What happens if I do NOT feed my lawn?

September 2023

There are 3 types of lawn people when it comes to lawn care plans. Those that love their lawn so much they may as well not have a doorbell (because they'll never hear it), those that will feed it whenever their lawn is looking a bit sad (or just whenever they remember to) and those that don't see the point in spending any time or money on their grass whatsoever.

With that said, this article is unlikely to be for the eyes of the lawn lover, who already has a beady eye on the conditions, weed and malnutrition signs... but I want to try and describe what is happening in a non-technical way.

Grass is a plant (hopefully that is not coming as a surprise). Plants need a few things to stay alive. Water, Sunlight and Carbon Dioxide. Much in the way that humans need Water, Oxygen and food to survive.

My attempt at a grass nutrition analogy

Humans don't just eat the same food over and over again. Mainly because we have tastes/preferences and that would just be boring... but in that variety of food we get all kinds of different nutritional intake. Vitamin C from an orange, fatty acids from an avocado etc. All the vitamins and minerals that we consume help our body in one way or another.

Take those away and feed low-nutrition foods and there are health risks, you're not as efficient or you might get out of shape. But if you keep a good diet, the chances are you are going to look and feel great! If you want a nice looking, healthy lawn - you have to think in the same way. Give your grass what it needs!

Grass doesn't die that easily

Grass will survive without you feeding it. Grass is, after all, one of the most resilient plants on earth... but without the best nutrition, a few things start to happen. It loses weight. Every little seed that started that plant's life has a root system (to suck up its food and water) and above the surface, it has its leaves.

When it is malnourished because you do not feed your lawn, it scales back its operation. Some of the leaves die back and instead of looking down at a lawn, you can now see the soil bed.

Leaving room for weed growth

Once you can see the soil bed, there is room for more growth, but not the good kind. The dreaded weeds will start to show up. Whether it is a historical lawn weed that was laying dormant below or an opportunistic seed that washed up from a fallen bird poop.... it was waiting for your grass to give it a chance.

Common UK Weeds such as White Clover (image below) or Yarrow thrive in low-nutrient soils and are annoyingly drought-resistant. So in a way, feeding your grass can help prevent weeds, without even adding a weed treatment! How cool!

The dread of the garden goal keeper patch

Another benefit of feeding is that with well-nourished grass comes strength. The blades are thicker and have a better chance to withstand footfall or the kid's goalkeeping dive. But if those blades of grass do fall victim to the seasonal active patches - then the root system underneath might still be hanging in there and yield a fast recovery - all because you gave it a nice diet :D

But what makes a good lawn feed if you want to start sourcing your own? Rich has written a post on what NPK is and what you should look for when buying your lawn treatments. It's well worth a read to make sure you are getting value for money when buying fertilisers.

Good news is, Mowd can help you!

Mowd's subscription lawn care packages are designed to provide your lawn with premium levels of nutrition regularly. Our granular feeds last up to 3 months too, so you are not a slave to your grass. And the best to last, you don't even have to remember to source/buy/collect the feeds. We just send them to your door, right when they need to be put down.

OK, now I can tell my partner why I feed my lawn...

That's it - hopefully it wasn't too much of a technical read... and now you can tell your partner why exactly you have to go and sprinkle a substance over your grass a few times a year without them thinking you are just making an excuse to be out of the house.

As for right now, autumn lawn feed season is upon us. There is never a bad time to start feeding your lawn, as long as it is actual grass and not a masterpiece of dandelion, clover and farrow carpet ;) Check out our Equinox Autumn Lawn Feed as a one-off purchase if you want to try our products before subscribing!

Equinox Spring & Autumn Lawn Fertiliser 15-1-15 +1Mg +2.5Ca +Seaweed

Equinox Spring & Autumn Lawn Fertiliser 15-1-15 +1Mg +2.5Ca +Seaweed

£8.47

Premium granular lawn feed with professional-grade nutrients, designed to slowly release nutrients into your lawn for up to 3-months in one treatment. With added Calcium (Ca) & Magnesium (MgO) improve the plant health, not just the appearance.

Added seaweed unlocks nutrients in your soil to turbo charge your lawn!

Slow release Nitrogen - up to 3 month feed
Added Magnesium for green up of grass
Added Calcium to improve cell structure and health
High in Potassium for disease resistance and dense lawn
Perfect for Spring & Autumn applications

Equinox Spring & Summer Lawn Fertiliser is also available via all lawn care plans and Lawn Care Gift Boxes

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