• Fertiliser balance is crucial; too little and it can starve, too much and you won’t see it at its peak either
• If you’re keen on looking after your lawn then getting a handle on fertilising is important
• There are a few tell-tale signs with your lawn to let you know if it needs fertilising
• Autumn fertilising is ideal to send your lawn into winter as healthy as possible

Autumn Fertilising

Autumn is a great time to fertilise your lawn. In fact, it’s probably the most important fertiliser application for the year.

If you have a warm season turf variety like buffalo, kikuyu, zoysia or couch, as temperatures decrease over the coming months, so too will the speed at which your grass will grow. This means that if your lawn is a little unhealthy and nutrient poor, it will likely go into winter unprepared for the colder conditions. This will leave it very susceptible to winter weeds, compaction, shade related issues and frost.

When your lawn is looking a little worse for wear, is lacking in colour and looks as though it could do with a feed, Lawn fertiliser will provide your lawn with the nutrients it is lacking, helping to feed the grass roots and promote growth.

Fertiliser is not lawn food

There is a common misconception that the fertiliser itself is the food for your plant. We in the industry also commonly refer to feeding the grass or to fertiliser as lawn food. But in actual fact, grasses make their own food through the process of photosynthesis.

The issue for our lawns is there is usually a lack of the required nutrients it needs in the soil. This is due to the fact that our grasses are not originally from the exact same soil conditions we experience in our yards. As a result, we need to supplement the existing nutrient levels, so we can achieve a balance of all the nutrients your lawn needs to stay in top shape.

Lawn Fertilisers come in many varying types and blends. Just take a look down one of the aisles in some of the bigger nurseries and you can get confused as to what may be best for your lawn. Going back to basics, let’s look at your lawn being like any ordinary plant. It takes in nutrients and air through the soil and sunlight through the leaves for photosynthesis where the conversions to sugars and energy takes place. With everything in balance this happens well and the plant will thrive and what we want to do is help keep this process at its optimum. So in keeping that optimum level of nutrient input for your lawn you can look out for a few tell-tale signs when it’s lacking:

• If you’ve got pets the green patch left from urine is an obvious giveaway. Urine containing urea is highly Nitrogen-charged and sometimes you’re left with a burnt patch and afterwards a more lush-green area appears.
• This can also be noticeable next to pathways where nutrients – from blown in dust and particles – will wash off the path and be more concentrated next to the edges.
• Seed-heads on the grass when it starts to go into stress, and a yellowing, thinned-out appearance, not related to the seasons is also a giveaway that your lawn needs a feed. Clover invading parts of your lawn is also a good sign that your lawn needs fertilising as it struggles to grow when nitrogen levels are at a level where your lawn is doing well.

What fertiliser should I use?

Slow release fertilisers are almost always better value for money, so if you are looking for a slow release feed for your lawn for the entire season, then granular fertilisers are the way to go.

Lawn Solutions Fertiliser is a slow release granular fertiliser which was developed for use on Sir Walter DNA Certified Soft Leaf Buffalo lawns, but it will work equally well on other lawn varieties, such as Couch, Buffalo, Kikuyu, Zoysia, Tall Fescue, Bluegrass and Ryegrass, delivering all the nutrients your grass needs to recover and grow.

All you need to do is use the right amount for the size of the lawn, spreading it out evenly and water it in really well. If you do not water it in enough, the granules can burn the leaf of your lawn, so make sure you apply enough water.

Fertilising or more so, the lack of it is one of the biggest factors behind poor-performing lawns and can be readily rectified with inexpensive, all-round fertilisers like Lawn Solutions Fertiliser available from the Lawn Store. Order a bucket and try it out to give your lawn a head start into winter.