Status: 03/31/2023 05:00 a.m
For a lawn to be healthy and strong, it should be fertilized three times a year. When is a good time for this and what needs to be considered in advance when caring for and choosing the fertilizer?
Lawns need a lot of nutrients, especially during the growth phase, and should be supplied with sufficient nutrients all year round. Special long-term fertilizers that are tailored to the needs of lawns are therefore particularly recommended. These differ depending on the season: In spring and summer, fertilizer should be concentrated on nitrogen and in autumn, on potash. About 30 grams per square meter of lawn are sufficient.
Before spring fertilizing: mowing, scarifying and soil analysis
The correct pH value is crucial for the nutrient uptake of the soil.
Before fertilizing for the first time in spring, the lawn should be prepared and cared for. First mow and scarify. It is also important to keep the pH of the Check garden soil. This can be easily determined with a set from the hardware store and should be between 5.5 and 6.5. If it is too high or too low, nutrients cannot be optimally absorbed. If the soil is too acidic, lawn lime containing magnesium is used. This raises the pH value. Every three to four years, it is worth having an additional, extensive soil analysis carried out by sending a sample to a specialist laboratory.
Tip: If you leave the lawn clippings on the surface after mowing (mulch), supplies the lawn with nutrients in a completely natural way and requires less fertilising.
Nitrogen-rich lawn fertilizer in spring and summer
Between March and April, as soon as the temperature is permanently above five degrees, is the ideal time for the first application of fertilizer. The second time is fertilized in summer (June). To improve soil activity right in spring at the beginning of the growth phase, spread fine compost on the lawn with the back of a rake. After that, a long-term lawn fertilizer containing nitrogen is particularly suitable, as it stimulates the growth of the blades of grass.
Experienced gardeners can spread their lawn fertilizer evenly with sweeping hand movements.
It is best to do without mineral fertilizers and to use them instead organic grasping. This is gentler on the environment and at the same time promotes soil life. Distribute the fertilizer evenly over the lawn on a dry, cloudy day, either with a spreader or – for experienced gardeners – by hand. Then water properly so the nutrients can penetrate the soil.
The specialist trade often recommends the use of iron fertilizer – especially when it comes to removing weeds and moss in the lawn. However, this is not advisable, since the corrosive sulfuric acid it contains unnecessarily burdens people and the environment and lowers the pH value of the soil in the long term. The low pH value, in turn, means that moss grows back all the more stubbornly.
Potassium-rich lawn fertilizer in autumn
To ensure that the lawn is optimally cared for all year round, a special potassium-rich fertilizer is used in autumn (October). This makes the grass more resistant to frost and lawn diseases because the potassium strengthens the plant cells. In no case should a fertilizer containing a lot of nitrogen and phosphorus be used in the fall. This would encourage the grass to grow. The leaves then become soft and more vulnerable. Water the lawn well after fertilizing.
Further information
Further information
