How to Care for New Turf Using Pre-Turf Fertiliser

It’s no secret – soil has a critical role to play in providing perfect conditions for your new turf to grow thick and healthy.

Therefore, you should consider using a pre-seed or pre turfing fertiliser to make all the key nurtients available in the soil your new turf and grass seeds.

New turf needs plenty of energy to shoot out roots and establish itself in your garden and the best way to achieve that is with a specialist pre-seed fertiliser.  

This guide will discuss how you can use pre-seed and pre-tuf fertilisers to lay a foundation for your new grass or turf to grow at its best.

What is Pre-Turf Fertiliser?

All good pre-turfing fertilisers (also called pre-seed fertiliser) have one thing in common – high phosphorus content.

Regular garden fertilisers are often high in nitrogen (the nutrient responisble for green growth) however, for new grass seed and turf this isn’t what we want.

The priority for new grass is to develop a healthy root system so it can access it’s own nutrients and water from the soil not.

Pre-turf fertilisers contain less nitrogen than regular lawn feeds but are high in phosphorus which is the nutrient responsible for root development and growth

Root development should be your focus in the beginning because roots helps new grass get nutrients from the soil and become self sufficient.

Do I have to Use a Pre Seed Grass & Turf Fertiliser?

Yes, you have to use a pre-seed Fertiliser for the best results.

With the help of this fertiliser, you will be able to provide all the required nutrients available for your new grass seed or turf to grow thick and healthy.  

As mentioned above, pre-seed Fertilisers have more phosphorus content than general Fertilisers with more nitrogen content. 

Nitrogen is needed when the grass blades develop at a later stage.

When laying new turf or seed at the start, you need the roots to grow as fast as possible.

Ultimately, your new turf needs more phosphorus, so you need to go for a pre-seed Fertiliser. 

Despite the name, you can apply a pre-turf fertiliser a few weeks before laying turf or even up to 6 weeks after laying turf for best results.

Once you apply the Fertiliser, you will have to water the lawn to disperse the nutrients throughout the soil.

When to Put Down the Pre Seed Fertiliser?

Usually, the soil lacks the necessary nutritional content for ideal growth.

To meet those deficiencies and ensure the best results, you have to put down the pre-seed Fertiliser and do so before you sow the seeds or lay your new turf. 

The ideal time to put down this Fertiliser is one to two weeks before you start laying new turf.

But dont worry, if you haven’t put it on the soil earlier, you can apply up to 6 weeks AFTER laying new turf and it will still work it’s magic.

Important – ensure you don’t put the Fertiliser down twice. So, it is either before or after.  

What Pre-Seed Fertiliser Should I Go For?

You should consider going for the Garden Lawncare Guy’s Seed Start & Pre Turf Fertiliser.

Why? Because it has more phosphorus content and ensures better and faster root development in your seeds.

It helps you lay the best foundation for developing your new grass or turf. 

It doesn’t contain any toxic materials, making it child and pet friendly and you won’t have to worry about staining your hard surfaces like decks or patios when using this product.

With micro-granular form, applying Seed Start extremely simple.

You have to evenly apply the fertiliser, water it in and then lay your new turf.

This pre-seed Fertiliser is rich in phosphorus, boosting root development in your seeds and applying the perfect foundation for lush growth. 

How to Apply Pre-Seed Fertiliser

The application of this formula is simple, thanks to the micro-granular form of the product.

You must put it in your soil two weeks before turfing up to 6 weeks after.

As it is made from non-toxic ingredients, you can apply by hand or lawn spreader too. 

For the best results, apply it at least 25 to 35 grams per square meter to get the best results.

TIP – make sure to water your soil once you have used your pre-seed Fertiliser. 

Right after the first cut of the new grass, which is around six to eight weeks, you can apply the pre-seed Fertiliser again for the second feed if you have left over or being to feed with regular lawn fertiliser.

To boost the growth and development process in your grass or turf, after 6 weeks apply Garden Lawncare Guy’s Dark Green Lawn Fertiliser during the spring or summer or the Garden Lawncare Guy’s Dark Green Autumn Fertiliser during Autumn.

Can You Put Grass Seed & Fertiliser Down Simultaneously?

Some say you should never put your grass seeds together with your pre-seed Fertiliser.

However Matt, the resident lawn expert at GardenLawncareGuy, says, “You can put pre-seed/pre-turf Fertiliser with your grass seeds before or during or after sowing or laying the turf is just fine.” 

This product is versatile and designed to keep things simple for home gardeners.

You don’t have to worry about when to apply the lawn feed the key thing is you have to spread the Fertiliser evenly across your lawn for best results.

Matt suggests “applying a pre-seed Fertiliser at least 1 week before turfing or seeding so the nutrients are ready in the soil” however, you can successfully apply Seed Start anytime up to 6 weeks after laying new turf/

Should I Seed or Fertilise First?

It’s best to apply your fertiliser first and then apply your new grass seed or turf.

You can put down turf or sow grass seed right after you have applied the pre-turf fertiliser

Garry, another lawn expert, says, “for customer jobs we apply the pre-seed fertiliser first then immediately after the grass seeds or turf, then water it in well”

Most people tend to do it simultaneously to save time. Garry suggests, “Don’t worry if you haven’t applied the feed a few weeks before, most people apply the feed and seeds on the same day”

What’s a Starter Fertiliser & Is It Mandatory for Grass Seed?

A starter fertiliser combines potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen and works for all soil types.

General fertilisers have targeted formulas of nutrients, such as phosphorus-rich, nitrogen-rich, or potassium-rich formulas.

For start fertiliser it is recommended to include a high phosphorus content to develop strong and healthy roots

When should I fertilise new grass

Once the roots are established, we can shift to the general fertiliser with more nitrogen for grass blade development and this is where the Dark Green Lawn or Dark Green Autumn comes into play. 

Conclusion:

The Garden Lawncare Guy’s Seed Start Fertiliser is just the right option for you.

It is rich in phosphorus, and the formula is developed with non-toxic materials.

It will directly target root development to lay an ideal foundation. 

The formula is children and pet-friendly, so you can conveniently use it in your garden.

However, regular Fertilisers can be a bit too harsh, and they are suitable for grass blade development, which is the next stage. 

At the initial stage, you will need a pre-seed Fertiliser with more phosphorus content for root development. You can achieve that with this Seed Start Fertiliser.