The lawn is often the centrepiece of a garden, taking pride of place within its well-cared-for surroundings. Getting your outdoor area just as you want it often revolves around the lawn, which you might use for sitting on or the kids may use for playing. The large splash of green looks lush and beautiful in the sunshine.
Once your lawn is in place, however, it can take a bit of care to keep it looking its best. While grass is hardy – especially if you go for one of the tough, low-maintenance varieties, such as buffalo turf – it still benefits from some TLC.
When it's particularly hot, watering your lawn stops it getting dehydrated and beginning to die and, apart from mowing, that's about as much as many people do. But fertiliser is really important if you want the grass to truly look its best. If you're hesitant to buy a commercial fertiliser, here's how to make your own.
Ingredients
The great thing about making your own fertiliser is that the ingredients you need are adaptable to what you have in the house. Lawns need nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous, and there are a lot of ways to provide them.
Beer, tea, mouthwash, and non-diet fizzy drinks of any kind all make excellent wet ingredients for your fertiliser since they're packed with various useful nutrients.
You can give it a boost by making your own additional ingredients. Save banana peels and put them in the oven on a low heat until they're black and crumbly, then break them up. Also save your old coffee grounds, egg shells, and ash from wood-burning stoves or fireplaces. Soak any of these ingredients in water in sealed jars for a few days to make a sort of tea.
Process
Add your fertiliser ingredients to a large bucket, but don't worry if it doesn't look like much, as you'll be topping it up with water. Even diluted, the ingredients will still be potent enough to feed your lawn well.
If you have an aquarium, as long as it isn't saltwater, you can save the old water from it and use it instead of plain tap water. It's incredibly high in nutrients and will maximise the effect of your fertiliser.
Application
Once you've diluted your base fertiliser, you can apply it however you wish instead of using plain water. Some sprinkler systems and hoses have a reservoir you can add it to. Otherwise, a simple watering can will do the job. It's recommended to use fertiliser at least monthly from spring to the end of summer.
