Understanding the basics of fertilisers before you apply for Spring

Spring is a great time to feed your lawn – it will prepare it for the growing phase, it will have a great green colour and it will be stronger and better situated to fight off disease, moss, weeds and patchiness. And it will ready your lawn for the extra traffic it will typically endure during the warmer months – backyard cricket anyone?

But before you rush out to buy and apply a fertiliser, it’s important that you understand that not all fertilisers are created equal. Since grass doesn’t flower it requires a different type of fertiliser from some of your other garden plants. You need a fertiliser designed to encourage the leaf growth, one especially for lawns. We know there is often shelf after shelf of fertilisers and it can be a bit confusing so we’ve put together a basic guide to help you out. If still in doubt, ask your local lawn care supplier for advice.

Synthetic Granular Fertilisers – These are chemical fertilisers which have a mix of trace and major elements designed to quickly ‘green up’ your lawn. Example: Shirley’s No. 17

Combination Fertilisers – These are a fertiliser which combines synthetic and organic fertiliser ingredients all in one product. Examples: Munn’s Gold Course Green and Amgrow Organix Eco88.

Organic Lawn Food – These are natural products that are based on ingredients like seaweed, rock minerals, fish and animal manures – they will feed your lawn slowly over several months. Examples: Organic Life and Yates Dynamic Lifter.

Slow Release Lawn Foods – These are granulated fertilisers which are designed to release the nutrients slowly. Example: Scott’s Lawn Builder.

Liquid Fertilisers – These hose-on products are the fastest acting of them all. They will give a quick ‘green up’ to your lawn but they don’t offer too much in terms of long term soil nutrition. Examples: Garden King Nitrosol Liquid Organics Plant Food and Yates Liquid Evergreen Lawn Food.

As well as knowing the type of fertiliser you want to use, you will also need to select a product based on the variety of lawn you have. Remember to also following the application instructions, wear appropriate attire when applying, store any leftover product carefully and give it a thorough watering in (or apply just before it’s about to rain).

A range of fertilisers in available online from Daleys Turf here.