Aftercut Lawn Care Pros and Cons
We don’t sell Aftercut (we could quite easily) because we feel there are other ways to do the job that are better for the lawn and the environment and don’t stain your lovely hard surfaces.
About Aftercut
Aftercut products are very similar to ‘weed and feed’ products. There are those Aftercut products with weed killer and those without. Do not use the one with weed killer on a regular basis.
Aftercut is basically a feed you apply on a more frequent basis. This is possible as it contains very low levels of nutrients. The increased frequency of application means the food stays near the surface and is readily available for the grass to take up. The roots don’t have to go looking for it so the roots remain shallow which means the grass is less drought tolerant. In addition, the soil surface is very fertile so any weed or weed grass seed that lands on it gets a helping hand to establish. This then requires more Aftercut with weedkiller to control the weeds continuing a vicious cycle of pesticide inputs.
You also need to water it in within 48 hours if there is no rain and you should keep children and pets off until watered in. See our Pet Friendly article.
Aftercut with Weed and/or Moss Killer
Please read the following article.
A Better Way
If you want to feed the lawn regularly after mowing then you should use a liquid fertiliser such as Lawnsmith Soluble as this is taken up by the leaves of the grass rather than through the roots via the soil. Therefore a less fertile soil surface for weeds.
Liquid feeds for grass are best used during the warm active growing period from late spring to early autumn. In colder conditions the grass is not very active so will struggle to assimilate feed sprayed on leaves. The answer to this is to provide the lawn with a slow release spring feed in April and again in autumn. See Flexible Feeding for the Perfect Lawn.
The benefits of a more traditional method of lawn care are:
- Less work as there is no watering in
- More than likely cheaper
- Feed matches the seasons and grass requirements
- Roots go deeper
- Fewer weeds
- No staining
- Safer for children and pets
Lawn Feed THEN Weed. Not Weed'n Feed.
More Lawn Care Treatments and Problems
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![A Quick Guide to Everything]()
Lawn Care Treatments and ProblemsKnow what chemicals and treatments can be applied together and what order to apply them will give much much better results!
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Lawn Care Treatments and ProblemsMany Lawnsmith products used correctly are pet and child friendly. Even guinea pigs, rabbits and tortoises can graze safely after a short period
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![What Lawn Fertiliser is Pet Friendly?]()
Use a granular or pelleted feed without weed killer or iron that is slow-release. These settle deep into the grass pretty much out of reach of dogs and cats.
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![My Grass Won’t Grow]()
Lawn Care Treatments and ProblemsSo you’ve put some fertiliser on the lawn and .... nothing! There are quite a few possibilities which we explore here.
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Lawn burn or scorch from fertiliser, weed killer or dog pee causes degrees of damage from yellowing of the grass to killing areas of lawn.
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![Lawn 'Weed and Feed']()
'Weed and feed' is a clever lawn care idea. The problem is, for most people it doesn't work leaving stripes, burnt grass and even bigger weeds
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The shelf life of fertilizers can vary widely based on type of fertilizer, storage conditions, and packaging. Here's a guideline for common types of fertilisers.
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Lawn Care Treatments and ProblemsAs a rule Lawn Care Companies will treat your lawn with fertiliser and weed killer 3 to 4 times a year
