Choosing a Lawn Feed

Garden centre shelves are groaning under the weight of summer lawn fertilizers (plus lots of others, as well). Choosing one can be a real problem.

This is what you need to ask yourself:

Do you want to incorporate a weed killer and possibly also a moss killer?
Do you want to apply it as granules or as a liquid?
If you choose granules, can you distribute it evenly?
How long do you want one application to last?


INCORPORATING WEED AND MOSS KILLERS

It seems to be the norm now to apply selective weedkillers (kill weeds and leave grass) and mosskillers with every application of fertilizer, whether the lawn needs these or not.

I do not agree with this practice. I only ever apply fertilizer to my lawn. Yes, I do use weed killers - and moss killers, as we have seen already. I only use these as and when necessary.


But there are things to consider.

Firstly, the cost. It seems wasteful to pay to weed the whole lawn when all we have is a few odd weeds which can easily be dealt with using a bottle of spot weeder - or even pulled up by hand.

Secondly, weed killers can all too easily get into flower borders. I have lost more than just flowers before now, I can tell you.

Thirdly, excess weed killer gets into the water supply.

Fourthly, using a weed killer too often helps weeds to become resistant. Using a moss killer too often increases the lawn acidity (this is usually a good thing, but might cause a problem on utility lawns based on Perennial Ryegrass).


GRANULES OR LIQUID

Unless you have a spreader, you might find it difficult to spread granules evenly without scorching, especially if the applied at less than 35 grams per square metre (1 oz per sq yd).

I always used spread granules by hand, because I found traditional spreaders more trouble than they were worth. They always seem to drop fertilizer where I don't want it, causing scorching; and cleaning and setting them is just too much trouble.

I bought a hand-held spinner last year and was very impressed with it. It seems to spread granules well, even at low application rates. However, it is rather difficult to control the width. So it might not be suitable for using with weed and moss killers incorporated.

FREQUENCY OF APPLICATION

Fertilizers last for different lengths of time.

Liquids last the shortest time, and usually need applying at monthly intervals. These are usually the quickest acting, since they can be taken in through the leaf as well as the roots.

Granules usually last for 6 weeks; but the more expensive ones last nearly twice that time because they also incorporate some slow-release granules (needless to say, they cost nearly twice as much, but have the advantage that they do not scorch so easily). Rain, or its equivalent, is necessary to get them down to the roots. They are slower acting than liquids, and take about 2 weeks to show an effect.

If you are lucky, you might be able to buy slow-release granular feeds which last upto 18 weeks.


WHICH TO CHOOSE

I find liquids the easiest to use, especially on small lawns. These can be bought as granules or as liquids, each of which is diluted with water and applied with a watering can.

Amazingly, liquids also seem to be the cheapest way of applying lawn feed, even though they need applying more often.

Because liquids need replacing each month, it is easier to accommodate a drought by missing an application. There can be a real problem if a drought occurs just after applying granules, even if they are washed in.

I prefer my liquid feeds to include some phosphorus(P) and potassium(K). It is possible to buy straight nitrogen liquid feeds based on urea (N:P:K 46:0:0). Note that it is not the 46% nitrogen which is the problem. Although this might sound really high, don't forget it will be diluted. No, it is the lack of P and K, to feed the roots and strengthen the turf, that bothers me.


I would definitely recommend liquids. These can also incorporate weed killers and moss killers if required.