Hedge trimming and lawn care tips for your garden

Spring is without doubt one of the most exciting seasons in the garden, with beautiful colour and movement everywhere you look. Part and parcel of this dynamic time is the need to do your hedge trimming, lawn care and tidy up the edges, so be prepared to get planting, trimming and nurturing!

Tip: Always wear the appropriate safety equipment (safety glasses, gloves, ear muffs and a mask, for example) and always follow the instructions for the product or equipment.

Lawn care tips

Coming out of the cooler months, lawns can look less than their best. Most are comprised of warm-season grasses so, while they survive winter, they do need a little help to get back into top form for the warmer seasons.

• Get it tidy. Set your mower to a little above the regular cutting height and, with the catcher fitted, run it over the lawn. This will effectively ‘vacuum’ up all the loose debris, leaves, twigs and so on, giving you an instant tidy-up and allowing you to better evaluate the lawn’s condition.
• Rake hard. Use a steel-tine leaf rake and vigorously rake your lawn to remove dead material from the thatch – that’s the layer between the grass blades and soil surface.
• Let air in. Soil can become compacted by winter rain and frosts, affecting grass growth. To remedy this, Bunnings Greenlife buyer Mill Wallasvaara advises aerating your lawn (making small holes in it). “You can do this with specialty tools, aeration sandals or even the humble pitchfork,” she says. “This will encourage nutrients and water to reach the roots where they can really make a difference.”
• Mow lightly. Don’t cut too deep and set your mower on mulching mode.
• Feed well. A few days after mowing, apply a quality lawn food. Mill recommends using lawn fertiliser to give a much-needed energy boost. “And if your grass is loving the extra care, you can always feed it again five or six weeks later to keep the momentum going,” she says. Also apply a soil tonic after feeding to help stimulate and enhance populations of soil microorganisms.

How to fix a patchy lawn and other problems

Check out these common grass issues and how to combat them.

Patchy lawn care

This is reasonably common after a cold winter, especially if it’s been excessively wet or dry. If the lawn is still showing green shoots, then feeding and watering will speed its recovery. Or consider oversowing with a seed mix to fill the gaps while your remaining lawn rejuvenates. Top dressing can also be useful to help a lawn thicken up again.

Compaction points

Areas of high-impact wear, such as the bottom of a flight of steps, can end up with compacted soil, making it difficult for grass to survive. Use a garden fork to fluff up the soil a little and allow the grass to grow back through it or, if need be, remove a little soil and buy a roll of turf to lay as a patch.

Poor drainage

Use a garden fork to create a series of holes over the area, then rake coarse sand over the top of them. This will improve both drainage and aeration. If needed, spread lawn seed, too.

How to replace or repair a lawn

Sometimes you might need to replace an entire lawn or repair a large section. The simplest way to do this is with roll or slab turf. There are many turf varieties, so it’s important to take the time to select the right one for your place. Here’s what to consider before you buy:

• The main starting point is whether you are in a cool or warm climate.
• Other important considerations when choosing a variety are level of wear and tear, degree of sun and shade, local conditions such as rainfall and temperature extremes, and type of underlying soil (such as sandy or heavy clay).
• The best lawn grasses for warmer regions are the ever popular buffalo varieties such as ‘Sir Walter’, fine-leafed couch, modern kikuyus and, increasingly, new forms of zoysia. These are all running grasses. In areas with cold winters, clumping grasses such as fescue or ryegrass make the best lawns.
• If you are in a coastal situation, then your options are narrowed somewhat, but those with recognised salt tolerance are the buffalos, including ‘Sir Walter’, and the native zoysia ‘Nara’.
• Still not sure of the best option? “Check the Bunnings website regarding different turf varieties,” advises Mill.

Tip: Feeding the soil, not just the grass, boosts soil health by increasing the population of beneficial microorganisms. This in turn improves soil quality, reducing water and nutrient run-off, and increases the effectiveness of your lawn food, meaning less waste.

Weed control for your lawn

Lawn weeds can rob your grass of valuable nutrients and moisture. As many weeds are annual plants, they can also cause bare patches – the weed grows vigorously during its season, smothering the grass, then dies back, leaving a bare spot. Here’s how to handle them:

• Try manual, chemical-free weed removal. Larger weeds are often quite easy to remove by hand with the right weeding tools. This method is ideal if you want to keep chemical use to a minimum, and tools such as weed pullers mean you don’t even have to bend over to weed. You can use them in other areas of the garden, too.
• Use weedkiller for problem weeds and larger areas. The simplest solution is to use a hose-on ‘weed-and-feed’ type product. These contain a selective broadleaf weedkiller that won’t harm your lawn, and liquid fertiliser for a fast green-up. If you have a buffalo lawn, make sure you choose a buffalo-safe product.

