5 Reasons to apply fertiliser in autumn

Depending on your location and how mild our Autumn is generally from mid to late October onwards, lawns are considered ‘dormant’ and the many mowers throughout the UK go back into their sheds for their own hibernation as grass growth slows down.

So, if your lawn is essentially ‘asleep’, why should you fertilise it? And is it worth it? We’ve got 5 reasons to apply fertiliser in autumn to revitalise your grass!

Helps your grass to resist disease

If your lawn was last fed in summer, it can become more susceptible to disease. Snow Mould (fusarium patch) is caused by a low-nutrient lawn, as well as Red Thread, which can occur when a lawn is low in nitrogen. By feeding your lawn throughout the year, you can help prevent these diseases from happening in the future by using a Slow Release: Autumn / Winter granular fertiliser from the beginning of September. But you can still use our Quick Release: Autumn / Winter granular or our fast-acting Make it Strong liquid fertiliser if you’ve almost left it too late in the season to fertilise!

Autumn fertiliser protects your lawn against frost

The potassium in our autumn/winter fertilisers helps to build strong grass by hardening it, so when a winter frost arrives … or the beast from the east part ll, your grass will be ready and resilient to fight it off with its super sharp and hardy blades! Where other lawns may suffer, yours will emerge victorious! This is one of the top reasons to apply fertiliser in autumn!

Bigger, brighter & better lawn!

It’s true that lawns get most of their use in the summer and very little in autumn/winter. However, the fun and frolics of summer can take its toll on a lawn going into the colder months, compacting the surface while your grass holds on to the last bit of feed that it has left and may find it harder to recover from damage. By fertilising in autumn/winter, you can give your lawn a four-month feed to protect it and keep it disease and weed-free, so when summer comes along again, it will be bigger, brighter and much better than your neighbour’s!

Slow and steady wins the race

In winter, grass growth slows way down to the point where it looks like it isn’t growing at all, but be rest assured – it is growing, just very, very slowly! Just like any living thing, grass grows all the time and needs certain nutrients to keep growing as well as it can. An autumn/winter fertiliser provides your lawn with all it needs to grow ‘big and strong’ and have an overall healthier appearance, which is another fantastic reason to apply fertiliser in autumn.

Enhances the health of your lawn

A lawn that is regularly fed and well cared for (not just when summer rolls around) will ultimately have a stronger system that will be quicker to recover from disease and damage. We wish we could say that it’s rocket science, but it really isn’t – by feeding your lawn throughout the year, regularly aerating, scarifying and mowing, you can help your lawn out hugely. If you have moss issues, you can use our Feed, Weed and Moss Killer fertiliser mix to treat it and boost growth at the same time. Little steps at a time can make a huge difference to your lawn’s general health, make the ‘big jobs’ not so big, and give you less to do when the warmer weather is back.

Reasons to apply fertiliser in autumn

Using autumn/winter fertiliser gives your lawn the boost of nutrients it needs to overcome common winter grass diseases, resist winter's harsh weather and help it bounce back quicker once the better weather arrives in spring. To get the most out of your lawn this winter, we have provided a few more helpful blogs for further reading and to help your garden lawn grow as best it can: