Following on from our previous blog post about proper Lawn Care, this article will provide greater detail on best practises for lawn fertilisation. Including the what, when and how to achieve great results.


So when should I fertilise my garden?

The best time to begin lawn fertilisation is in the spring. This is when the temperature begins to rise to levels that encourage grass to begin growing again. A rule of thumb is once your flowers begin to bloom, it’s a good time to fertilise. Mid-April is also a good indicator to use.


What fertiliser should I be using?

You may be wondering what fertiliser is best for your garden. However brand is generally not a good indicator of the best product. Fertilisers are made up of three key compounds used to promote growth. Nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, make up a percentage of the total fertiliser contents. When choosing a fertiliser you want to look for one that contains roughly 20% Nitrogen content for ideal growth conditions.


It’s also a good idea to look for slow release fertilisers, this are ideal as you wont need to fertilise as frequently and help promote more even growth overall.


How often should I be fertilising?

Initially its best to fertilise and leave for roughly four weeks and then repeat the same process again. After the second fertilisation you can leave slightly longer as hopefully your grass will have strengthened significantly and will need less support. Keep this schedule until winter at which point you should halt fertilisation as the ground becomes too cold.


Other tips for lawn fertilisation

  • Over fertilising doesn’t mean your grass will require less water, in fact a fertilised lawn requires more regular watering as it needs the nutrients to grow.
  • Be conservative with your initial lawn fertilisation. Many providers will tell you to use far more than is necessary. All grass is different, so be conservative with the amount you use and work out how much you need based on your results. No growth? Use more.
  • Don’t leave fertilisation too late. If you hold off on fertilising until the warm summer months, your grass will not have had the opportunity to grow enough to keep weeds out, meaning that any fertilisation will be absorbed by weeds at their most common growth period.
  • Make sure to spread evenly. If you don’t have a spreader, be very careful about your spreading pattern. Noone wants a patchy lawn!

 

Getting down to it

Time to get fertilising! Now that you’ve got a rough guide, we hope that future lawn fertilisation plans go smoothly. Keep these tips in mind and let us know how you get on via our Twitter or Facebook. For more tips on garden care and other home diy projects follow our blog.