Gardening expert says boost lawn health with one natural product this October

As autumn sets in it's crucial to keep your lawn in top condition to prevent it from becoming fragile or succumbing to disease as the weather turns chilly. With October arriving a key task is to fertilise your lawn, aiding the grass in developing robust roots, enabling it to soak up vital nutrients to endure the tough winter months.

Kellie, a gardening guru from the Sustainable Living Association, recommends a budget-friendly, natural option for lawn nourishment: a homemade fertiliser concocted from Epsom salts. She explained: "Have you heard that Epsom salts are some of the best DIY autumn lawn fertilisers? They contain sulfur and magnesium, both of which are compounds that grass and many other plants favour.

"These are some of the many benefits of using Epsom salts as best lawn fertiliser and it's no wonder people have been using these salts for many years.", reports the Express.

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Why should you consider Epsom salts for your homemade lawn feed?

Commonly found in relaxing bath soaks and as a gentle exfoliating skincare product, Epsom salts also shine in the garden. They're packed with magnesium and sulfur, two nutrients critical for plant growth. Magnesium plays a pivotal role in photosynthesis and boosts a plant's energy storage capabilities while enhancing nutrient absorption, helping your greenery stay resilient through winter.

A deficiency in magnesium can result in grass turning yellow, patchy, and thin. However, Epsom salts can quickly rectify any nutrient deficiencies in the soil, ensuring the grass remains healthy even as temperatures drop. Feeding your lawn with magnesium prior to winter can reduce the risk of cold damage and store energy for thicker grass growth come spring.

Here's how to apply Epsom salts to your lawn in autumn:.

An easy method to create a homemade fertiliser is to add one tablespoon of Epsom salts to a gallon of water in a container, then evenly distribute the solution across your lawn. The optimal time to apply Epsom salts is when the grass is still actively growing, ideally in early October.

This gives the lawn ample time to absorb nutrients before winter sets in. Typically, a single application of Epsom salt in autumn is sufficient to maintain a healthy lawn, as there's no benefit in fertilising the grass once the first frost has set in.

Once temperatures fall to a certain level, grass enters a dormant state and will not actively absorb nutrients, rendering fertiliser ineffective. However, if your lawn is showing signs of yellowing or patchiness following a severe summer, a second application of the homemade solution can be made in late October or early November, four weeks after the initial dose.

Investing time now to properly nourish your lawn will help it remain robust throughout the winter, resulting in a much more lush, green and thick grass during the next growth period in 2025.