I’m going to teach you how to feed your lawn with a granular fertiliser or a weed and feed product. I’ll take you through the process step by step and provide several lawn feeding methods to choose from.
If you haven’t already bought the best lawn feed for your requirements (time of year etc), you should buy some. When you’re ready, follow the instructions below.
Using a Lawn Spreader to Feed Your Lawn
When applying granular fertiliser, whether a standalone lawn feed or a weed and feed, you might be tempted to try and spread it by hand.
That method is only really suitable for small lawns as it is difficult to be accurate when spreading feed over a large lawn.
The worst case scenario is that sections of your lawn could turn brown as they’re scorched by the sun. Other sections might not receive any fertiliser.
Instead, we recommend using a lawn spreader for granular fertilisers such as drop spreaders, rolling rotary spreaders and shoulder spreaders. You could even use a handheld spreader for small lawns.
Be sure to use the best garden lawn spreader you can buy as cheaper ones tend to jam and clog up.
Looking for more information on grass fertilising? Read: What is lawn fertiliser?
How to Feed Your Lawn
Feeding your lawn with a granular feed is easy. It takes minutes and will become easier with practice.
The first step is knowing how much fertiliser is required and then the two ways it can be applied to your lawn.
How to Measure How Much Feed You Need
You need to weigh out the required amount of fertiliser. I suggest applying less than the recommended amount as the NPK values in domestic fertiliser are relatively high.
Make an assessment of the size of your lawn by calculating its area in square metres. Multiply this area by the number of grams per square metre you’ll be applying.
Here is an example;
A lawn of 100 square meters will require 25g of feed per square metre. So;
100m2 x 25g = 2,500g or 2.5kg.
How to Apply Granular Lawn Feed
There are two main methods for applying granular lawn feed. The one you should choose is down to personal preference;
- Cross Application
- The Overlap Method
Cross Application
The cross application method involves setting your spreader at the halfway setting and applying the lawn feed in two separate stages.
Step 1: Apply Your Fertiliser Lengthways
Walk up and down the length of your lawn with your spreader as you apply the fertiliser.
Start cranking the handle of your spreader before you release the fertiliser, so the lawn receives a good flow and an even coating.
When complete, there should be around half of the total fertiliser left in your bag or hopper.
Step 2: Apply Your Fertiliser Widthways
Next, you need to apply the second half of the lawn feed by crossing your lawn widthways.
Your lawn has now been fed.
The Overlap Method
The overlap method allows you to apply two half doses of fertiliser in one stage. Its better to visualise this method as it initially seems more complicated than it is. We recommend watching the video we’ve included below for detailed instructions.
Using this method will complete the task of feeding your lawn faster.
Finishing the Process
Once you’ve fertilised the entire lawn, take a look at the corners to make sure they have received their dose of fertiliser.
If not, apply some feed by hand.
Final Verdict
This is how gardeners feed lawns with a granular fertiliser.
It’s a simple process and will only take minutes, even on a large lawn of several hundred square meters.
You’ll likely only need to complete your lawn feeding regime 4 times a year. If you apply a weed and feed fertiliser, it should only require application twice a year.
If you use liquid and granular fertiliser together, you should also learn how to apply liquid grass feed properly too. Take a look at our liquid vs granular fertiliser guide for more information.
