Why should I fertilise my lawn?
Different types of lawns have different fertilising needs, but one thing is for sure: fertilising your lawn is one of the most important parts of lawn maintenance. Unfortunately many people overlook this crucial activity, and it is one of the most common reasons for poor overall lawn health.
Lawns need a variety of macronutrients (required in large amounts) and micronutrients (required in small amounts) to stay healthy and perform necessary plant functions. The primary macronutrients that are crucial for plant growth are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. These macronutrients are often deficient in soil and are typical ingredients in all fertilisers. Micronutrients, also known as trace elements, include boron, chlorine, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, and zinc.
Lawns that aren’t fertilised rely on the nutrients that already exist in the soil, and unfortunately the soil in most homes these days tends not to have a great deal of nutrients. Fertiliser fills the gaps in the nutrient profile of the soil and ensures your lawn gets everything it needs to be healthy.
What are Synthetic fertilisers?
Synthetic fertilisers are manmade and contain inorganic chemicals. These chemicals provide the nutrients your lawn needs but do not provide any benefits to the soil itself, and can sometimes even be detrimental to soil quality.
Synthetic fertilisers come in liquid or granular form. The most popular form is granular, as it is easy to apply, requires only basic equipment, and lasts a long time in the soil. We recommend you use a hand spreader when applying fertiliser to ensure even coverage.
What are Organic fertilisers?
Organic fertilisers are made up of naturally occurring biodegradable materials, such as animal manure, compost, mineral deposits, and seaweed. Organic fertilisers help improve soil structure and increase water-holding and nutrient-holding capacity. They don’t cause leaching and don’t kill beneficial microorganisms in the soil as synthetic fertilisers sometimes do.
Dry organic fertilisers are usually made of a single material, such as kelp or rock phosphate, but they may also contain a blend of ingredients. Dry organic fertilisers are usually applied by broadcasting, then raking it up into the top six inches of the soil.
Liquid organic fertilisers are most effective for fruit-bearing and flower-bearing plants and should be applied in important periods such as fruit setting. We recommend applying it fortnightly for leafy crops.
When do I fertilise my lawn?
We recommend you use Lawn Solutions Fertiliser, as it has a fantastic balance of nutrients to suit our Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo, Tif Tuf, Sir Grange, and Eureka Premium VG lawn varieties. Simply place the Lawn Solutions Fertiliser in your hand spreader, spread it over the entire area of the lawn, then water it in thoroughly.
Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo should be fertilised every 10 weeks, Eureka Kikuyu Premium VG and Tif Tuf every 3 months, and Sir Grange every 4 months. Additional fertiliser applications can also used to boost lawn health, help it recover from winter or traffic, or increase self-repair.