Tui Autumn Times Magazine Tui Autumn Times 2018 | Page 6

TIPS FROM THE TURF EXPERT!
Karl Johnson (KJ) is no stranger to growing the ultimate lawn –
most recently as the Turf Manager of Hamilton’s Seddon Park
and FMG Stadium Waikato. The Turf Master-Craftsman has
been in the business over 30 years. A snapshot of career
highlights include: building and maintaining cricket and
rugby pitches in Dubai, completing cricket grounds in India,
consulting in many other countries, and more recently
working for the All Blacks in Samoa on the ground for their
inaugural Test match against Manu Samoa. We caught up with
him to get his expert opinion on creating a match-ready lawn.
Hey, I’m hearing you may be after a few tips on looking after
your lawn! I won’t let you near my lawn as it’s like a mechanic’s
car, a builder’s house, at the moment… However, with over 30
years’ experience in the turf industry here’s a few things that
may help you out: Watering at 6pm means the turf plant sits wet during the night
– which is an invitation to turf diseases. I like to teach the plant
roots to chase moisture: deep watering and then drying out
your turf before its next irrigation application is a great way
to achieve this.
How low should you mow
Never, ever cut more than a third of the leaf off at any one time
– i.e. if the leaf is 50mm long don’t mow it to 10mm! Nice sharp
blades will always cut better and mean less shredding of
the leaf – would you cut your hair with blunt scissors? When dry conditions strike
Applying a good quality wetting agent to assist the turf profile
to take water is certainly a great wee trick to prevent lawns
getting extremely dry. Once the ground has become anaerobic
(very dry) it is extremely difficult to get water into these areas.
Hand fork them over and hand water isolated dry areas.
Feed your hungry lawn
Use a good quality turf specific fertiliser such as Tui LawnForce
to ensure your turf gets a balance of N-P-K. I would advise
always washing in as soon after application as possible, to
minimise any turf burn. The best time to fertilise is when
it’s raining.
The best watering technique
I believe watering early in the morning is the best time.
Watering during the heat of the day means you lose water
through evaporation, plus the wind effects the sprinkler throw.
Dealing to patchy lawns
The best time of the year to sow any seed is March and April.
I see so many people trying in summer and watch them struggle!
Give your new seed the best chance by sowing in autumn.
Remember turf is a living thing: it needs air, water and food just
like you and I. So ensure your turf gets, air, water and fertiliser.
Enjoy growing great quality turf, as it’s a real challenge but
also very enjoyable!
KJ
INTRODUCING THE EXCITING NEW
RANGE OF TUI LAWNFORCE SLOW
RELEASE LAWN FERTILISERS,
ENGINEERED TO BUILD THE ULTIMATE
KIWI LAWN IN YOUR BACKYARD!
6
TUI AUTUMN TIMES 2018