Coastal Mowtown lawn tips
The 15 questions we get asked most
Everything below comes from mowing Central Coast lawns — buffalo, couch and kikuyu, in a climate that grows grass hard for eight months of the year and barely at all for the other four. One question, one straight answer, no filler.
Announcement
We used to be Shane's Lawns & Garden Service
The business has a new name and a new logo. It is now Coastal Mowtown. Shane is still the one who quotes your yard and still the one who mows it, on the same number, in the same suburbs.
If you booked us as Shane's Lawns & Garden Service, nothing about your run changes.
Read the full note on the name changeSix tips
Mowing done properly
How often, how short, when — and how to bring a yard back from the jungle.
How often should you mow your lawn?
Weekly from spring through to early autumn, fortnightly as growth slows through late autumn, and once every three to six weeks over winter. Central Coast lawns are warm-season grasses, so they do nearly all their growing in the warm months and almost none in the cold ones.
Read the answerHow short should you cut your grass?
Never take more than a third of the leaf off in one cut. On the Central Coast that works out to roughly 2 to 5cm for buffalo in sun, 5 to 7cm for buffalo in shade, lower for couch and mid-height for kikuyu. Cutting below that is what causes scalping.
Read the answerCan you mow wet grass?
You can, but wait if you have the option. Wet grass tears instead of cutting cleanly, clumps up and smothers what is underneath, clogs the mower, and a heavy machine on soft ground leaves ruts. It also spreads fungal disease through a humid Central Coast summer.
Read the answerWhat is the best time of day to mow the lawn?
Mid-morning, once the dew has dried off, is the best time to mow. Late afternoon is the next best. Avoid mowing while the grass is still wet with dew, and avoid the hottest part of a summer afternoon, which stresses the lawn and the person pushing the mower.
Read the answerShould you catch the clippings or leave them on the lawn?
If you mow often enough that you are only taking a third off, leave the clippings on the lawn. They break down within days and return nitrogen to the soil for nothing. Run the catcher when the grass is long, wet, clumping, or when weeds have gone to seed.
Read the answerHow do you fix a badly overgrown yard?
Do not try to take it back to normal height in one pass. Cut high first, wait five to seven days, then drop the height a step at a time over two or three mows. Scalping knee-high grass in a single go can shock the lawn badly enough to kill it outright.
Read the answerSix tips
Lawn health and problems
Brown patches, grubs, weeds, watering and feeding, for Central Coast grass.
Why does my lawn have brown patches?
Brown patches almost always come down to one of six things: heat and dry, lawn grubs, fungal disease, dog urine, soil compaction, or scalping from a mow that was too short. Where the patch is and when it appeared tells you which one you are dealing with.
Read the answerHow do you get rid of lawn grubs and army worm?
If your lawn browned off quickly in mid to late summer and it is not short of water, suspect army worm or lawn grub. A damp hessian sack left on the lawn overnight will confirm it by morning. Treat with a product registered for lawn grubs, applied late in the day and watered in.
Read the answerHow do you get rid of weeds without killing the lawn?
The thickest lawn wins. Regular mowing at the right height plus two or three feeds a year crowds most weeds out on its own. For bindii, spray in late autumn or winter while it is still a soft rosette — by the time you can feel the prickles underfoot, it is too late.
Read the answerHow often should you water your lawn?
Water deeply and less often. One good soak a week through summer beats a light sprinkle every evening. Deep watering drives roots down where the soil stays cool and damp; daily light watering keeps them at the surface, where they are the first thing to burn in a heatwave.
Read the answerWhen should you fertilise your lawn?
Two to three feeds a year is plenty for most Central Coast lawns: early spring as growth starts, mid summer, and early autumn to harden the lawn off before winter. Skip the winter feed — warm-season grass is not growing then, so it mostly feeds the weeds.
Read the answerBuffalo, couch or kikuyu — which is best for the Central Coast?
Buffalo, couch and kikuyu all suit the Central Coast. Choose buffalo for shade and family yards, couch for full sun and the finest finish, and kikuyu for a tough, fast-repairing lawn — as long as you are happy mowing it weekly through summer.
Read the answerThree tips
Booking a mower
What it costs, what a visit includes, and what you need to do before we turn up.
How much does lawn mowing cost?
There is no flat rate, because no two yards are the same. Price comes down to the size of the lawn, how long the grass is, how often you book, how easy the yard is to get into, and how much green waste leaves with the mower. The only accurate number is a quote on your yard.
Read the answerWhat is included in a lawn mowing service?
A proper mowing visit is four jobs, not one: mow the lawn, edge the hard borders, whipper snip everything the mower cannot reach, and blow the whole lot down at the end. If a quote only covers the mow, you will still be out there with a broom afterwards.
Read the answerDo you need to be home when the mower comes?
No. As long as the mower can get into the yard and the lawn is clear, most jobs get done while you are at work. The one visit worth being there for is the first quote, so we can walk the yard together and agree exactly what is being done.
Read the answer