A lush green lawn is the key to having a beautiful garden, but many people do not realise that now, in November, is the time to work to keep their grass healthy.
The best time to fertilise your lawn is in late autumn so that grass roots have the nutrients they need to survive winter and come back stronger in springtime.
However, you do not need to splurge out on pricy chemical fertilisers as David, an expert from Eagle Wood Farms, has shared you naturally uplift your lawn using “simple” ingredients that are safe to use around animals.
David said: “Organic homemade lawn fertiliser is the best option for lawn care when you have pets at home.
“These fertilisers help the grass grow naturally. They maintain a healthy environment as they are harmless for your pets.”
What to put in a homemade fertiliser
The main components to making a homemade fertiliser are compost and carbon as well as the nutrients nitrogen and calcium.
David said: “Organic homemade fertilisers improve the natural resistance of the grass towards pests and insects, and can greatly benefit the soil. The best way to make your own homemade fertiliser is through composting.”
Calcium
A homemade compost fertiliser should contain calcium as it helps grass roots grow strong and also improves drainage so the grass can soak up nutrients, sunlight or water more efficiently.
David said: “Calcium is the single most important mineral needed for plant and soil nutrition. When calcium is flowing in your soil, everything is flowing.”
Crushed-up eggshells are a fantastic way to give lawns the calcium they need. All you have to do is wash your eggshells thoroughly to get rid of any yolk as it can attract pests.
Then place them in the oven until they have completely dried out and then crush them up into little pieces.
Other good sources of calcium are oyster shell powder, limescale and calcium sulfate if you would prefer to use another natural alternative.
Nitrogen and carbon
It is also important to make sure there is plenty of the nutrient nitrogen as it contains chlorophyll which gives grass its deep green colour.
However, outside of making your lawn look good, it helps the grass grow thicker so it can stop weeds and moss growing on grass and also helps improve the overall health so it keeps disease-free throughout winter.
Coffee grounds are one natural way to help your lawn but they are very acidic so need to be used sparingly and are toxic to pets so gardeners may be reluctant to use them.
Instead, grass clippings and any decaying leaves on your lawn are a natural source of nitrogen.
Just make sure to cut them up and spread them out so they break down quickly. Whole unshredded foliage piled up on your lawn can block sunlight from reaching the grass.
Autumn leaves are also a great source of carbon which gives grass more energy so it can stay fueled and healthy to survive the harsh winter weather.
How to make your compost
David said: “When creating homemade fertiliser, half of your compost pile should be made up of nitrogen-rich items, such as grass, weeds and garden clippings that are still green, food scraps, fruit and vegetable peels, and your pet’s poop.
“The other half should be made up of carbon-rich items such as dried leaves and grass, wood chips, straw, and paper. Mix these together well.
“Calcium should be added to this lawn fertiliser to meet the calcium requirements of your lawn, and to aid in the composting process by reducing nitrogen losses.”
Once your biodegradable materials have fully broken down in the compost, scatter it onto your fertiliser and you will have greener, stronger and thicker grass next year.
