OK, so we need to feed the lawn! Then, what is the best lawn fertiliser to use?

We know that in order to get our "perfect lawn" we need to (as part of the lawn's care regime) feed the lawn on a regular basis. However, there is some controversy about the different Lawn Care approaches adopted by different service providers. Broadly there are two (2) main Lawn Care approaches.

One is the organic approach that has a following in North America, however, not in Australia. In Australia, weed and feed Lawn Care is carried out by professionals using inorganic fertilisers and the range of herbicides and insecticides available to professional turf managers. It is worth noting that most professionals in the Greenkeeping and Turf Management industry believe that the organic approach falls short in delivering high quality weed and feed Lawn Care.

In Australia, the non-organic fertilisers is generally applied in one of two (2) ways.

Some Lawn Care operators may apply their fertilisers in a liquid form, where they spray the fertiliser on to the lawn.

However, most Lawn Care professionals utilise granular fertilisers and insecticides. This, in our opinion, is a better and safer approach for many reasons. It is better because the granular fertiliser products available these days come with very clever "slow release" technology meaning you will not get any leaf burn on your turf grass. Also, with slow release granular fertilisers you get a more consistent and longer term delivery of lawn colour compared with the liquid fertilisers that give a sudden burst of colour (which is short lived) and then the lawn colour tends to fade or wash out. Safety is also a consideration when applying lawn fertilisers. The DIY Lawn Lover can be assured that any Lawn Care products (in granular form) will be safer to use than the liquid alternatives.

OK, so what is the best fertiliser to use!

Now that we have established that the best way to apply the fertiliser is in solid granular form (with "slow release" technology), then the next thing we need to know is what are the correct nutrients needed to feed the lawn.

By nutrients what we are referring to is the NPK of the fertiliser. The N:P:K refers to the nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) content of the fertiliser.

Without getting to technical, the DIY home owner and Lawn Lover needs to know two basic things. These are that the fertiliser you apply to new turf is different to established turf.

For new lawns, you need to apply a fertiliser with an NPK of approximately 15 : 3 : 5

For established lawns, you need to apply a fertiliser with an NPK of approximately 23 : 0 : 5

Please note that we are not telling you what fertiliser brand to go and buy, however, if you know what the NPK is that you need then you can read the NPK on the labels of the fertiliser products available at your local garden store.