face many challenges when it comes to garden and lawn health, like fungal diseases and pest insects. It’s only natural to reach for the first pesticide or herbicide you can find, but moods are changing.

We are becoming less quick to buy the first product we see and more quick to start researching the best options for our soil, plants, and environment. More importantly, we’re learning how crucial it can be for us to reduce our environmental impact and how harmful the average insecticide and weed spray can be for soil, water, grass, and vegetation.

Fortunately, there are a number of organic products on the market featuring natural ingredients. They still perform the task of eradicating pest insects or fungal diseases but without the same environmental impact.

Battery and Electric-Powered Tools

On the average sunny Saturday morning, it’s not uncommon to be awoken by someone mowing their lawns in the distance. Lawn mowing is a standard part of our weekend chores. But it’s starting to look a little different.

Instead of hearing the roar of a petrol-powered mower coming to life in your neighbourhood, you’re more likely to spot someone mowing the lawns with an electric or battery-powered mower. They’re so quiet that it can sometimes look like they’re mowing with the engine turned off.

Battery and electric-powered tools for lawn mowing and yard activities are more common than ever. It also doesn’t hurt that many power equipment companies are now creating batteries that you can swap between line trimmers, lawnmowers, and hedge trimmers.

Jump On This Year’s Trends

Some of the most common lawn and garden trends for 2024 are proving to be some of the best yet. Enjoy a more convenient, beautiful, and easy-care lawn and garden by trying out some of these trends in your own yard!

Bare spots in a lawn can be frustrating. It can seem like no matter how much you try to look after your grass, it can become covered in unsightly bald patches that feel impossible to combat.

While you might not have a picture-perfect lawn immediately, it might not be long until you do. Sometimes, you just have to take some of the steps below:

Step 1: Know Why You Have Bare Spots

It can be a losing battle if you repair bare spots in your lawn before you determine why they’re there. Even if you solve the problem, the bare spots might appear before long since you haven’t identified and rectified the cause!

Unfortunately, a number of things can be at the root of the problem, pardon the pun. We’ll cover a small amount of detail about these below.

Overuse

If your lawns are a playground for pets and children, overuse can be a common cause of bare spots. You might even experience bald spots from lawn furniture and lawn games.

Frequently walking or running on the lawn can result in soil compaction. When the soil is pushed down flat, the grass roots can’t access the nutrients, sunshine, and oxygen they need. Without those vital nutrients, the grass can die and leave behind those very noticeable bald spots.

Diseases

Our lawns can be susceptible to many different lawn diseases when they aren’t in the best health, like red thread, brown patch, and dollar spot. Red thread is, as the name suggests, red threads. Your lawn can have irregular patches of dead grass with red/pink colouring caused by the disease’s fungal spores.

Brown patch is also quite common. It’s a fungal disease that turns your grass brown, with the roots appearing black. Dollar spot is another one to look out for. It presents as small brown dollar-sized patches on your lawn and is common from spring to autumn.

Pests

Just as you can encounter pests in your garden, you can also find them in your lawn. Some of the most common ones are caterpillars and grass grubs.  

Pet Urine

As much as we love our four-legged friends, they can devastate the average lawn. The nitrogen in their urine can kill off grass.

Deficiencies

A high pH, a low pH, and not enough nutrients can take its toll on a lawn. Lawn becomes weakened until bare spots start to form.

Step 2. Solve the Problem

Once you’ve identified the cause of your lawn woes, you can put a plan in place to address it. This should happen before you take steps to repair your lawn. For example, you might buy products from your local garden store to eliminate grass grub or water down your dogs’ urine when they use the grass as a toilet.

Step 3. Prepare the Bald Patches

Preparing your lawn’s bald patches for new grass is an essential step in the process. Rake the dead grass from the bald area and use a small fork or similar tool to loosen the soil’s top layer. Water the patch until the soil is wet.

If you notice that the bald area is lower than the rest of your lawn, you can place a layer of topsoil on the top. Finally, rake the soil to level it out and spread some over the edges into the healthy grass so new growth won’t be so obvious.

Step 4: Sow Your Grass Seed

Visit your local garden store and find grass seed to match your lawn. If you’re unsure what type of grass you have, take a picture of it to take with you. Your local garden expert will do their best to identify it and provide you with the right seed.

You can then scatter the seed onto the bald patches and ensure the whole area is covered. Finally, rake it gently to mix it into the soil and water it with a watering can or soft sprinkler.

Step 5: Help Your Seeds Grow

Grass grows without much help, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t need your support during its growth process. You’ll need to deeply water the bald patches every 2-3 days, making sure not to wash the seeds away.

During its growth phase, it’s also important to fence off the area to stop pets and children from disturbing the seeds. As the grass grows, you’ll be able to start mowing it once it’s around five centimetres tall.

Let Someone Else Take Care Of Your Lawns

Lawn care can be time-consuming. Whether you lack time, patience, or knowledge, there’s no harm in outsourcing this job to someone else! You can hire a lawn mowing and gardening expert to take care of everything from lawn mowing and gardening to hedge trimming and everything in between.

It doesn’t matter where in Aotearoa New Zealand you live, the general consensus is that winters can be tough. Home weather stations can be in overdrive, measuring all that rainfall, and it can feel like you barely get a break from winter before the windy and wet spring season begins.

These harsh weather conditions can wreak havoc on our properties, particularly our lawns. If the longer days of spring have you contemplating time in the garden, here are a few helpful tips for getting that lawn looking better for the warmer weather ahead.

Start with the Debris

Before you even think about mowing your lawns, turn your attention to debris. The wet and wild wintry weather can see all manner of sticks, stones, leaves, and landscaping materials scattered throughout your lawn.

Take the time to rake your lawns to get rid of all that messy debris. Not only will your grass look better, but it will stand a better chance of receiving much-needed sunlight and oxygen to thrive.

Mow With Care

That first mow of spring is always the most pleasant. However, it can also be the most damaging if you don’t do it properly. If you plan to mow the grass yourself rather than hiring the experts, set the mower height at one of the highest levels before you get started.

