How should I apply lawn fertiliser - liquid or granular?

April 2023

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When it comes to fertilising your lawn, you have 2 main options - liquid or granular, but which one is best for home lawn care?

 

When I started my lawn care career on golf courses and cricket pitches as a young adult, I often wondered why we sometimes used liquid fertilisers and other times we used granular fertilisers. The concept is really quite simple, but like most things, the reality is somewhat ambiguous.

 

The concept, as my Head Greenkeeper used to say, is simple: "Granular fertilisers are the meals, liquid fertilisers are the snacks". And this analogy can be expanded as far as you like. Breakfast, lunch and dinner refer to the Spring, Summer and Autumn feeds, but as we all know, sometimes we need a quick pick me up - a banana, an apple (who am I kidding - a doughnut or slice of cake!). 

 

It's the same for the grass in your lawn, it needs a balanced base of nutrients, but sometimes when subjected to extra stresses such as foot traffic, droughts, frosts or disease, it needs a quick pick me up.

It's important to appreciate the context of a greenkeeper here too, the stresses endured by golf courses are far higher than even the busiest home garden lawn. The grass is cut as low as 2-3mm, greens have a sand base that doesn't hold nutrients very well and are susceptible to leaching, there may be more than 300 people walking over the green in a single day causing compaction and damage.

 

Luckily the home garden lawn has it much easier, so the lawn care program can be much simpler. Combined with recent developments in fertilisers, it is possible to find granular fertilisers that last up to 3 months, as opposed to the traditional 4-6 weeks.

Here are 6 reasons why Mowd's long-lasting granular fertilisers are better than liquid feed.

Slow release of nutrients: Mowd's granular fertilisers such as Equinox Spring & Autumn and Feels Like Summer fertilisers are designed to release nutrients gradually over time. They have a controlled-release coating that regulates the nutrient release over 3 months. This ensures a steady and continuous supply of nutrients to the grass plant promoting steady growth, and preventing a flush of growth soon after application.

Reduced risk of over-fertilisation: With granular fertilisers, it's easier to control the amount of fertiliser applied and the small granules can be distributed evenly. With Mowd's subscription lawn care service, we send you the exact amount you need for your lawn so you don't have to calculate the application rate or have any left over. In contrast, liquid fertilisers can be more challenging to apply uniformly, increasing the risk of over-fertilisation, which can harm plants and the environment, and waste money!

Longer shelf life: Granular fertilisers generally have a longer shelf life than liquid fertilisers. Liquid fertilisers can degrade over time due to evaporation or chemical reactions, reducing their effectiveness. Granular fertilisers, are less susceptible to these issues and can retain their nutrient content for longer periods.

Easier storage and transportation: Granular fertilisers are less prone to spills and leakage compared to liquid fertilisers. This makes them easier and safer to store and transport, ensuring your fertiliser arrives intact and ready to use.

Lower risk of root burn: Liquid fertilisers, especially if not properly diluted or applied, can lead to root burn, which occurs when the concentrated fertiliser comes into direct contact with plant roots. Granular fertilisers, with their slow-release nature, reduce the risk of root burn, as the nutrients are released gradually.

Convenience in application: Granular fertilisers are more convenient to apply. They can be applied using broadcast spreaders or manually scattered, making them suitable for covering larger areas quickly. You can also see where you have been, preventing over-application. Liquid fertilisers require knapsack sprayers that are not only expensive but difficult to calibrate and distribute fertiliser evenly. In this video, I explain what I use to spread granular lawn feed.

What makes a good lawn fertiliser?

The quality of the fertiliser is an important consideration and can be quickly ascertained by looking for the NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium) value on the packet (we have a blog on that here). 

 

Traditional off-the-shelf fertiliser products focus on a high nitrogen (N) content which provides quick green leaf growth, but quickly dies down after 4-6 weeks. They neglect the other 2 key nutrients - phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Phosphorus is essential for establishing strong roots, whilst potassium is key for making grass resistant to disease and using water more efficiently.

So what makes Mowd Fertilisers great?

Mowd's fertilisers have a high NPK value, with the addition of other important nutrients such as calcium, iron, magnesium and seaweed - to expand on the analogy we started with, think of these as the multivitamins for your grass.

 

This chart shows the NPK value of Mowd's Equinox Spring & Summer Fertiliser compared to other market products. It shows Equinox has more nitrogen, more phosphorus, more potassium and lasts longer!

 

We believe so strongly that granular fertilisers are better than liquid fertilisers, we have built a business around it. Our concept is to deliver the right amount of the right product, at the right time, to your door. 

 

It is as easy as lawn care gets and with subscription packages from £7 per month, it's both convenient and great value. Our subscription lawn care packages go further than just fertilisers, we use seaweed and wetting agents, to further enhance the performance of our quality, nutrient-rich fertilisers.

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We love lawns at Mowd!  The fascination started back in the late 90's when Rich and Dan (Mowd founders), worked on local cricket pitches and golf courses. Cutting, treating and fighting the elements to bring beautiful looking grass to sports facilities in the Midlands.  

 

Since then, we have been advising friends and family on treatments to buy and  how to care for & renovate their lawns.  That is why we decided to launch Mowd Lawn Care Plans - to enable lawn lovers everywhere, no matter what the skill level.

Rich

Rich Young  / Product Director