Fertilisers - how often is enough?

The Need For Lawn Fertilisers

Lawn fertilisers are a mix of nutrients that have been formulated to supplement the nutrients already found in soils. In other articles, it has been outlined already that all lawns were once wild grasses, existing in their natural environments, with the nutrients, and natural checks and balances it requires to flourish and maintain good health. When these grasses are grown outside of their natural environments, they require management to maintain the same good health they enjoyed in their natural origins. This lawn management is our lawn care routines.

In short, we fertilise our lawns to improve their nutrients to maintain good lawn health, in environments that are not the natural home of the plant. For all lawns in use today, whether for the home, or for parks and ovals, fertilising is a vital ingredient to ensure the ongoing beauty, usefulness, and functionality we expect from our lawns.

An Ongoing Food Supply For Lawns

Just like people, or any other living creature or plant, lawns require an ongoing food supply in doses it can handle and use. If a person were asked to consume their entire years food supply in one sitting, it's easy to see what a futile exercise it would be. The food from a single sitting couldn't sustain the person for the entire year, and if attempted, the persons natural defence mechanisms would kick in preventing excess uptake that would damage or cause death.

The same applies for lawns, fertilising once a year is useless to feed the lawn for the rest of the year, and after a certain level of nutrient uptake, the lawn would refuse to accept any more, with the excess simply washed into the waterways.

Lawns must be fed in the correct amounts at the correct frequencies throughout the year to ensure an ongoing food supply as is required.

Recommended Lawn Fertilising Frequencies

Always first follow the manufacturers instructions because all lawn fertilisers will be comprised slightly differently.

As a rule of thumb however, lawns should be fertilised every 8 weeks throughout the year.

During Winter months, a specific Winter fertiliser blend should be used in our lawn care, which is high in iron and aids in greening the lawn, and keeping it's health throughout the colder months.