You should aim to cut no more than one-third of the grass’s height to avoid shock. This gives your lawns a chance to recover properly. Provided the grass isn’t too long, you might also decide to leave the clippings on the grass as a natural fertiliser. Just don’t forget to spread them out evenly!

Prioritise Aeration

Winter conditions can be incredibly cruel to grass. The soil can become compacted when walked on, making it challenging for the grass roots to access air, water, and sunshine. Now that the warmer weather is on its way and your grass is entering its essential growth phase, make aeration your priority.

Aerating the lawn involves using spiked shoes or a proper aerating tool or machine to insert small, regular holes into the soil. These holes allow water and air to get where needed to help your grass grow healthy and strong.

Start Seeding and Fertilising

Not everyone’s lawns make it through winter unscathed. Overuse when it’s wet, pests, and diseases can see your lawn looking patchy and sad once spring rolls around. If your grass isn’t as healthy as it could be, start spring on the right foot with seeding and fertilising.

Overseed the patchy parts of your lawn and give your grass a health boost with a slow-release fertiliser. Pick one with a balance of potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen. If you’re unsure which fertiliser your lawn needs, talk to your local lawn care expert for help.

Work On Those Weeds and Pests

Pests and weeds love to take advantage of grass when it’s at its weakest and most vulnerable. Before long, your lawn can be overrun with weeds, grass grubs, and other pests. These can be both unsightly and damaging, so make them your priority this spring.

If you only have a few lawn weeds to take care of, you can cut these out by hand or with weed-grabbing tools. Otherwise, consider selecting weed killers from your local garden store. Always follow the instructions for use to ensure a desirable outcome.

You can also purchase pest control products to give pesky pests like grass grubs their marching orders.

Start a Watering Schedule

There’s still plenty of rainfall in spring. This can mean you don’t need to start a new watering schedule immediately. However, the best watering options are worth considering once rainfall isn’t so frequent.

Watering deeply and infrequently can often be the recipe for success. This watering style encourages your lawn to grow deep roots to access water further down. As a result, the grass is often less affected by drought conditions.

If you’re worried about future droughts and water restrictions, explore rainwater harvesting systems. Collecting water from your roof might ensure your plants, gardens, and lawns have consistent access to water even when you’re not able to tap into local supplies.

Perform Soil Tests

Growing healthy and strong grass can sometimes be challenging when you don’t understand what your lawn lacks and needs. Fortunately, you don’t need to play the guessing game. Perform a soil test, and you can have all the answers for maintaining a healthy lawn.

Most garden stores provide simple tests for you to learn what your soil pH and nutrient levels are. With this knowledge, you’ll know whether it needs nitrogen, potassium, or other nutrients to help it thrive.

Start Lawn Tidying Today

As hard as it can be to shake off the winter blues, you can start with your lawn. Take some of the actions above, and it might not be long until your lawns are back in tip-top shape. Need a helping hand? Reach out to lawn care experts like Crewcut to take care of all your lawn care and gardening needs.

It’s easy to assume there is no right or wrong way to water your lawn. If it looks thirsty, give it a drink! However, any lawn care expert will tell you that lawn watering can be a bit of an art form! Water it right, and it will likely thrive. Get it wrong, and you could have a very unwell lawn on your hands.

With that in mind, we’re here to help you become a lawn-watering master. We’ve included some helpful ‘dos and don’ts’ to help you get started on your watering journey.

Don’t Water At Night

We’re often told to water our gardens when the sunshine is at its lowest intensity. This can mean watering early in the morning and later in the evening to ensure plant roots get to keep as much moisture as possible.

You might assume the same rules apply to your lawn, but they don’t. In fact, watering your grass at night can cause some pretty frustrating problems!

First of all, you’re at risk of disrupting natural plant activity. Plants undertake a ‘transpiration’ process, which helps them get the necessary moisture and maintain their temperature. They draw water up through their roots and evaporate it from the leaves during the day.

Watering your gardens at night means the pores on the leaves can’t open. After all, it’s not daytime! When they can’t evaporate the moisture, they can start to rot or succumb to disease. 

Fungal and bacteria growth is another problem you might have to contend with. Grass that is wet for an extended period can be a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. You might then notice unsightly brown patches, among other issues.

Do Water in the Morning

Knowing that watering your lawns in the evening is a bad idea, you’re likely curious about when you can water them. Morningtime is preferable. This can be especially true during the warm summer months.

Watering before the sun’s heat starts to linger gives your lawns a chance to enjoy as much water as possible. Yet, the grass blades still have a chance to dry off. It’s a win-win situation!

Don’t Water Your Lawns Every Day

You might think you’re doing your lawns a favour by watering them daily. The more water they get, the healthier they are, right? Not quite.

Frequent watering tells your lawns that they don’t need to worry about growing long roots because water will always be available. This can sometimes mean they’re more likely to die or be severely impacted by drought conditions.

Many towns and cities put no watering rules in place when water supplies get low in summer months, which means you can’t continue your same daily watering routine unless you have your own rain barrel supply. However, if you were to water your lawns more infrequently, like every second or third day, your grass roots can grow longer. They do this in their search for water. The longer the roots are, the stronger they are and the less impacted they can often be when not watered frequently.

Do Water Your Lawns Evenly

If some parts of your lawn look like they need more water than others, it can be tempting to water one area for a longer time than another. You might even assume that having a lawn irrigation system with sprinklers means your entire lawn will enjoy even watering.

However, even watering is in your lawn’s best interests if all lawn is getting the same amount of sunshine. Even with an irrigation system in place, keep an eye on how much each part of your lawn is getting to ensure your entire lawn has equal opportunity to thrive. You can do this by placing a container under each sprinkler. Take note of how even the water levels are in each container. If some areas receive more water than others, adjust your system as needed.

Don’t Overwater Your Lawn

You’d be surprised by how many people overwater their lawns by accident. They can then find themselves with disease-ridden grass when that water can’t evaporate before night falls.

