When it comes to Winter the cold temperatures are no fun for us beach loving folks and not much fun for your lawn either, but just like there are ways to have fun in Winter there are ways to keep your lawn green. In this blog we review the options you have, why you would choose lawn pigment or high iron fertilisation.

What is dormancy?

Dormancy is a little bit like hibernation as the soil cools your lawn realises the temperature is too low for its continued growth so it starts storing sugars in its roots and stops producing chlorophyll. As the lawn has stopped producing chlorophyll and sunlight breaks down chlorophyll, you can imagine the amount of chlorophyll in the turfgrass plant reduces and therefore it starts to go brown and can even go white in heavily dormant periods.

What is a lawn pigment?

When most people think of pigments they think of paints, but a lawn pigment is not quite a paint. Lawn pigments like Lawn Play Verdant are designed to do quite a few things:.

• enhances and extends aesthetic appearance of turf
• develops into a dark natural green colour
• increases light absorption due to its similarity to chlorophyll
• increases soil and surface temperatures during cool conditions
• assists with turf quality during warm summer months through increased reflectance.

What is a high iron fertiliser?

We were all taught in Year 7 science that chlorophyll is the chemical inside the plant that makes it green. as lawns just millions pause tiny grass plants growing together it’s also chlorophyll that makes your grass green. Iron, a plant nutrient has been shown to increase the chlorophyll content within the plant, therefore adding high iron fertiliser to your programme will help increase it’s colour. While these improvements are impressive during the growing period, They are even more obvious when chlorophyll production is low, i.e. when soil temperatures drop. So leading into Winter we fully recommend the use of Lawn Play Enhance or Lawnganics Brilliance.

Can I use both?

We’re trying to make lawn care as easy as possible, so the good news is not only can you use both of them but they can actually be mixed into the same tank so that you can use them in one application.   So, depending on your long type and location you may want to use both of them or just one.

Which one should I use to keep my lawn green?

it’s not as black and white as that. It will depend on what type of grass you have and how dormant your lawn goes. So, here’s a table of our recommendations:

*Except where kikuyu is grown on clay soil, this will also require Lawn Play Verdant.

** Some older forms of couch including common couch will also require Lawn Play Verdant.

Is painting your lawn with a pigment cheating?

Well I suppose if you’re a purist you could argue that it is but how different is it from applying fertiliser to your lawn? We simply have provided another tool to your arsenal and if the professionals are happy to use it to make their golf courses, bowling greens and sporting fields look greener then we have no problem recommending it to homeowners.

Does the pigment stain?

Yes, lawn pigment contains a green colourant which will stain so it’s important to be very careful with the application. Be sure to use a barrier to prevent any application to porous surfaces such as driveways and paving to prevent staining. If you do get some on an undesired area be sure to wash it off immediately, do not wait until you are finished.

If you have any questions about Lawn Play Verdant or any of the other products mentioned in this blog please do not hesitate to reach out to us, [email protected]