Fertilising turf: timing, procedure & the right fertiliser
A beautiful lawn wants to be fertilised – but what about turf? We explain everything you need to know about correctly fertilising turf.
Even if turf looks as immaculate as an artificial lawn, it needs its first dose of nutrients quite soon after installation in order to remain dense and healthy. Since the timing of the first fertilisation depends on various factors, we would like to provide you with a decision-making aid here.
Contents
When turf is laid, a finished lawn is created within a few hours. Since some soil, which was supplied with fertiliser before laying, also adheres to the roots of the turf, some people certainly wonder whether, when, how and with what turf must be fertilised next. We give you tips to keep your turf looking beautiful.
Do you need to fertilise turf?
Overall, the nutrient requirements of a rolled lawn do not differ from those of a seeded lawn. Since turf is laid 1.5 to 4.5 cm thick, it has almost no soil of its own and hardly any nutrients. Consequently, at some point, like any other lawn, it must be fertilised to ensure high quality.
Fertilising turf after laying
Turf does not require fertilising immediately after laying. This is because it will have been laid on an optimally prepared soil and supplied with a fast-acting complete fertiliser. Fertilisation “from below” promotes the rooting of turf and is enormously important. Since roots prefer to spread to where the nutrients are, the turf will be rooted in as little as three to five weeks. Thus, it is able to use the ground water and you can tread on it. The timing of the next fertilisation depends on the season in which the turf was laid, since this can be done all year around, except in frost and snow.
When and how often to fertilise turf?
Turf is also fertilised two to three times a year. The first fertilisation of the year takes place between February and June, depending on the choice of fertiliser and the existing soil. Fertilisation in the middle of the year is necessary only if the first fertilisation was very early and rather sparing, or if the lawn is exposed to very large mechanical loads, such as if used for football games. The last fertilisation of the year should be carried out with mineral or organic-mineral slow-release fertilisers as early as July or August to avoid frost damage to the lawn and nutrient leaching. Organic autumn lawn fertilisers with long-term effects can also be applied in midsummer. However, later application does not cause any harm since the nutrients contained are only released in large quantities in sufficiently warm weather. More detailed information on the correct timing of lawn fertilisation throughout the year can also be found here.
Summary: when and how often to fertilise turf?
- Like any lawn, turf should be fertilised two to three times a year
- The first fertilisation takes place in spring or early summer, the last in late summer or autumn
- Natural lawn fertilisers can be laid without hesitation throughout the growing season
How much and what should be used to fertilise turf?
Since supplying a lawn with purely mineral fertilisers has some pitfalls, we recommend using natural lawn fertilisers with a natural long-term effect.
The perfect turf fertiliser
To keep your lawn healthy in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way, we have developed our Plantura Lawn Feed and our Plantura Autumn Lawn Feed. The fertilisers meet the high demands that a lawn places on fertilisation. Since they do not contain animal ingredients, they are not only exceptional but are above all extremely environmentally friendly.
Fertilising turf: guide to the perfect application
Below we have prepared detailed instructions for fertilising your turf:
- In spring or early summer, apply about 50 g/m2 of our Plantura Lawn Feed to the freshly and shortly mowed lawn. The exact date depends, as always, on the type of soil present, which affects the budding
- More heavily used lawns can be fertilised with 30 g/m2 on two different dates
- Fertilisation with our Plantura Autumn Lawn Feed is applied at 80 g/m2in July, but again, if the lawn is under prolonged stress, application of 60 g/m2 in July and 30 g/m2 in September/October is possible
- Perfect for fertilising lawns from July to October
- Promotes a winter-hardy lawn & fast regeneration in spring
- Long-lasting fertiliser that is free from animal products - child & pet friendly
You can learn everything about fertilising lawns in our overview article. If you want to know more about our organic Plantura fertilisers, you can find out here.