However, overwatering is easy to do when parts of your lawn are in shaded areas. Typically, the colder side of your property, or lawn shaded by structures and trees, doesn’t need as much as a grassy area in full sun.

Do Ensure You’re Watering Enough

The warmer months of the year can be brutal on lawns, even if you’ve practiced infrequent watering to promote healthier, longer, and stronger roots. If you’re still allowed to water your lawns in summer, perform the screwdriver test to ensure they’re getting enough.

This test involves penetrating a screwdriver down into the ground about 15 centimetres. If you can drive it down that far, your lawn is likely fine and doesn’t need any water. If you struggle to reach down that far, your grass could do with a drink!

Do You Need Lawn Watering Help?

We get it: lawn care is time-consuming. Who knew there could be so much involved in lawn watering? If you need a helping hand with this task or even some friendly advice, you’ll surely find a lawn care expert near you willing to offer assistance.

Many people prefer to hire lawn care experts not only to save time but also to save hassle. Alongside mowing the lawns yourself, you must also ensure your lawn mower is in tip-top shape. It can be a frustration that many people would prefer to be without!

But some people would prefer to handle lawn mowing themselves. The only thing holding them back from hauling the mower out of storage is not understanding how they should look after it. The good news is that we can help! We’ve provided some helpful information below to help you give your lawn mower the tender, loving care it deserves.

Purchase Maintenance Gear

Most new mower owners find the most overwhelming part of mower maintenance is knowing what they need to keep their mowers in tip-top shape. Once you have all the essentials for both maintenance and basic repairs, it can be smooth sailing! We recommend having a maintenance kit with the following:

• Safety gloves

• A socket set for removing parts

• Lawn mower oil

• A spare spark plug

• A spare set of blades (or equipment to sharpen your blades)

• WD40

• Rags

• A soft brush

• A wire brush 

Clean Your Mower

You likely already have plenty of things you need to keep clean, like your car and home. Add your lawn mower to your ‘must-clean’ list. The cleaner your mower is, the easier it can be to maintain. At a minimum, clean your mower before you undertake maintenance.

This can be pretty easy to do with the items you purchased in your maintenance kit – the rags and soft brush. Wipe away grass, dirt, and debris so you’ve got clean surfaces to work with!

Important note: Always disconnect the spark plug and ensure the throttle is off before performing any kind of mower maintenance.

Lubricate Moving Parts

Lawnmowers put up with a lot. They have many moving parts, which can be prone to stiffness and damage when not taken care of. Take your handy-dandy can of WD40 and spray it over moving components like the height adjustment lever, the throttle cable, and the wheels. Clean excess lubricant away once you’ve finished the job.

Take Care of the Spark Plug

Some people think their mowers are destined for the rubbish dump because they’re not running properly. Sometimes, they won’t go at all! Often, the problem is a part that costs under $20: the spark plug.

When you’re gearing up for another growing season, get into the habit of checking the spark plug. You might also check the spark plug if your lawn mower doesn’t start, is using more fuel than usual, takes a long time to start, or loses power when moving.

If the spark plug is worn down or damaged, replace it with a new one. Otherwise, cleaning it with a wire brush before reinstalling it might be all it takes to have your mower working at its best once more!

Take a Peek At the Air Filter

Air filters might not be something you can see on a lawn mower at a glance, but they’re important to check! Pop off the cover and clean the air filter underneath with a brush. If it’s too dirty to clean with a brush, replace it. Most air filters are under $20 and are designed to prolong the engine life, increase fuel efficiency, and reduce emissions.

Inspect Under the Mower

Underneath your mower is where all the action happens. So, it can be essential to see whether the blades are in excellent condition and have no grass build-up. Don’t tip your mower upside down to check. Instead, lean it back far enough so you can see.

If the blades are damaged or worn, replace them. You can also sharpen the blades yourself or take them to your local servicing centre.

Important note: Always wear safety gloves when handling the blades and ensure the spark plug is out and the throttle is in the ‘off’ position.

Check the Fluids

Last but not least, check the fluids. You won’t get far without oil and fuel if you have a four-stroke petrol-powered lawnmower. Top up the oil if it’s low. However, if the oil appears dirty or dark, drain it and replace it.

Now that you’re ready to start mowing, check the fuel tank and add as much fuel as you’ll need to mow your lawns. By only adding as much fuel as you need, you can prevent it from going stale the next time you use it. Alternatively, you can add a fuel stabiliser when the time comes to winterise your mower for the colder months of the year.

Here are some other yard tasks you can take care of when you’re not mowing in winter!

Start Mowing

After performing these important maintenance tasks, you’re ready to start mowing your lawns! Remember, if you’d prefer not to tackle these maintenance tasks, you can sell the mower and hire a lawn care expert to take care of your mowing needs!

Drought conditions are a lawn lover’s worst nightmare. When your grass doesn’t get adequate moisture, it can struggle to thrive. Many homeowners even see their lawns die altogether.

You might be unable to prevent your lawn from suffering during the drier months of the year, but you might limit the impact drought conditions have. Try taking some of the steps below!

Step 1: Change Your Mowing Height

Most people don’t give their mowing height much thought. You just haul the mower out of the tool shed and start mowing. However, it’s worth thinking about mowing height when rainfall is limited. The taller your grass, the easier it can be for your soil to retain the very little moisture it has.

When the soil retains moisture, the root systems can be healthier, and weeds are less likely to go to seed and take over your lawn. As a general rule, aim to cut no lower than 5cm. It’s also a good idea not to mow more than a third of the grass’s height at a time. If you cut your lawn too low and damage the grass, it will take a great deal of time and water to help it recover.

Step 2: Water Deeply and Infrequently

If your region isn’t yet facing water shortages or restrictions, you might see the value in watering your lawn deeply and infrequently. Once a week should suffice, with the best time being before dawn or after the sun goes down. Avoid watering during the day since the hot temperatures can cause the water to evaporate before it gets to where it needs to be!

