Turf Talk by Lawn Solutions Australia

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Joe chats with Matt Heilig, a fourth-generation farmer and co-owner of SE Queensland's GoTurf. Matt shares how his family transitioned from growing traditional crops like bananas and vegetables to running a massive 150-hectare turf operation in the Glass House Mountains. They dive into the shift from wholesale to direct-to-consumer retail, the Sunshine Coast&...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Turf Talk, Joe sits down with veteran superintendent Scott Harris to discuss his remarkable 30-plus-year career in turf management, from his early days at Cootamundra Country Club to Federal, Belconnen, and Gold Creek in the ACT. They also cover Scott's current role at Narooma Golf Club, where he tackles the unique challenges of coastal maintenance—includin...

Send us Fan Mail Joe and Nath are back with the ultimate spring lawn care tips to whip your yard into shape! They chat about the basics like clearing out winter mess and firing up the mower, plus smart ways to feed your grass using either granular or liquid fertilisers. You'll also get the scoop on stopping pesky weeds with pre-emergents, fixing stubborn compacted soil, and why tough grass va...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Joe and Nath discuss everything that is happening in the turf industry and at LSA, including bringing Stampede to market and why local Aussie testing is vital for imported grasses, Joe's newfound TV hosting duties, and, most importantly, they revisit their early-season footy predictions to see how their initial footy tips from earlier in the year are holding u...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Joe sits down with Will Bowden, Turf Agronomist and Product Development Manager at PGG Wrightson Turf in New Zealand.  Will shares his career journey in the turf industry, from starting out playing golf as a kid in Devon, UK, to working as a greenkeeper, moving into sports turf consulting, and ultimately taking on his current agronomy role in New Zealand and the su...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Joe sits down with Will Pearce—ICL’s lead for Turf and Landscape across Australia and New Zealand. Will looks back on where it all started, from pushing his dad's old '72 Scott Bonnar mower around the yard to earning his Agricultural Science degree at the University of Queensland. He shares key moments from his career along the way, including digging int...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Joe sits down with Glenelg Golf Club Course Superintendent Tim Warren to discuss his journey through the turf industry, from his early days in greenkeeping to leading one of Australia's premier golf courses. Tim shares the story behind Glenelg's ambitious course redevelopment, the challenges of delivering a major renovation while maintaining world-class p...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Joe sits down with Carlos Sartoretto, a highly respected international sports turf agronomist. Carlos shares insights from his extensive career, detailing his journey from studying agronomy engineering in Brazil to managing world-class pitches for the FIFA World Cups in Brazil (2014) and Qatar (2022). He also discusses his time conducting turf research in Australia...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Joe sits down with Gerry Faehrmann from Lawn Green to explore a career that has spanned decades in the lawn care and turf industry. From building Lawn Green into one of Australia's most recognised lawn care businesses to becoming a respected educator, coach and advocate for professional lawn care, Gerry shares the lessons he's learned along the way. The...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Joe sits down with Michael Bradbery from Syngenta to unpack his journey through the turf industry — from starting out as a 15-year-old working on a golf course in Tamworth to becoming Superintendent at Manly Golf Club and working at Royal Randwick before making the move into the corporate side of the industry with Syngenta. Michael shares stories from the early da...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Joe sits down with Nathan Bradbury from Nuturf to chat about his journey through the turf industry — from where it all started on the frozen golf courses of the Southern Highlands in NSW to the lessons he’s picked up along the way living and working on the world's best in the United States to revitalising one of Australia's eminent private clubs, The Lak...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Joe and Nath chat all things winter lawn care — what you should be doing right now, common mistakes to avoid, and how to keep your lawn looking healthy and green through the colder months. They also recap a huge week for Lawn Solutions Australia, including the LSA conference and field day and what's coming up. www.lawnsolutionsaustralia.com.au www.facebook.co...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Joe sits down with Bill Carraway of The Turfgrass Group.  Bill shares his unconventional path—breaking away from a family of doctors and lawyers to find his calling in the dirt. After being kicked out of his home at 17, he built his first landscaping empire from scratch using nothing but a lawnmower and a credit card to becoming the Vice President of Sales and Mar...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, Joe sits down with Nathan Gisi from MusTurf. Nathan’s path into the turf industry is anything but typical—starting out mowing lawns as a teenager in the US before moving into large-scale construction projects before shifting into landscaping, building experience in irrigation and construction before launching his own business, Lawncrafters. After relocating to Syd...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Joe and Simon turn the clock back on Australia’s turf industry and uncover how it all really began. Long before turf farms became a staple of suburban development, early imports of kikuyu and couch in the 1930s were quietly reshaping how Australians grew and used grass — from racecourses to backyards Fast forward into the post-war boom, where a surge in population...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Joe welcomes back Marcus Rogers from Turfco.  Marcus returns to revisit his earlier predictions on Sabanto’s automated robotic mowers and how they’re shaping the future of turf farming. He also shares a bold new outlook on AI-driven “green on green” spraying technology, and what it could mean for the next wave of on-farm innovation. www.lawnsolutionsaustralia.com.a...

