Monthly Lawn Care Tips

Controlled Release Fertilisers and the benefits they bring

What is the difference between normal fertiliser like the ones I see on TV and Turfshop’s Controlled Release Fertiliser?

Traditional Fertilisers have all the nitrogen available to the grass straight away.

Controlled Release Fertilisers are small pellets of nutrients that would normally be available to the grass straight away, but are instead coated in a hi-tech polymer coating which releases the nutrients gradually depending on weather conditions.

What difference does this make to my lawn?

Traditional lawn feeds make all their nutrients available to the grass in one go. Under the influence of precipitation, a large percentage of the nutrients leach away (approx. 30% of the nitrogen).The remaining nutrients cause the grass to grow quickly above ground in a sudden boost, creating a lot more mowing. As there is never a consistent level of nutrients, creating a consistent rate of growth, root development is minimal. Re-application is normally required after about 6 weeks.

Controlled Release Fertilisers are designed to release the exact nutrient levels required by the plant each day. Only a negligible amount of nutrient is lost through leaching (approx. 5% of the nitrogen). The grass grows at an even rate due to the constant and regular release of nutrients from the granule. Root development also benefits from more consistent nutrient levels, leaving an overall much healthier plant. Despite daily releases of nutrient the granule has sufficient to last up to 8-9 months depending on the particular fertiliser you choose.

Why do controlled release fertilisers cost more?

They don’t!!

If you were to order All-Round Controlled Release Fertiliser from Turfshop this would last you 4-5 months.

If you were to feed your lawn with a traditional fertiliser over the same length of time you would need to re-apply every 6 weeks. This is an additional 3.5 applications.

Baring in mind most fertilisers on the market are boxed in quantities sufficient for 100sq.m, less than half of what our Controlled Release Fertilisers will cover, the equivalent cost on average is approximately £45.10, DOUBLE the cost of the most expensive Controlled Release Fertiliser!!

So what are the real benefits?

Not only are Controlled Release Fertilisers better value, they have far more benefits, only needing to apply once, not having to mow more regularly after application, having a more consistent lawn and most importantly having a healthier lawn.  

So it is clear to see that there is only one choice to make when choosing the best lawn feed for you and your garden!!

There's Still Time To Kill Leatherjackets!!

There are still about two weeks left to get rid of Leatherjackets (Crane Fly / Daddy longlegs -larvea).

At this time of year Leatherjackets are eating away at the roots of your grass and encouraging birds to come and peck up your lawn to eat them.

Treat Leatherjackets now with our Leatherjacket Killer. Leatherjacket Killer contains nematodes - microscopic naturally occuring worm-like organisms which 'swim' through damp soil and attack Leatherjackets by entering them through natural openings.

Safe for the environment, as well as animals and humans, and unlike other products on the market, our Leatherjacket Killer also has no effect on bees, which are suffering enough as it is at the moment.

Treat your lawn now with double the dose of Leatherjacket Killer. At this stage in their lives Leatherjackets have formed quite thick skins which will reduce the nematode's ability to attack the Leatherjackets. By applying a double dose of Leatherjacket Killer you will have a much higher success rate.

 There's plenty to do in the garden this spring!!

Spring is putting in another inconsistent performance, but there is definitely a trend towards warmer weather and better growing conditions.

Turf Your Lawn

If you’re planning to lay turf, now is an excellent time to do so. Turf can be laid successfully at anytime of the year, however certain seasons are more suitable than others. Spring brings sufficient warmth to make things grow, as well as plenty of moisture to help encourage the grass to root.

See our How to Lay a Lawn section of the Information pages.

There are so many advantages to turfing: 

1. Turf is instant - simply unroll the turf and your lawn is green. In good growing weather you can use your lawn as normal after just two weeks.

2. Turf out-competes weeds. The dense sward of a turf means weeds find it very difficult to become established. If seeding, your seedbed will be ideal for your grass seed as well as any weed seeds.

3. Turf is grown with you in mind. Turf is almost always made up of a mixture of different grass species, that combined create a turf that is suitable for particular situation. We have designed our turf mixtures to be ideal for use in the garden, and suit the various different situations you might have. Arena is hard wearing, low maintenance and ideal for family lawns, RTF is great on lawns that suffer from drought (it is a particularly popular turf in London), Lawn King is a fine lawn to give an ornamental appearance without all the extra work, Green King is for the keen gardener who wants a bowling green quality finish.

Leatherjacket Alert

If you suffer from problems with Leatherjackets, now is a great time to reduce their numbers. Apply Leatherjacket Killer at twice the recommended dose for best results.

Leatherjackets are the larvae of the Crane Fly (Daddy Longlegs). They feed on the roots of your lawn almost as soon as they hatch from their eggs, which are laid in September.

As they feed on the roots of the grass plants you will notice that the grass up-roots very easily and eventually bald patches appear. Birds will also pull up the grass in the hope of grabbing a Leatherjacket to eat.

Our Leatherjacket Killer avoids using chemicals which have a negative effect on other wildlife, including bees which are struggling as it is. Instead our Leatherjacket Killer uses Nematodes which are natural organisms found in soils. The nematodes are effective as soon as the Leatherjackets have hatched in September and as long as the soil stays warm. They can then be used again in spring when the soil has warmed but before the Leatherjackets go into their cocoon. As the Leatherjackets are older they have a stronger coat and so it is better to apply the nematodes at twice the recommended rate.

Please see our Leatherjackets information page for more information.

Keep Mowing

As the weather continues to improve your lawn will begin to grow at an ever increasing rate. Keep on top of your mowing by cutting slightly more regularly. Remember if your grass does get slightly too long bring the height down slowly in order to reduce the level of stress. Cutting long grass too short too quickly weakens the grass and allows moss and weeds into the sward.

Our lawnmowers are ideal for gardens of various sizes. Use our Lawn Mower Selector to help choose the ideal mower for you. All our mowers are electric, making them light, easy to store, use and maintain, and there is no need to store any petrol. 

Kill Moss and Feed your lawn

Moss has been a really big problem this year due to the wet autumn and winter we have just had. Treat the moss in your lawn now with Moss Killer to prevent any further ill affect. It is best to feed after killing and removing the moss, to allow the grass to grow back into the spaces the moss has left.

Also take a look at our new hard surface moss treatments for removing moss from anyhting from walls to the garden bench.

Keep your lawn looking as healthy as possible and give it the best possible start to the season with any of our wide range of lawn feeds. Our controlled release fertilisers will last several months, slowly drip feeding your lawn. Our Maxicrop liquid lawn fertiliser not only feeds but also conditions the grass, whilst 6X organic lawn feed offers the user the opportunity to apply as a granular feed or by diluting with water as a liquid feed.