Applying Fertiliser To Your Lawns

One of the biggest problems associated with lawn feeding, is the visual stripes, of over or under application of
control product which may also lead to brown scorched areas - The net result can be rather unsightly and difficult to correct.

The best method of applying fertilisers and lawn treatments that are in a granular or powder form is with a lawn spreader. We always prefer the spinning disc type of spreaders, such as the one shown, as you have more control over them.

Care must be taken not to spin 'three in one' feed/weed/moss formulations into the flower or shrub borders otherwise you will have your spouse chasing you for killing the summer bedding plants.

The lawn spreader is calibrated to suit a given product and the process is to walk consistently over the lawn and spread the fertiliser evenly. It is a good idea to apply the product early in the morning when the dew may be on the lawn surface or you can follow your mowing lines. This allows you to follow your wheel marks made in the dew, which avoids misses or
going over an area twice.

One useful method that is employed by professionals is to cut the product rate in half and apply at right angles, in two passes, so as to gain a more even coverage and reduce the risk of over or under dosing.

The problems however with applying a lawn treatment onto a wet grass leaf surface is that the granules or powder can stick to the wet grass leaf, giving rise to the potential of some leaf scorch, and the dew moisture gets fired back up onto the bottom of the spreader and may cause some clogging of the spreader opening. You could always brush the dew off the lawn using a broom, or bamboo cane or drag a hosepipe over the lawn surface beforehand.

Lawns should be fed a minimum of up to three times a year, in spring, summer and autumn.

In the early spring a combined lawn feed, weed and moss killer may be applied with a repeat application some six weeks later if the moss and weeds are not controlled by the first application. If the weeds and moss are eradicated after the first application, apply a stand-alone lawn feed in early summer, finishing off with an autumn feed before the end of October. It is important that you purchase sufficient product to cover the size of the lawn that you have. All too often, too little or too much is applied. Follow the label recommendations. If the label states that the product must be watered in, then do so. In the spring use a fertiliser with a higher Nitrogen content, and one with a lower Nitrogen content in the autumn. See The Lawn Shop for suitable fertiliser formulations.

If you end up with a scorch mark, where perhaps you stopped with the spreader gate open, water the area
and after a while, repair the area with some additional seed and top dressing or use the lawn repair kit. Do not apply fertiliser in drought conditions and do not mow three days before or after application.

Do not compost the first cuttings after an application. If you end up with stripes, then try and match in the missed strips. Do not forget to clean the spreader after use as fertiliser can corrode metal parts of the spreader, reducing its active life.

Comments

[w newton]

What damage can occurr if lawn is fed day after mowing.

Reply - none but it is always best not to mow three days before or after, especially if the product is a three in one, feed/moss/weed

[Jo Jones]

Ideal product for my 'good life' resolution so hope I win!

[Mike Seaton]

Wallace

Pleased to help. Perhaps you should tell the Team @ Rolawn HQ so they can point those seeking a little more than 'turf advice' to this Blog page or even The Lawn Society Network found at www.lawnsociety.org.uk. The Network is new but growing. Mike

[Wallace]

Great tips on how to apply fertilisers to the lawn I have actually learnt something thanks.

[Mike Seaton]

Tank mixtures - do not mix anything together unless the label or we say you can. Iron will mix with nothing!!! Sometimes the active ingredients mix okay in principal but when you force it through a nozzle under pressure, strange things happen to it!

[Mike Seaton]

Bill

Hello. Duplicate what Phil has advised. The products are Soluble Iron @ 10 Kg per Hectare, Slow Release Liquid Fertiliser which can be applied either at 75 or up to 150 Lts per Ha. We tend to like applying the 25-0-0 at mid range 75 Lts per Ha. It will tank mix with a selective weed killer and the Spray Pattern Indicator Dye allows you to see where you have been, where you have not been, where you should not have been, when the sprayer is clean and if you have contaminated yourself. Take a good look and email sales@lawn.co.uk should you have a query. We will send over a calibration sheet to suit your sprayer so that you get the coverage right so as to get the right results every time.

[Philip Voice]

Hi Bill

Yes we can supply what you are looking for.

Go to the Lawn Shop http://www.thelawnshop.co.uk here and I would recommend registering at www.lawnsociety.org.uk as well so that you can have access to help and advice as well.

The site is young but it is intended to be a network for lawn enthusiast who can benefit from helping each other.

All the best

Phil

[BILL BOYNTON]

I have just bought a ride-on mower with towing attachments including a sprayer system fed from 25 litre drums on the trailer bar. I therefore wish to buy soluble or liquid chemicals that can be used to improve my lawn including moss killer, killing of broad-leaved plants, and grass feed – the area involved is about 1,000 sq metres. A rigorous programme of eradication is needed to begin.

I have been told that it may be better to apply the weed killer, moss killer and feed separately to achieve this and I’m quite prepared to do this if soluble products or liquids are available as an alternative to a combined preparation.

Do you supply these products or can you please suggest a supplier of suitable quantities/packs?