You should always feed or fertilise your new lawn but not until it has actually become a lawn. Or in other words, not until it is properly established.
If you apply fertiliser too soon, you could end up damaging the roots of your newly emerging grass, so hold off until it looks completely established. For most new lawns, this will be between 6 and 12 weeks.
Good growing conditions can make your lawn look fully established in just a couple of weeks, but your seed will still be developing strong roots - so hold off until your lawn is at least 6 weeks old.
The time a new lawn takes to establish will vary depending on factors including:
1. The time of year you seeded your new lawn
2. Available moisture / watering regime
3. Temperature
4. Soil conditions
5. Available light
Read our blog post for more information on seed germination: How Long Does it Take for Grass Seed to Grow.
Just remember that if you used a pre-seed fertiliser for a new lawn or when over-seeding, you will need to refer to the manufacturer’s specific application timings before applying another feed.
If you are over-seeding an existing lawn, refer to our guide to over-seeding.
Autumn sown lawns
If you’ve sown a new lawn in autumn, monitor rainfall so you don’t over water your seedlings. With lower temperatures, your seeds may be slightly slower to establish depending on the seed variety and soil temperature.
Aim to keep your new lawn moist but not too wet. Remove fallen leaves to prevent disease and to ensure your seedlings receive consistent amounts of water and light.
Once you are past the six-week mark and you are sure your lawn is now established, you can apply a lawn fertiliser. Choose one that is specially formulated for the time of year, like Nutrigrow Autumn Blend – for example.
Spring sown lawns
With a good watering regime and the right conditions, your lawn should appear relatively quickly. Follow the same rules above though, making sure your lawn is properly established before applying a fertiliser.
As with autumn sowing, select a feed that is formulated for the time of year – like Spring-gem water soluble fertiliser, or Spring Rise granular fertiliser.
Water your new lawn carefully as the temperatures rise, and then plan to feed your new lawn regularly. Most quality lawn fertilisers will provide 6-8 weeks of nutrition when applied in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions.
Avoid using weed control products until your lawn is at least six months old.
You can find more lawn care blogs and guides on our website, including tips for seeding, sowing, renovating, over-seeding, top dressing, weed control, feeding, watering, scarifying, mowing, and much more.
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