If water restrictions are in place, watering your lawn will, of course, not be an option. However, you might consider investing in a rainwater collection system to keep your plants and lawns healthy during periods of water shortages.

Infrequent, deep watering promotes healthy and long roots. Your lawn might then find it easier to withstand drought conditions in the future.

Step 3: Stay Off the Lawn

As challenging as it might be to keep your family and pets off the lawn, it can be vital for its health when it’s struggling with high temperatures. Grass is much easier to damage during drought conditions. You also face soil compaction with use. The more compacted your soil, the harder it can be for any moisture to penetrate the soil and keep your grass healthy or alive.

Step 4: Mow Without the Catcher

Most people won’t be too upset about not having to empty their catcher every few rows to empty their clippings. When drought conditions hit your area, feel free to mow without the catcher! A small amount of grass clippings can function as mulch for your lawn, giving your soil all the valuable nutrients it needs to keep your grass healthy.

Step 5: Stop Fertilising

Fertiliser helps to keep your lawn healthy, so you might be confused about why you should stop fertilising in drought conditions. After all, this is when your lawn is struggling the most! Too much fertiliser during the most intense summer months can burn your lawn. If you must use fertiliser, apply it at least one month before intense summer weather kicks in. You might also get away with using a mild, organic slow-release fertiliser.

Step 6: Sharpen Your Mower Blade

You likely already perform mower maintenance before the grass-growing season begins, but it becomes even more important during summer. If your blades aren’t sharp, they have the potential to shred your grass, causing the edges to go brown and affect your lawn’s overall health.

While some homeowners have the tools and knowledge to sharpen their mower blades at home, you can also take them to your local mower repair business and have them perform blade sharpening and other servicing tasks for you.

Step 7: Wait

You won’t always be able to stop your lawn from going brown. Drought conditions can take a toll on everyone’s property. The good news is that, in most cases, lawns can bounce back. They might look dead on the surface, but the root systems can simply be waiting for decent rainfall before it decides to recover.

As soon as the temperatures start to plummet towards the end of summer, you can count down the days until your lawn is lush, green, and healthy once more.

Take Care of Your Lawn During Drought

Brown lawns can be unsightly. The good news is that you have options! Take these steps above, and you might be able to guide your grass through the worst of the hot weather relatively unscathed. If you need any advice or lawn care services during this time, reach out to Crewcut for a helping hand. Lawn care experts are always available to answer any lawn care-related questions you might have.

Dealing with a grass grub problem in NZ can be frustrating. Full-blown grass grub invasions can result in devastating lawn damage that can be difficult to manage.

Fortunately, you’re in the right place if you’re looking for expert tips for defeating these underground invaders. Read on to find out what your options are to give grass grubs their marching orders.

What Are Grass Grubs?

Grass grubs are the larval stage of bronze or brown beetles. They present as cream-coloured worm-like insects with light brown heads and can be as small as 6mm or as long as 20mm. In this growth stage, they are most active from spring to summer and chew the roots of lawns and plants. Not only are they a real pest for the average gardener, but they can also present many challenges for farmers.

Do I Have Grass Grubs?

Most people with grass grub infestations won’t be questioning whether they have grubs. They’ll know just by looking at their lawns. However, not every gardener knows the signs to look for.

In most cases, the first sign is the ever-growing presence of birds. If your lawn has become the latest neighbourhood attraction for birds, this can be a good sign that your grass has plenty of tasty snacks for them to enjoy.

You might also notice other signs like dead patches of lawn or spongy soil. Both can be indicative of grass grubs. If you’re still not sure, cut a small cross-section of your lawn and see how many grubs you can see. While a small number is natural, a huge quantity can represent a problem you should address sooner rather than later.

How to Treat Grass Grubs In Your Lawn – And Prevent Them in the Future

Once you know you have grass grubs, you’re likely curious about how you can give them their marching orders. It’s a straightforward process, but you might like to talk to your local garden centre about the best products to use.

Most garden stores offer a number of lawn grub products, most of which are in granular form. They typically recommend applying the products between January to March for up to six months of protection.

However, there can be more to getting rid of grass grubs than simply applying a grass grub-killing product. You also need to ensure your lawn is in the best health to prevent lawn pest issues in the future. Consider purchasing an organic lawn food product with all the goodies your lawn needs to thrive, such as fish meal, blood and bone, seaweed, and composted chicken manure.

If you’re unsure what your soil needs, consider performing a soil test and taking the results to your local garden centre to find out the best products for your needs.

What Happens If You Don’t Treat Grass Grubs?

Life gets busy, and while you might know you have a grass grub problem, you might not have found the time to take care of it. Therefore, you might be wondering what happens if you don’t.

Alongside birds ripping your lawn to shreds in search of the tasty treats, you can also find yourself with a small patch of damaged lawn that continues to grow larger. You might also notice that your grass is thinning out and that previously small bare patches are now much more prominent. Remember, grub-damaged grass will pull out easily at the roots, meaning it might not be long until your once-lush lawn is a barren square of dirt that sees you having to grow your grass again from scratch.

Start the Lawn Recovery Process

You might have given grubs their marching orders, but you’re now left with the devastation they left behind. Fortunately, your lawn doesn’t have to look awful forever. Take the steps below to restore your grass to its former glory.

1. Make Sure the Grubs Are Gone

You can be reasonably confident that the grub-killing product you purchased from your local garden centre would have done the job. However, don’t be afraid to make sure before you start the lawn restoration process.

When lawn grubs are mostly active at dawn or dusk, mix a bucket of soapy water and pour it over the edge of an area that was once affected. Wait around 10 minutes, and if any grubs are present, they will come to the surface.

2. Rake the Dead Grass

Grass grubs can decimate the average lawn, so you likely have a lot of dry and dead plant material in your lawn. Lightly rake it away so your lawn can recover quicker.

3. Irrigate the Lawn

As most of your grass leaves have been killed off by the grass grubs, the soil left behind is likely dry. Irrigate your soil often to replace any lost moisture.

