Taking care of your lawn is the most important job for gardeners once the temperature drops, as grass now requires more energy to stop it becoming brittle and withered. Autumn is when grass needs to grow deeper roots to store more energy before the frosty weather begins so it can withstand the cold and snow.
If lawns do not get the nutrients they need now, then the grass is more likely to thin out, become diseased or even die off, turning patchy and bare. However, the landscaping experts at Vista Turf has revealed there is an easy way to feed lawns so they grow stronger and healthier with a substance called Epsom salts.
They said: “The Epsom salt protects the grass roots and helps them get stronger in order to resist weather conditions, physical damage or mowing stress. A dilution of water and Epsom Salt sprayed on the lawn monthly will do wonders to the turf.”
Why feed a lawn Epsom salts?
Epsom salt is a mineral often used in bubble baths to soothe skin inflammation, but it also benefits gardening as a natural source of magnesium and sulphur.
Magnesium is essential for plants to carry out photosynthesis, allowing them to store energy and improve nutrient uptake, which keeps grass strong.
It also plays a key role in chlorophyll production, giving grass its rich green colour which helps a lawns look thick lush. Sulphur strengthens grassroots which will make a lawn more resident and help protect it before winter so it is less likely to suffer from cold damage.
Providing a lawn with enough sulphur promotes overall health and reduces the risk of winter damage, resulting in a much greener and healthier lawn the next year.
How to use Epsom salts on an autumn lawn
Epsom salt should be available at most garden centres. Hardware stores like B&Q or Homebase are also likely to stock it.
Simply mix two tablespoons of Epsom salt into one gallon (four and a half litres) of water, then use the solution to water your lawn.
Apply this once every four weeks, which means you will likely only need to use it once this autumn.
Grass typically goes dormant when the weather turns really cold, usually around mid-October. Feeding your lawn after freezing temperatures begin is pointless because it will no longer be able to absorb nutrients.
However, feeding your lawn Epsom salt now in September will give it the energy it needs to develop strong roots, which will in much healthier grass as we head into winter.