When to Autumn Feed your lawn

Put in a little lawn maintenance now and your grass will be in the best condition for winter, when more persistent rain, snow and frost make it more difficult for lawns to recover from damage.

One of the best ways you can do this is with a season-appropriate lawn treatment like Autumn lawn feed.

This will help to nourish your grass before the dormant season sets in, giving you a head start on your winter lawn care and helping with any newly laid turf care too.

What is Autumn lawn feed?

Autumn lawn feed is exactly what it sounds like: a lawn treatment designed to be applied during the Autumn months as part of your end-of-year lawn maintenance.

It’s important to understand that Autumn lawn feed is different from Spring and Summer lawn feed, so for the best results, you should resist using up any leftover fertilisers from earlier in the year.

This is especially true for new turf care, if your grass is heading into its first winter, but is also worth keeping in mind for established lawn care as well.

What does the feed provide for the lawn?

Autumn lawn feed gives your grass fertiliser to help it grow, but also includes phosphates and potash to protect your lawn against frozen soil and surface frost.

In contrast, Spring and Summer lawn feeds are high in nitrogen. This encourages more delicate top growth, which can be damaged quite easily in winter.

Some Autumn lawn feeds also include weedkillers, such as Miracle-Gro EverGreen Autumn Lawn Care, which strengthens grass while also killing moss, making it ideal for damp gardens.

What does lawn feed contain?

As mentioned, lawn feed varies depending on the time of year:

• Spring and Summer lawn feed contains nitrogen to encourage top growth
• Autumn lawn feed contains potash and phosphates for stronger roots
• Both can also include weedkillers to reduce moss and other unwelcome growth

With winter on the way, you should make sure to include at least one application of Autumn lawn feed into your end-of-year lawn care regimen, before your grass goes into hibernation.

When is the best time to feed the lawn?

Feed your lawn as part of a complete Autumn grass care process, after the heat of Summer has faded and the ground is damp, but before the first frosts of Winter set in.

Some steps to put in your Autumn lawn care plan include:

• Scarify to remove the thatch from around your lawn grass
• Trim overgrown edges and rake up any fallen leaves
• Flatten any lumps and bumps in your lawn’s surface
• Fill any significant bare patches with fresh turf
• Aerate compacted soil to improve root growth and drainage

You can further protect your lawn by limiting how much you walk on it in winter. If possible, use stepping stones or a garden path instead.

Finally, you might think fallen leaves make good fertiliser, but they can suffocate your grass – so collect them up and compost them first, then use the compost and the fertile liquid it releases instead of leaving leaf mulch directly on your turf.

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