Send us Fan Mail Joe and Nathan are back just as the footy season kicks off, and there’s plenty happening both on and off the field. The guys chat about the buzz around the season opener, the spectacle of the NRL in Las Vegas, the fields themselves and their premiership predictions for the year (see below for prosperity). As well as the footy, the guys chat about the current weather conditions aff...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Joe sits down with Simon Elsworth , Head of Professional Solutions at Syngenta , to talk leadership, innovation, and where the turf industry is heading next. Simon unpacks how global R&D connects with real-world challenges on Aussie soil, the evolving demands on turf managers, and what it takes to deliver solutions that actually perform. A sharp, insightful ch...

Send us Fan Mail Joe sits down with Shelley Fincher from the University of Georgia (UGA) to talk turf licensing and what it means to buy a licensed turf variety. Shelley shares her journey at UGA from her science background into law and what the future holds. www.lawnsolutionsaustralia.com.au www.facebook.com/lawnsolutionsaustralia www.youtube.com/@LawnSolutionsAustralia

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Joe sits down with Merrick van As, from the South African Lawn YouTube channel for a chat that spans continents but speaks the same turf language. From cool season turf battles, setting fire to lawns, the emerging lawn culture in South Africa and how lawn care communities are growing worldwide. www.lawnsolutionsaustralia.com.au www.facebook.com/lawnsolutionsaustral...

Send us Fan Mail Joe and Nath are back for 2026, and there’s plenty to catch up on! In this episode, the boys run through what’s been happening to lawns over the last month, the Summer of cricket and what's to come in the turf industry in 2026 Whether you’re in the industry or just keen to stay in the loop, this episode is a great way to get up to speed. www.lawnsolutionsaustralia.com.au www....

Send us Fan Mail It's (almost) the end of the year so we thought there was no time like the present to sit down and take a look back at the year that was. From production facility expansions, trade shows and conferences to what's going on in the world of sport (and sports turf)  as well as some shoutouts to new members joining LSA and those that have celebrated milestones this year... It...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Nathan Edwards fills in for regular host Joe and welcomes back our very first podcast guest Dr. Brian Schwartz, Professor - Crop & Soil Sciences at the University of Georgia. Dr. Schwartz is one of the leading minds in warm-season turfgrass breeding. Dr. Schwartz shares updates on the development of TifTuf, insights into Zoysia Australis, and the latest advanc...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Joe sits down with Paul Prout, National Corporate Account Manager for Toro Australia, to discuss his journey in the turf industry and future of turf management. Paul shares insights into how Toro is leading innovation in mowing technology and smart automation to make turf care more efficient and sustainable.  www.lawnsolutionsaustralia.com.au www.facebook.com/lawn...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Joe chats with Mick Pascoe, a seasoned golf course superintendent whose career has taken him across Australia, the UK and US, Barbados, Jamaica, Panama, Vietnam and Indonesia. Mick shares insights from decades in the turf industry, discussing the challenges of managing world-class courses in every environment imaginable, his push to use Sir Grange Zoysia on courses...