LAWN FEED

Spring & Summer Lawn Feed

This fertilizer is specially formulated for lawns and grassed areas, and contains nitrogen, phosphate and potash (N-P-K 11-5-5). Used at 6-8 week intervals from say April to August, it will maintain an attractive lawn with good colour.   Apply evenly at 35 grams per square metre (1oz per square yard) when rain is forecast, but if no rain falls within 48 hours water it in with a hose or watering can. Do not apply on top of wet grass as some scorch may occur. Do not use during very dry or frosty weather. After a very wet winter you may have to 'renovate' your lawn by dressing it with 'Lawn Feed, Weed and Moss Killer' - possibly more than once (the manufacturer recommends not more than three such treatments annually). This contains herbicides (to kill the weeds); sulphate of iron (to kill the moss); nitrogen (for top growth); potash (for hardiness) but no phosphate (for root growth). Being a 'multipurpose dressing', it costs about 20% more than Spring and Summer fertilizer at today's prices. Therefore, once your moss and weed problems are under control, change to Spring and Summer Fertilizer - it's better and cheaper.

Autumn & Winter Lawn Feed

If you treated your lawn with fertiliser this year, you probably used 'Spring and Summer' and/or 'Feed, Weed and Moss Killer' as and when necessary. These fertilisers have a high nitrogen content compared with their phosphate and potash contents in order to promote vigorous growth. It is not always realised that they should not be applied after say about the end of August, since this can lead to soft growth, which may be susceptible to disease as winter approaches and average temperatures drop. However, your lawn could still benefit from a change to 'Autumn and Winter Lawn Feed', the nitrogen content of which is relatively low but with high phosphates and potash contents. These ensure a strong root system and disease resistance and provide for vigorous growth when spring arrives.