Pruning and mowing

Pruning your garden can help promote new growth for plants, shrubs and trees. Mowing your lawn will discourage weeds and provide you with mulch from the clippings.

Pruning

Some native plants benefit from pruning. It promotes flowering and they don’t become straggly or woody.

You can keep your pruning to a minimum by choosing plants that grow to a size that suits the location.

Check that the plants you choose are appropriate for your soil type.

Mowing

Cutting lawns too short increases evaporation and promotes weed growth. Some more tips for mowing your lawn include:

• compost or mulch grass clippings
• only cut the top third of the grass
• don’t use a catcher on parts of the lawn you don’t visit much
• use a mulching mower that shreds clippings finely
• service your mower regularly and keep the blades sharp
• be a good neighbour: mow or whipper snip after 7am (or 8am on Sundays) and before 7pm
• replace some of your lawn with native gardens

Power tools in the garden

Power tools such as lawn mowers, whipper snippers and hedge trimmers save time in the garden, but the exhaust from these tools can affect your health. Selecting lower-emission power tools will reduce the environmental impacts from your garden maintenance. Choose a 4-stroke mower in preference to a 2-stroke mower, or select an electric hedge trimmer as cleaner options. Look for equipment with a lower noise rating to reduce nuisance to your neighbours and keep the equipment well maintained for optimum performance.

Protected vegetation

The Natural Assets Local Law protects some large trees and vegetation. Phone Council on 07 3403 8888 to check if your property is affected.