The Gardeners Almanac

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Lawn Care - Feeding


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Overview:

On the subject of feeding a lawn the first thing that may come to mind is; How Often Do I Feed My Lawn and when?

Generally the lawns appearance will often answer this question.


For example;

If your grass is growing well and looks a deep green colour then it is clearly getting all the nutrients it needs from the soil.

But if it is not, then you should consider feeding it once every six weeks.

This may then raise the question; what type of feed should I give it?


Grass is a plant, and its needs are basically the same as any other plant, meaning that it needs:

View of a Commercial bag of 3in 1 feeding mixture

Typical Lawn Feed

To simplify the feeding process, manufacturers have produced all in one feed mixtures that are designed to cater for all of a lawn's needs.

These usually take the form of Spring or Autumn feeds, and should be applied acccording to the instructions on the packaging.

Some mixtures often contain a herbicidal moss killer to control the moss content of a lawn.

This is particularly useful in lawns that are in the shade for large parts of the day.


Finally, never be tempted to over-feed your lawn, stick to the manufacturer's instruction.


Application times:

Circa Week 13:

When the soil is moist encourage grass growth by applying a spring/summer lawn feed that is high in nitrogen at the manufacturers recommended application rates.

If no rain falls after three days give the lawn a good watering to wash in the lawn food.

If the leaves of naturalised bulbs are still green, delay the cut until growth turns yellow.


Week 39:

Feeding will encourage more vigour, but you must use a special autumn lawn feed which will have less nitrogen content than spring and summer formulations.

If no rain falls after three days give the lawn a good watering to wash in the lawn food.