
There are many types of organic fertilisers available for lawns and gardens these days. One such product is a manure product which has been dried and formed into pellets, and that's the product we will talk about in this lawn care article.
These organic fertiliser pellets are a great addition to any garden or lawn, they pack a good nutritional punch in a form that was previously too rich and messy to be used as commonplace. While usually not used on lawns, there is no reason for this exclusion apart from practicality. So by following a few simple steps, we can gain the benefits of this product for our lawns as well.
The main problem when using these pellets in our lawn care is that they take a long time to break down into the soil. When mowing is conducted on a regular basis, the pellets can be removed in the mowing process, making it a wasteful exercise. Our lawns miss the nutrients, and the money we spent buying them ends up in the bin with the clippings.
There are 2 easy solutions to get around this problem.
Apply In Winter
Use organic fertiliser pellets in the Winter months only, by doing this, the pellets have a lot more time to break down before the next mowing is due. In many cases, the pellets may have broken down and entered the soil completely between lawn mowings. So if this is the option for your lawn care, make sure you put the pellets down as soon as possible after the lawn has been cut, to allow the greatest time between cuts for the pellets to deteriorate.
Mow Without A Catcher
For one or two cuts after the application, mow the lawn without the catcher, allowing the pellets to go through the mower and be chopped up and deposited back onto the lawn. If your lawn is being cut at the correct frequency to it's growth rate, then leaving clippings on the lawn is of no concern, and can even be beneficial. The chopped up pellets will now break down into the soil even faster and be a wonderful addition to your lawn health.
Highly respected Australian turf and plant breeder Todd Layt shares expert lawn care advice with homeowners on The Lawn Guide.