4. Wait, Then Fertilise

When your grass has had a chance to recover, apply a fertiliser product with all the nutrients your grass needs to thrive. During this time, it’s also important to maintain your mowing schedule to encourage the lawn to thicken and promote lateral growth.

Say Goodbye to Grubs

The longer you give grass grubs free rein of your property, the more damage they can do. If you suspect grubs, purchase a recommended grass grub-killing product at a nearby garden centre. You can also reach out to your local lawn care experts for help and advice.

Competition can be fierce in the lawn care world. Not only are you up against homeowners who want to take care of their own lawn mowing and tree trimming, but you also encounter customers who don’t make brand loyalty their priority.

Despite these two factors making it challenging to attract new clients and retain existing ones, you might find manage both tasks easily when you take some of the following actions:

Focus On Marketing

If you’re a new or long-standing lawn care operator struggling to drum up new customers, consider whether your marketing efforts are to blame. While word-of-mouth advertising is a powerful form of marketing, you might also see the value in social media, flyer drops, and search engine marketing.

When you purchase a franchise, you can receive helpful guidance on marketing your business for success. However, sole traders can also find plenty of practical information on the internet regarding creating social media ads and organising flyer drops in your lawn care service area.

Offer Incentives

It can be in the back of some people’s minds that they wouldn’t mind receiving help with lawn mowing, gardening, or another yard task. However, they don’t always give it much thought until they encounter marketing materials with an easy way to access the help they need.

By offering incentives in your marketing materials, you might experience great success in welcoming new clients aboard. Something as simple as a discounted first mow or free tree trimming with the first lawn mowing service might be all it takes to have customers lining up for your lawn care services.

Provide Referral Deals

Word of mouth is already a powerful form of advertising, but it can be even more powerful if loyal customers are rewarded for it. Consider offering your long-standing customers discounted services if they refer others to use your services.

Your current customers likely already know of people who could do with the extra pair of hands for lawn mowing, hedge trimming, or water blasting, but a financial incentive might have them contacting them sooner rather than later.

Post On Noticeboards

You might be wary about going all-out with your marketing methods because you’re worried about spending too much money. However, you don’t need a huge marketing budget to be noticed. Sometimes, you can gain long-term, valuable clients by posting on noticeboards.

Both social media and supermarket noticeboards can be excellent places to advertise your services. Simply include your business name, contact details, and the services you offer, and you might be surprised by how many people contact you to find out more. Don’t forget to ask how they found out about you to learn which of your marketing techniques is proving to be the most effective!

Drive a Sign-Written Vehicle

Many lawn care service providers receive new and repeat business just by driving a sign-written vehicle. If someone sees your vehicle outside a house on their road or street as you’re mowing their lawns or providing other services, they might be inclined to approach you and inquire about your services.

Sometimes, this can mean you earn multiple clients on a single street, keeping travel costs low and making your job far more convenient.

Follow Up Past Clients

Some clients only require a one-off lawn care service – and that’s okay. You can provide that service and enjoy knowing you’ve made their life much easier. However, some clients show interest in a long-term service but never make contact after you’ve visited their property the first time.

Don’t let those clients fall away without following up and learning if you can be of further assistance. Ask if there’s a reason they no longer require your services or if there’s anything you can do to change their mind. Some past clients will stay in the past, while others might need a gentle reminder to book their next lawn-mowing or hedge-trimming service.

Charge Competitive Rates

The lawn care industry is competitive, so your pricing must also be. Otherwise, there’s potential for you to miss out on repeat work. Consider more competitive rates for ongoing work, and don’t be afraid to check out what your competition is charging to make sure you’re in the same ballpark.

Provide Excellent Service

While marketing, competitive pricing, and referral incentives can go a long way toward helping you grow your client list, providing excellent service is typically one of the best ways to attract clients and retain your existing ones. If you do a great job and leave your customers satisfied, there’s a high chance that they’ll contact you again when they need your services in the future.

If you’re unsure whether your customers are satisfied, ask them. You can also provide them with feedback cards to help you learn and grow.

When you become the proud owner of a property with a yard, it can be exciting to think about all the different ways you can utilise the space. Some homeowners go all-out with landscaping, while others simply love the idea of being able to watch their children and pets play in a secure, well-maintained yard.

However, being new to yard care can mean you don’t always know which tools you need for lawn care tasks. Arm yourself with the following tools and equipment, and you can be more than prepared for every season.

A Lawn Mower

If you have a lawn, your first purchase should be a lawn mower. However, you shouldn’t just venture into your local retailer and buy the first one that catches your eye. Some lawnmowers are better for some lawns than others.

For example, you might require a ride-on lawn mower for a sizeable section or an electric lawn mower for a small postage-stamp-sized lawn. You also might be more than satisfied with a two-stroke lawn mower for a small to medium yard or a four-stroke mower for a much bigger lawn.

If you’re unsure about the type of lawn mower you need or whether you would like an electric, battery-powered, or petrol mower, speak to your local lawn mower expert. Alternatively, leave this task in the capable hands of a local lawn mowing business.

A Line Trimmer

Lawns have to end somewhere. Typically, they border footpaths, driveways, houses, and fences. Getting close to the edges with a lawn mower can be challenging, which is why many homeowners find having a line trimmer or weed eater quite helpful.

Such a tool allows you to cut grass in areas that aren’t accessible with a lawn mower. In most cases, they use a reel of plastic line but can also have a blade. You can pick from electric, petrol, or battery line trimmers depending on how much lawn area you need to cut.

Before you purchase a line trimmer, take the time to review its many features. Pay attention to whether they have line-limiting blades, a line-feed system, and a straight or curved shaft. Many homeowners find that a curved shaft helps maintain a good trimming angle, while straight shafts suit tall people and are better suited to heavy-duty work requiring a long reach.

Pruning and Trimming Tools

If the property you’ve moved to has hedges and trees, you get to enjoy their many benefits. Most homeowners love them for their ability to provide shade, shelter, protection, and privacy.

However, they typically can’t provide these benefits to their full potential unless they’re well-maintained. Consider investing in pruning and trimming tools and learning how to use them safely.

When exploring hedge trimmers, you typically get to choose from three popular options: double-sided, single-sided, and pole hedge trimmers. Double-sided hedges are ideal for shaping, while single-sided trimmers are suitable for straight hedge sections in larger areas. You might also consider pole hedge trimmers if you need extra height. Rather than using a ladder, you can keep your feet firmly planted on the ground.

Regarding tree pruning, there are a number of must-have tree-pruning tools you might like to buy. Pruning shears, loppers, pruning saws, and pole pruners can all allow you to trim your trees to a high standard. However, you can also outsource hedge cutting and tree trimming to lawn care experts.

Leaf Blower

A leaf blower might not seem like an overly valuable tool to have, especially if you don’t have many leaves. However, it can be. Leaf blowers help you to keep your property clean and tidy by easily blowing away leaves, dirt, and debris from areas your family likes to use.

Lawn blowers can also be a much preferred contactless option for leaf removal on a delicate lawn. Rather than scraping over the soft lawn during autumn and winter with a rake, you can blow the leaves away without touching them.

Surprisingly, leaf blowers are multi-purpose, despite their name suggesting they’re not. You can also use them to blow away sticks, stones, twigs, and grit. Your leaf blower can be helpful for any task around your property that requires airflow. Just ensure you’re courteous to your neighbours and only use it during the daytime.

A Hose

It might seem like a simple tool, but you’d be surprised by how many people don’t have a garden hose. Garden hoses can be necessary to ensure your vegetable and flower gardens get ample water to help them thrive. Otherwise, you might have to spend much of your time refilling a watering can.

The options are endless for the type of garden hose you purchase, such as a standard rubber hose, a vinyl hose, a metal one, and an expandable one. You can also purchase multi-purpose heads to adjust the flow depending on what you’re watering.

Get the Right Tools for the Job – Or Don’t

If you’re the proud owner of a new home with a yard, it’s time to shop for everything you’ll need to look after it. However, why not spend your free time enjoying your yard rather than maintaining it? Hire lawn care experts to take care of everything from lawn mowing to leaf blowing and everything in between.

While some people are trying to combat dead lawn patches, others have to contend with lawn thatch. What is lawn thatch, and how do you deal with it? You can find this information (and more) below!

What Is Lawn Thatch?

Lawn thatch is a layer of living and dead vegetation nestled between your grass blades and soil surface. In its most basic form, it consists of roots, crowns, stems, and leaf sheaths that haven’t broken down. A small amount of lawn thatch is a good thing. But, as you know, you can have too much of a good thing – and the same goes for thatch.

When you have too much thatch, your lawn can be at an increased risk of succumbing to insects and disease. It can also increase the chances of damage from drought conditions.

Why Does My Lawn Have So Much Thatch?

Some people are continually battling thatch, while others barely have to give it a second thought. Does it matter where you live? Why does thatch affect some lawns more than others? Many factors can determine whether your lawn will have a thatch problem, such as:

• The soil conditions

• Soil aeration

• Pesticides

• Nitrogen levels

• Compacted soil

• Grass variety

These factors not only determine how quickly thatch develops but also the rate at which it breaks down – if at all.

Do I Need to Worry About Thatch?

Yard-proud homeowners want their lawns to be the envy of the entire neighbourhood. In this case, you do want to worry about thatch. The more thatch you have, the more unhealthy your lawn can sometimes be, putting it at risk of several other problems you might need to address in the future. Therefore, if thatch is becoming a problem, now might be the right time to start the removal process.

If you’re unsure if your lawn has a suitable or unsuitable amount of thatch, finding out is an easy process. Simply cut a slice out of your lawn as if you were serving a piece of pie. You likely won’t need to take action if you have about one centimetre of thatch or less. If it exceeds one centimetre, consider dethatching sooner rather than later. Most homeowners with lawns older than 10 years most likely have at least 30-40mm of thatch.

How to Remove Thatch

Even if you don’t consider yourself all that savvy with lawn care, you’ll be surprised at how straightforward dethatching is.

After cutting your lawn short and collecting the clippings, you can use a scarifier unit with blades to get the job done. Scarifiers typically have flail blades that rotate down into the soil and remove the thatch with ease. However, you can also use spring tines on ornamental lawns to prevent grass damage.

Once you’ve finished scarifying your lawns, you can remove the thatch and compost it. Help your lawn bounce back by applying fertiliser before top dressing and watering it.

Can I Prevent Thatch?

While dethatching is a reasonably straightforward process, that doesn’t mean you’ll want to be dealing with it all the time. So, you might be wondering if there’s a way to prevent it from becoming a problem in the first place.

Remember, some thatch is beneficial, but you might be able to prevent excessive accumulation in some of the following ways.

Fertiliser

Fertiliser can help ensure your lawn is healthy and strong. However, it can also help your thatch decompose. Don’t forget to perform a soil test to determine what your soil is lacking and what fertiliser will best suit your lawn.

Soil Aeration

If you have pets or children or love spending your free time outside, you’ve likely got a problem with soil compaction. When your soil is compacted, thatch can build up quickly.

You might be able to combat this problem by aerating your soil to ensure the ground gets the air, moisture, and nutrients it needs. When your soil wants for nothing, microbes can get to work decomposing the thatch and preventing build-up.

Soil aeration is straightforward with a machine or hand-powered lawn core aerator. You can also purchase aerating soil spike sandals to aerate small areas.

Mulching Mower

How you mow your lawns might determine just how much thatch accumulates in your lawns. Mow your lawns regularly to ensure that no more than a third of the lawn’s leaf height is removed with each pass. You might also be able to keep thatch to a healthy level by using a mulching mower to ensure even coverage of lawn clippings across your lawn.  

Give Thatch Its Marching Orders

Don’t let thatch weaken your lawn any longer. Try some of these tips and tricks above, or why not hire a lawn care expert from Crewcut to take care of it for you? Our expert team will be more than happy to scarify your lawn so that you can sit back, relax, and enjoy a healthy, lush, green lawn.

