Old hands and new came forward this week to share their passion and tips for maintaining some of most eye-catching lawns in Griffith.

20-year-old Dylan McKenzie is one of Griffith’s youngest lawn connoisseurs, and Eddie Krause has kept his passion for thick lawn alive throughout his life.

Mr McKenzie started maintaining a pristine lawn after winning an online competition, where he won the equipment necessary to start his hobby.

On the other end of the spectrum, die-hard lawn-lover Eddie Krause has been in the lawn game for most of his married life, spending almost five years working on his current greens.

Starting off a total lawn-growing rookie, Mr McKenzie taught himself the basics and went from there, saying his passion for it makes it easy to stay dedicated.

“I read a lot of things on internet forums, and it’s where it is now,” Mr McKenzie said.

“I love to keep everything neat and tidy, so while I could be a little obsessive, the result is certainly worth it.”

His pride and joy is the talk of the town, with his friends coming over to take selfies and admire the green expanse.

“I joke around and say they’re not allowed to walk on it, but really it’s great – they love it as much as I do.”

Mr Krause’s lawn is the pride of Macarther Street, and he says strangers will come and complement him on his plush lawn.

“I get a lot of comments from strangers walking along, say how soft it is, some little kids even do cartwheels and handstands on it as well walking to school – it’s so inviting,” Mr Krause said.

“We have always kept a nice lawn and taken pride in it. Always have and always will ...” 

The pair share their tips for keeping their lawns up to scratch.

“My preference is to have my lawn so you can walk and sink in so it covers your shoes. I don’t like a hard lawn, you’re better off with dirt the way I look at it,” Mr Krause said.

“I throw a fair bit of fertiliser on it every time it rains, and I try to mow it about three times a week, keeping the water up to it especially in the heat.”

Mr McKenzie’s hot tip: A bit of TLC goes along way.

“If it starts to get weeds in it, you need to get rid of them straight away. Just care, water, and regular trimming.”

Lawn expert and owner of Lake Wyangan Turf Supplies Robert Valeri gives his advice on making your lawn the best in town.

“In this hot weather, It’s a good idea to raise your lawn mower a little bit and make sure the blades are sharp, not to mow too low, and avoid mowing in the middle of the day.”

Make sure you water regularly in the early morning and late afternoon.

He recommends the Kikuyu variety for areas in full sun, and soft leaf buffalo in those shaded areas.

“We recommend fertilising at the start of every season, using a complete fertiliser which has nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in it, and water it in straight away. You can spread it by hand or there are some spreading machines you can buy.”

Do you have dead patches in your lawn? It could be lawn grubs feeding on the roots. Spray around the end of November or early December.

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