Step 1: Is your lawn ready for restoration?
Before you reach for the fertiliser, first check whether your lawn is ready for a dose of fertiliser. This is the case if:
- the grass is starting to grow again
- the soil is sufficiently moist: dig about 10 to 15 cm deep with a spade – that’s as far as the grass roots go – and feel whether the soil is moist there too.
Have you ticked off both points? Then your lawn can absorb nutrients again and you can get started with a suitable fertiliser.
Is your lawn still looking brown and limp, or is the soil deeper down still dry? If so, wait a little longer before applying fertiliser. The soil won’t recover completely straight away after just one rain shower. If you apply fertiliser anyway, the nutrients won’t be absorbed, or at least not sufficiently. It’ll be a waste of your effort, your fertiliser and your money!
Step 2: Which fertiliser should I choose?
Is your lawn ready for some revitalisation? If so, apply fertiliser after a rain shower so that the nutrients can dissolve and be better absorbed by the grass. It’s best to choose a fertiliser with a high potassium content to strengthen the roots, and a lower nitrogen content. Magnesium is also a bonus for that deep green colour. Below are some top picks for these conditions.
Marcel will help you choose the right fertiliser
- All-in-One: The ideal choice for lawns that have been watered this summer and are starting to grow vigorously again.
- Aqua Balance: The unique formula helps to retain water in the topsoil for longer. This ensures that more moisture remains available to the blades of grass and that nutrients are absorbed more effectively.
- Recovery: Thanks to its high potassium content, this fertiliser helps your lawn to build up a strong turf and prepare for the next growth phase.
From mid-September onwards, we recommend switching to an autumn fertiliser. This autumn fertiliser helps the lawn to continue recovering and prepares it for winter. This helps it develop greater resistance to all kinds of weather conditions associated with autumn (frost, thaw, rain, snow) and has an indirect effect against moss (which is particularly common in spring and autumn).
Discover the autumn fertiliser here
Step 3: Do I need to overseed?
Please be patient! Your lawn may look parched, brown and bare after a dry summer, but that doesn’t automatically mean the grass has died. During prolonged drought, grass goes into a dormant state. So first give your lawn time to reactivate after the rain. Is the grass starting to grow again? Then overseeding is probably not necessary at all.
If, after a few weeks of rain, you still can’t see any growth in certain areas, there’s a good chance the grass hasn’t survived the drought there. Time to sow some seed! Don’t wait too long, as bare patches are the ideal place for moss and weeds to take hold.
- Do you have small bare patches? If so, a repair mix will suffice.
- Are the bare patches larger (> 30 cm)? If so, opt for a complete grass seed mix, such as Play & Sport.
- Has a large part of your lawn – or even the whole lawn – died off? If so, you’ll need to reseed the lawn completely. When sowing, make sure the soil is sufficiently moist. This gives the grass seed the best chance of germinating quickly and growing into a strong lawn.
And what about mowing and scarifying?
Mowing
Wait to mow until the grass clearly starts to grow again. Mow a little higher the first time – to about 5 to 7 cm – and never remove more than a third of the grass blade in a single mowing session.
After the first mow, it becomes clearer which parts of the lawn can still recover. Areas where young, green grass is reappearing will usually continue to recover. If certain patches remain completely bare or show no sign of improvement, the grass plants there may have died off and reseeding is recommended.
Scarifying
Is your lawn still weakened and in the process of recovering? If so, wait a little longer before scarifying. This can cause additional stress and further damage the living grass plants.
First, give the lawn time to start growing actively again and ensure the soil is sufficiently moist. You can then carefully remove the loose, dead material. You can then lightly break up any bare or permanently damaged patches and reseed them.
The grass is always greener at Hermie’s – and it will be at your place too with our tips!
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