What fertiliser should I use in autumn?

Fertilising your lawn in autumn is a great way to keep it in good condition going into the colder months. Over winter, your lawn will be more susceptible to winter-borne disease and impact from frost. However, if you choose the ideal fertiliser in autumn, your lawn will grow stronger come spring.

Fertiliser in Autumn: The Benefits

Feeding your lawn through autumn and winter means that your grass will emerge much healthier in spring. Doing so will also help minimise the need for lawn renovations the following year. Something to consider is the fertiliser you use will depend on whether you are sowing a new lawn from scratch or have an existing lawn.

Autumn fertiliser for a new lawn

If you are planning to sow a new lawn in autumn, we would recommend opting for our QUICK RELEASE: Pre-Seed fertiliser. This will give your soil and new grass the nutrients it needs to germinate quickly and establish well. This fertiliser should be applied before seeding, and you can seed your lawn once the granules dissolve after being watered in. This feed will last for 6 weeks throughout the duration of your lawn establishment.

Fertilising in autumn once your lawn is established?

Once your lawn is established at around 6-8 weeks and blades are measuring 5-7cm long, you can mow your lawn. As your new lawn approaches winter, it is best to consider fertilising again, this time with a SLOW RELEASE: Autumn / Winter fertiliser to provide it with four months long coverage so it doesn’t come out of hibernation, hungry! Come spring, you’ll notice your lawn looks just as good as it did when you first sowed it!

Existing Lawn and Autumn Fertilising

If your lawn is already in good condition and you want to keep it healthy you should aim to use a SLOW RELEASE: Autumn / Winter fertiliser. This slow release fertiliser will keep your lawn protected against frost, snow and typical winter diseases that can occur around this time.

Once you have mowed your lawn, you can spread the fertiliser at a rate of 35g per m2 and then make sure to water it in. It is best to apply this fertiliser between September / early October, so you get the benefit of the four-month-long coverage. If you have left it a little late in the season for fertilising, you can use our QUICK RELEASE: Autumn / Winter fertiliser instead. This quick release fertiliser will work fast over 6 weeks to keep your lawn steadily fed and safe from frost damage and disease. And you can apply this twice within the autumn / winter period.

If you happen to have weeds or moss on your lawn, you can use our Feed, Weed and Moss Killer. We would advise using this in early September as it works over 2 weeks to eradicate weeds and moss, and it feeds your grass to enhance its greenness. After the two weeks, there may be bare patches where moss and weeds have been particularly prevalent and have been killed off. These spots will need to be reseeded, so it is better to complete this task at the beginning of autumn to allow time for reseeded areas to grow.

You may also be interested in reading our guide on sowing grass seed in September and our fertiliser guide.