It’s easy to assume that keeping your lawn looking green, lush, and healthy is a full-time job. After all, there can be many barriers to achieving your goals, such as lawn pests and rainfall, and you can spend countless hours combatting one problem after another. However, a healthy lawn can be easier than you think when you have the following things on hand.

A Plan

You can’t just set ‘have a healthy lawn’ as a goal and expect to achieve it. Everyone’s definition of a healthy lawn can differ, depending on what you start with and how you use your property.

For example, you might have a weak lawn that’s susceptible to lawn pests, and you want it to be robust and hardy to handle pets and children. Alternatively, your lawn might be poor-draining and riddled with grass grubs, and you want it to be dry and pest-free. Make a plan, and you might find it easier to create achievable steps for yourself or a lawn care professional. Before long, you can have that healthy, picture-perfect lawn you always wanted.

Soil Tests

No matter how much grass seed you scatter or fertiliser you apply, you can’t always predict the outcome of your actions unless you have soil tests. Soil tests can be used to determine the type of soil you have and if it lacks anything that might be contributing to your grass being in poor health.

Generally, soil tests indicate your soil’s macronutrients, micronutrients, and current pH so you can choose the right soil amendments and fertiliser types to bring it back to total health. After all, healthy soil equals healthy grass.

Fertiliser

It never hurts to have fertiliser stowed away in your garden shed for those times when your grass doesn’t seem to be thriving.

Most of the best lawn fertiliser products in NZ have premium nutrient blends to promote lush green grass growth. Fertiliser can also help eliminate moss, encourage root growth, and promote a deep green colour to make your lawn stand out for all the right reasons. Look for products with iron, sulphur, and calcium, and you might be surprised by the results.

Lawn Aerator Tools

Soil compaction is a common problem, but it’s not something homeowners know too much about. When your soil is pressed down, air, nutrients, and water can struggle to reach your grass roots. If your grass roots can’t get what they need, your grass can’t remain in excellent health.

Fortunately, lawn aerator tools like aeration machines and manual tines can solve your soil compaction woes. By poking holes in your soil, you’re allowing your grass to access everything it needs, even if soil compaction has been a problem in the past.

Power Rake or Dethatching Machine

Thatch is a layer of organic materials like grass, leaves, and roots that can accumulate on your soil. A small amount can be helpful for grass, but too much can actually stop nutrients and water from reaching your grass roots.

Invest in a power rake or dethatching machine to remove thatch from your lawns. However, it’s important to follow the instructions for use to the letter to avoid damaging your lawn. If you’re new to the task of dethatching, start with a small area or hire experts to take care of this task for you.

Sprinkler System

Many homeowners make the mistake of giving their lawns a light sprinkle of water daily to keep them healthy. Your intentions might be good, but you perhaps aren’t doing your lawns any favours.

Shallow sprinklings encourage grass to develop short roots. If you suddenly stop watering, they can’t withstand drought conditions and can be at risk of dying. However, if you were to water your lawns infrequently but deeply, you’re encouraging deep root growth. Should drought conditions be a problem, your grass stands a much better chance of survival because it can access water further down in the soil.

Consider investing in a sprinkler system to make sure your grass gets as much water as it needs without you having to put in any extra effort. Most sprinkler systems work on timers and boast even distribution to ensure no part of your lawn misses out.

Hire a Lawncare Expert

As a proud homeowner, you might want nothing more than picture-perfect lawns that are the envy of all your neighbours. However, that doesn’t mean you’ll have the time to achieve them. If you want to make sure that your lawns are mowed, pest-free, and healthy without putting in the effort yourself, consider hiring a lawn care expert to assist.

Many lawn care companies do more than just mow your lawns. They can also take care of edging, fertiliser, pest eradication, and more. You can then spend more time admiring your grounds than maintaining them yourself.

You might assume that lawn mowing is the only service you can request from a lawn care company. After all, most lawn care companies simply call themselves lawn mowing companies!

However, many of the best lawn care companies in New Zealand – and even in other parts of the world – go above and beyond for their clients seeking picture-perfect properties. In fact, you can generally expect some of the following service offerings.

Lawn Mowing

Lawn mowing is, of course, the most commonly requested service from a lawn care company. Lawns can grow at a rapid rate during the warmer months of the year, causing problems for time-poor homeowners who want to enjoy their yards – rather than maintain them.

Depending on the company you choose to assist with lawn mowing, you can request a free lawn quote to see if their pricing structure suits your needs. Upon accepting the quote, you can receive lawn mowing weekly, fortnightly, monthly, or to suit your unique requirements.

However, there’s more to your standard lawn mowing service than meets the eye. Depending on the company you work with, you can choose from different lawn cuts to suit your specific goals, such as side delivery, catch, specialty lawn mowing, and ride-on mowing.

Side delivery involves cutting and throwing the grass to the side of the mower. While untidy, this lawn mowing service is preferred by homeowners with overgrown grass that would simply clog during the cutting process.

Catch lawn mowing involves using a catcher and ensuring no clippings are left behind on the lawn. You can then keep the lawn clippings for compost or have your chosen lawn mowing company remove them.

You might choose specialty lawn mowing services when you need more than a simple mow. Specialty lawn mowing typically includes spraying, fertilising, and replanting.

Then there’s ride-on lawn mowing. Not all homeowners have postage-stamp-sized lawns suitable for a push mower. Ask a lawn care provider about ride-on lawn mowing if you have a sizeable lawn or even hectares of land.

Hedges

Many homeowners love hedges for their aesthetics, noise-blocking properties, and wind protection. However, ask them what they don’t like about them, and maintenance would likely be at the top of their list.

Many lawn care service providers offer hedge trimming as an additional service. Typically, homeowners benefit from 4-6-monthly trims to keep their hedges under control and in excellent health.

Tree Trimming

Tree trimming can be important for tree health, damaged branch removal, and more light. However, not all homeowners know how to tackle this crucial task. Fortunately, many lawn care service providers do.

