How to Restore Colour of Your Lawn Grass

The good news is grass that is unwell or discoloured turf can bounce back quickly with some TLC and understanding of the cause. One of the most common causes of turf or lawn discolouration is simply a lack of nutrients, mainly nitrogen and water.

Tips to restore colour to your turf

Prepare your lawn for its revival

The best place to start your lawn revival is by trimming back the top layer of your grass, by mowing 1/3 of the grass blades with a sharp mower blade. Once this is done, be sure to rake away all debris and weeds from your carpet of lawn. Move all items off the lawn, including furniture and outdoor equipment. By preparing your lawn in this way, the next steps will be more likely to succeed.

Lawn health treatment

There are various mixtures of lawn health treatments on the market to revive unwell or seemingly ‘dead’ grass. Often these lawn booster products contain stabilized nitrogen, grass seed and soil enhancer as the perfect cocktail to reinvigorate grass, similar to a multivitamin for humans. Application of lawn booster to your turf will provide the health kick your lawn needs to return to its lush green state again. Be mindful that a health treatment is often more potent than a regular fertilizer, and should be used under the advice of your lawn care expert in Melbourne.

Water frequently

Once you have treated your instant turf in Melbourne with lawn booster or high grade lawn fertilizer, you will need to provide extra water to ensure the nutrients get well absorbed both at blade and root levels. If you are hand watering, ensure a long deep soak in the morning for best results, and for irrigation or sprinkler systems, set these to start at dawn and on the deepest penetration levels for adequate nutrients. Depending on the climate, you may water once or twice per day during to restore colour to your grass.

Monitor new sprouts and progress

Following a regular routine of the above steps, you should notice positive changes within a few weeks. Progress will be evident by visible new grass sprouts, green colour returning to the yellowed areas, and height gain in all areas of the lawn. Once these positive improvements are visible, you can return to a regular fertilizing and watering schedule.

Ongoing tips to avoid discolouration

Fertilize at regular intervals throughout the year

Lawn fertilizers contain all the vitamins and nutrients your turf needs to stay healthy, and thrive. Some would suggest it is ideal to fertilize your turf in Melbourne every 8 weeks. However the rule of thumb is to fertilize every season, or 4 times per year. The autumn and early spring fertilizer treatments are critical for the ongoing health of your lawn during the impending drop and rise in climate at this time.

Water, mow and monitor your lawn

Adequate watering is essential to maintain an evergreen and happy lawn in Melbourne. A well-watered lawn should grow fairly quickly and be mowed regularly. It is best to mow about 1/3 of the grass blades each time, a trim as such, rather than a deep cut to encourage good regrowth whilst maintaining nutrients within the grass. During every water and mow, keep an eye on the health of your lawn. If you notice any unhealthy patches or discolouration, endeavor to treat the issue straight away.

Other Factors Which May Affecting the Health of your Turf

Lawn dormancy

As a method of self-preservation, some lawns in Melbourne may go into a state of dormancy for a short time during the frosty, winter months. During this time little mowing or maintenance is required. If you believe the water and nutrients have been adequate on your turf, lawn dormancy may be the reason your lawn isn’t looking as green as usual.

Lawn dormancy may also happen during the hot, dry season when water supply is reduced. Turf will put whatever resources it has into maintaining the health of the root and allow the grass blades to lose colour for a short period of time. Depending on your turf type, dormancy may be expected, so discuss this with your lawn care specialists in Melbourne for you peace of mind.

Fungus or disease

If a specific disease is affecting your lawn, and causing discolouration, it is best to discuss this with a lawn care expert for the appropriate treatment. Get in touch with the professionals at AncoTurf for diagnostics and advice for your lawn issues.

Need Green Looking Lawn ASAP?

There are products available to give your lawn some green looking glory whilst its health is slowly improving. ColourGuard  acts as an aesthetic solution for dormant lawns and can be bought online at AncoTurf.

Related Articles

How to Keep Lawn Grass Healthy – 6 Top Tips

Sir Walter Buffalo Grass – Things You Need to Know

How to Treat Dry Spots on Grass: A Lawn Care Guide

How to Measure Your Lawn for Turf? A Definitive Guide

5 Common Mistakes to Avoid While Laying Turf in Summer

A Six Pack of Winter Lawn Care Products