Is your lawn looking a bit sad? Now's the time to fix it.
This year's been a funny one for SEQ lawns. After an exceptionally wet autumn – May alone dumped more than triple the usual rainfall across most of Greater Brisbane – many lawns that would typically be dormant and dry by now have had a very different winter. Some kept growing well into June. Others that were already struggling copped waterlogging on top of whatever else was going on. And now that things are drying out, the damage is becoming easier to see.
Here's how to read what your lawn is telling you, and what to do about it.
Step one: figure out what you're actually dealing with
Before you do anything, have a proper look. Most lawn problems fall into a few categories:
Bare or dead patches
These can have several causes – lawn grubs (check for spongy ground and birds pecking at the lawn, they're onto something), fungal disease from the wet months, soil compaction in high-traffic areas, shade from trees or structures, or the classic dog spot. After a wet winter like this one, fungal issues are more common than usual, so look for circular or irregular dead patches that appeared during the wetter months rather than gradually. The cause matters, because the fix is different for each one.
Thin, sparse grass
Grass that used to be thicker is often a thatch problem – a layer of dead material builds up between the soil and the grass, blocking water and nutrients from getting through. It can also just be winter nutrient depletion, which is the easier fix.
Weeds filling the gaps
Weeds are a symptom as much as a problem. They move into weak, thin turf because there's space and light available. Fix the lawn and you naturally crowd them out – but you'll want to treat them directly too, or they'll compete with your recovering grass.
What you can tackle yourself
Aerate compacted areas
After a wet autumn, compaction is a real issue – particularly in high-traffic spots where the ground was soggy for weeks. If water still pools after rain or the soil feels rock hard, it needs air. You can hire a machine, use a garden fork, or even aerator sandals for smaller areas.
Top-dress bare or uneven patches
A quality lawn mix brushed into low spots and bare areas, followed by consistent watering, gives the grass something to grow back into. August is the ideal window – warm enough to get recovery started before the heat of spring kicks in.
Treat weeds now
Broadleaf weeds can be treated with a selective herbicide safe for your grass type – but check the label carefully, especially if you have buffalo. What's fine for couch can set buffalo back significantly.
Fertilise as growth kicks in
Don't rush this one – apply a slow-release granular fertiliser once you can see active growth rather than before, to avoid wastage and reduce disease risk. Late August into September is usually the sweet spot for SEQ.
When to call in a professional
If the same patch keeps dying in the same spot season after season, there's an underlying cause – drainage, compaction, shade, or soil chemistry – that top-dressing alone won't fix. Same goes for large areas of dead turf, suspected fungal disease that keeps returning, or if you're thinking about laying new turf rather than repairing what's there.
And if you've read this far and it's all sounding a bit too-hard-basket – that's completely fair. This is exactly what we do. Get in touch and we'll come and take a look.