Talk to your local lawn mowing business team about possible tree trimming services, such as canopy reduction, thinning, lifting, and removal of dead wood.

Garden Clean Ups

Many time-poor homeowners love admiring their gardens, but they don’t necessarily have time to tend to them. Talk to a lawn care provider you trust about garden clean-up services. Many of the same people offering lawn mowing services in NZ can also help with weed removal, green waste removal, plant pruning, and dead tree removal.

They can also assist with gardening on an ongoing basis, taking care of the trimming, weeding, planting, fertilising, and even mulch delivery.

Alongside gardening help, some lawn care providers might be able to offer framed 600L garden bags that are ideal for lawn clippings, shrubs, leaves, and nearly anything organic. These garden bags can be collected on a monthly cycle to keep garden waste on your property to a minimum.

Water Blasting

Yards can look dismal after winter passes. Moss and mould can take over your pathways, and courtyards and deck areas can look green and drab. Now might be the right time to ask about water blasting services. Many lawn care operators provide this helpful service so that you can enjoy your property in earnest.

By hiring someone to take care of this task, you can free up your spare time for hobbies rather than worrying about how to remove the last remnants of winter from your home.

Commercial Services

While many lawn care service providers work explicitly for residential clients, not all do. Some also take care of commercial lawns and gardens, ensuring business owners can maintain their professional image without lifting a finger.

If your chosen company offers commercial services, inquire about what they are. Many of the best businesses can take care of mowing, weeding and weed control, hedge trimming, soil health, and much more. You might even find lawn care providers willing to tackle hardscape tasks.

Inquire About Lawn Care Services Today

Your local lawn mowing company might be able to help with more than just your lawns. Ask them about their other services and take more of a ‘hands-off’ approach to yard maintenance in the future.

When you think of worms, you picture a harmless, wiggly, squishy worm hanging out in your soil, minding its own business. And, sure, there are plenty of harmless, wiggly, squishy worms residing on your property. However, did you know there are also plenty that might be harming your lawn?

Learn more about worms below, and you might be in a better position to combat the harmful ones while accommodating those trying to help your lawn.

Sod Webworms

Have you noticed irregular brown spots on your lawn and damaged grass blades with chewed edges? You might have a problem with sod webworms.

Sod webworms aren’t technically worms; they’re the caterpillars of moths. They grow up to about 20mm and are pink-white or yellow-brown with black or brown heads. Most sod webworms are also covered with fine hairs and have wings tucked in closely to their bodies.

During the day, they hang out in sheltered spots and shrubs, but they indeed come out to play at night. These pesky critters will scatter eggs over your lawn, feast on your grass, and can destroy an entire lawn in a matter of days.

Unfortunately, there are no known effective insecticides explicitly for sod webworms on the market.

Armyworms

Armyworms are moth caterpillars that are known to decimate seedling stems and lawns. They mostly eat grasses and small grain crops and can leave many unsightly bare patches in their wake.

Armyworms can be your worst nightmare if you’re a lifestyle block owner or farmer. After migrating to a new feeding patch, they can devastate crops in a matter of days. Fortunately, we do have effective products to give them their marching orders.

LawnPro Protect is a recommended product for lawn infestations, while crop farmers might prefer an insecticide product known as Organic Insect Control.

Greasy Cutworm

If you’re an avid gardener with corn, brassicas, beans, and tomatoes, you’ll never want to see a greasy cutworm darkening your doorstep. Greasy cutworms are young caterpillars that eat a variety of plants and cause significant damage. The young caterpillars are brown to grey, while larger larvae tend to be dark grey and yellow. They get the name ‘greasy’ from their skin’s greasy and shiny appearance when they’re well-fed.

If you notice tunnels in your soil, you likely have large cutworm caterpillars. Apply LawnPro Protect from spring to late autumn. If you have adult moths, spray affected plants with Plant Health Spectrum between November and February.

Wireworm

Wireworms not only love gardens, particularly when it comes to tubers, but they see lawns as large tasty snacks. Give these soil-dwelling insect larvae their eviction notice before they have a chance to damage roots and stop your plants and lawns from thriving.

More often than not, wireworm can be found destroying lawns, potatoes, brassicas, wheat, and root vegetables. They also don’t think twice about killing your planted seedlings and hanging out in any rotting wood around your property.

If you’re at your wit’s end with wireworm, apply LawnPro Protect to any affected areas and consider preventative measures. You might be able to stop wireworm from returning by removing damaged plants, implementing a crop rotation plan, and carrying out preventative treatments with recommended products.

Garden Worms

How could regular ol’ garden worms be damaging? We need them! Worms are undoubtedly crucial for our soil ecology, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have too much of a good thing. When worms are too active in our grass during winter, grass can become bumpy when their castings dry. Wet castings scattered over the lawn can also cause you to have an ‘open’ lawn. If you have an overabundance of worms, control the population for better grass health using an organic tea extract.

Most Common Worms in NZ Gardens

You’ve seen one worm; you’ve seen them all, right? Perhaps not. We actually have at least six common worms in New Zealand, excluding earthworms.

You’re most likely to find blue-grey worms living in your topsoil. They have blue-grey, fat bodies, a yellow ring around their necks, and a yellow tip on their tails. If you dig around in your garden, you might also find grey worms. These worms live in and eat your garden soil and have pink-grey bodies with dark pink heads.

If you’re an avid composter, be on the lookout for tiger worms. They live in and eat organic matter, compost, and leaf litter. They are easy to spot because they have bright red bodies and yellow stripes.

You might also spot the occasional dung worm if you use dung in your garden or live in a rural area. These worms are brown with red saddles and live in organic matter like cow pats. If you live in the North Island, you might also encounter Nightcrawler worms that grow up to 30cm long and three metres deep in your soil and black-headed worms with dark grey-brown bodies.

Are You Welcoming the Right Worms?

Not all worms are as wonderful as we think. If you’ve welcomed the wrong worms, now might be the right time to explore your treatment options to keep your lawns and gardens happy and healthy.