When to Fertilise the Lawn
Wait until the daffs are fully open
- Spring & Summer Fertiliser for Clay Soils
- Spring & Summer Fertiliser for Sandy Soils
- Spring & Summer Ornamental Lawn Fertiliser
- Soluble Lawn Fertiliser for Liquid Feeding
- Autumn Lawn Fertiliser
- Winter Green High Iron Lawn Fertiliser
- Ferrous Sulphate | Found in Lawn Moss Killer
- Winter Green High Iron Lawn Fertiliser
*The above Lawn Fertiliser & Liquid Feed Products are in the Lawnsmith Shop and discussed below:
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Being flexible and using a little common sense is the order of the day when using lawn fertiliser products. Plan to apply the spring fertiliser* sometime in April. It all depends on how the weather is warming up but the best guide would be to wait until you’ve cut the lawn a couple of times first. This might mean in cool Kirkcaldy towards the end of April, in slightly chilly Chester the middle of the month with mild Margate perhaps early April. I quite often time it when or after the daffodils are fully open.
If you are using a summer fertiliser* (Enthusiast programme only) and the weather is dry then withhold fertiliser. It is not going to start working without moisture and though Lawnsmith® fertilisers have little scorch potential, the salt content can add to already stressful conditions. If conditions suddenly change half way through the summer you can then feed the grass with a granular or liquid fertiliser*.
September should be your target month for applying your autumn fertiliser*. Once again national temperature and weather patterns apply but as a rule wait until the rains start in late August or September and then apply your lawn fertiliser. Dependant on where you live you'll find some years this may mean end of August and other years early October.
Autumn treatments also need some common sense timing. My cut off for fertilising in Yorkshire is the first week of November. If you start putting nitrogen in too late in the year you can bring on some disease (fusarium). Therefore mid November should be the cut-off for balmy Bognor but perhaps mid October for crisp Cumbernauld.
I suggest you always apply fertiliser straight after cutting the grass. This means it’s got maximum time to settle into the lawn before the next cut.
If you’re adding ferrous sulphate* in winter then consider September as your starter month. You can re-apply up to April very safely. If you’re using an iron fertiliser such as WINTER GREEN High Iron* a similar timing is acceptable.
CAUTION; Iron whether in pure sulphate or fertiliser form will most definately blacken moss at high rates in most conditions. This is the reason moss killer is ferrous sulphate based. It can blacken grass at high rates in dry conditions therefore always apply in cool wet conditions.