Hedge care tips

Hedges are one of the favourite building blocks of landscape designers. They can be used to create ‘garden rooms’, to screen undesirable views or as a living, breathing fence. They may be only shin-high garden-defining borders, or head height or more to provide privacy or compartmentalisation of different garden areas. Bear in mind that a hedge is a long-term planting and will become a major feature.

“Be mindful of flowers and fruits that hedging plants may grow as these can be messy in certain garden situations, like next to a path or pool area,” says Mill Wallasvaara. Think carefully about what you want your new hedge to achieve, then select a variety to suit. Here are some ideas to think about:

• Colour of foliage.
• Texture of leaves: whether they look soft or coarse.
• Leaf size: smaller leaves are generally visually softer.
• Density: how thick you want it – and height.
• Seasonal features such as flowers, berries or coloured new growth.
• Rate of growth: how long it will take to achieve what you need the hedge for.
• Care requirements including soil, water and feeding, and maintenance such as pruning.

How to look after your hedges year-round

Hedges need a little more care than most regular garden plants, but the rewards are well worth the effort.

• Pruning: Regular pruning is essential to encourage density and maintain the desired shape and height. Invest in a quality pair of hedging shears. Telescopic shears are ideal for taller hedges. If you have a lot of pruning to do, consider a battery-powered trimmer. Bunnings Garden Power-Tool buyer Alex Pal says battery-powered tools offer a number of benefits. “These include lightweight design, easier storage and enhanced safety features,” he says. They are available as kits or ‘skin only’ (battery sold separately).

Tip: Give flowering hedges such as sasanqua camellia or murraya a light trim after flowering.

• Feeding: As hedges tend to be planted more densely and are regularly pruned, they have higher nutrient requirements. Feed regularly at the recommended rates with a quality fertiliser. Feed the soil, too, with applications of a probiotic product such as GOGO Juice from Neutrog.
• Watering: Ensure your hedge gets enough water, especially when newly planted and also in hot, dry weather.

Tip: Install a water-efficient drip irrigation system and run it on a timer to save you time, water and money. Keep your hedge well mulched, too, but don’t pile mulch up against the stems.

How to get neat edges in your garden

Neat edges between lawns and garden beds can generally be achieved with a line trimmer or a spade. However you can make it easier for yourself by installing garden edging. The old-school method, the spaded edge, will cost you nothing more than your time. A garden spade is used to cut vertically into the turf in a straight or curved line. Then a strip of turf and a little soil is removed, leaving the garden bed soil sloped towards the lawn at an angle of around 45 degrees. This creates a trench around five centimetres deep that prevents the grass from escaping. If you wish to install a pre-made edge, there’s a wide range of products available, so you’re sure to find one that suits your look and budget. Here are some options.

• Timber: H4 treated pine in 150mm x 25mm lengths is cost-effective, easy to install and quite durable. It’s ideal for straight areas or gentle curves but doesn’t bend well. Ensure any timber you use is H4 treated (for use in or on the ground) as a minimum.
• Plastic: Durable, super-flexible and economical, plastic roll-pack edging can be a real problem solver. It’s even flexible enough to create circular tree guards.
• Metal: Durable and long-lasting, metal edging also comes in a range of finishes. Some types are intended mainly for straight uses, however many are suitable for curved situations. Metal edging (see photograph, right) is the most resistant to damage from mowers and trimmers.
• Concrete and masonry: Undeniably the most durable type of edging. Choose from pre-formed products or construct your own from bricks or pavers. In most cases, they are bedded into mortar or sand and cement to create a more permanent fixture – this makes this type of edging the most labour intensive to install.

Tip: Edging helps reduce the need to use herbicides, as you’ll have less problems with grass and weeds escaping into other garden areas.

Tools of the trade

A glorious carpet of green grass looks its best with neat and well-maintained borders. Depending on your type of edging, here are the tools to help you keep it looking sharp.

Hard-surface border such as concrete or paving

• T-handled half-moon edger
• Garden spade
• Long-handled star-wheel or rotary disc edger
• Motorised specialised edge trimmer
• Line trimmer

Spaded edge

• T-handled half-moon edger
• Garden spade
• Line trimmer

Raised edge

• T-handled half-moon edger
• Garden spade
• Line trimmer

Tip: For short edges or fiddly spots, use battery-powered, interchangeable-blade grass and hedge shears.

Keep in mind…

• Wear gloves and a mask when handling mulch, compost and potting mix and also when pruning, along with long sleeves, as the leaves and sap of some plants can be a skin irritant and/or cause allergic reactions.
• Always check with your local authority if watering restrictions apply on your area and adjust timer settings to suit.

Hedges ready to prune?

Find out how to keep your hedges looking lush, thick and healthy with this step-by-step guide.

Photo credit: James Moffatt, Sue Stubbs, Adam Woodhams.