Many brands in the gardening sector offer autumn lawn fertilizers. In the test we give an overview and show which fertilizer is really worthwhile.

Especially in autumn it makes sense to fertilize the lawn

No garden plant gets as much attention as our ever-popular lawn. However, care is also important, since without it any lawn would eventually become neglected. Anyone who is already familiar with lawn care knows that regular fertilization is the be-all and end-all for a lush green lawn. Without the regular supply of nutrients, the grasses are not very competitive with weeds and cannot form a dense green carpet. Many readers also ask us why special lawn fertilization is necessary in autumn. In addition to this question, it was also often asked whether the fertilizer can also be used in spring or summer. We would like to get to the bottom of these questions before we deal in detail with the various brands of autumn lawn fertilizers.

Why do the grasses actually need a special fertilizer in the cold season? The purpose of autumn fertilization is to strengthen the lawn before winter. Snow, lack of light and frost can put a lot of strain on the lawn. A poorly maintained lawn in particular, without sufficient nutrients, will take a long time in the spring to regenerate and grow back to its full glory - not to mention the unsightly brown color of the stalks. For this reason, an autumn lawn fertilizer has a special nutrient formulation. This strengthens the plant cells before winter.

Nutrients and effects of autumn lawn fertilizer

The nutrient potassium is central to autumn lawn fertilizers. Potassium is particularly important for overwintering, as it increases frost tolerance on the one hand and strengthens the tissue of the plants on the other. At the same time, the fertilizer should have a relatively low concentration of nitrogen, since a large supply of nitrogen before winter stimulates growth. However, newly formed culms are more susceptible to frost and cold and are damaged in winter. Some manufacturers solve the problem by adding the nitrogen in a specific formulation. The plants can then only use the nutrientare slowly picking up and are well taken care of until the start of the season next spring.

Tip: Fertilization in autumn should ideally be done in mid-October.

So that the lawn doesn't look like this after winter, it's worth using an autumn lawn fertilizer

An overview of different autumn lawn fertilizers

The autumn lawn fertilizers from the various manufacturers sometimes differ significantly in their ingredients. A distinction is made between organic and mineral fertilizers; some of these contain iron to combat moss or sulphur. So that you can make the right fertilizer choice, we took a closer look at the autumn lawn fertilizers. What all fertilizers have in common is that they are granulated. As a result, there is no unpleasant and sometimes harmful fertilizer dust. All fertilizers presented are also very durable - if stored dry, protected from light and frost-free. So it's definitely worth buying larger quantities at once, since larger containers are an advantage in terms of price.

Organic Fall Lawn Fertilizers

We start with the organic fertilizers from Neudorff, Cuxin, WOLF and our Plantura organic autumn lawn fertilizer. In general, all organic fertilizers have a long-term effect. This means that the nutrients must first be converted in the soil so that the plant can gradually absorb all the nutrients.

Overview of organic autumn lawn fertilizers:

  • Neudorff Azet Autumn Lawn Fertilizer: The organic autumn lawn fertilizer contains all the important nutrients and is characterized by its added microorganisms. This also includes so-called mycorrhiza fungi, which help the lawn to absorb nutrients. Desugared beet molasses is responsible for the increased potassium content.
    • NPK (7-3-10)
    • Package: 5; 10; 20 kg
  • Cuxin Autumn Lawn Fertilizer: With its increased potassium content, the organic autumn lawn fertilizer from Cuxin strengthens the plant cells and makes them more frost-resistant for the winter. The contained iron is supposed to ensure a deep green coloring of the lawn.
    • NPK (8-4-15)
    • Package: 10; 20; 25 kg
  • WOLF-Garten Natura Organic Autumn Lawn Fertilizer: The organic fertilizer does not contain animal components because it is completely plant-based. For this reason, the nutrient composition is not specified for this fertilizer. However, this does not necessarily have to be negative, since biological fertilizers always have certain fluctuations due to the natural ingredientssubject. An increased potassium content is also advertised here.
    • NPK (unknown)
    • Packaging: 3.4; 10.8; 40lbs
- 19%Neudorff Azet autumn lawn fertilizer 10 kg€28.49 €22.99Details →Cuxin Autumn Lawn Fertilizer 10 kg€25.99Details →WOLF-Garten NR-H Natura Organic Autumn Lawn Fertilizer 10.8 kg€29.11Details →
  • Plantura organic autumn lawn fertilizer: Our Plantura organic autumn lawn fertilizer contains all the important nutrients to keep the lawn he althy through the winter. The ingredients are completely vegetable and animal-free and the fertilizer is suitable for organic farming. An increased potassium content in this autumn lawn fertilizer also provides protection against frost damage. In contrast to other suppliers, our Plantura organic autumn lawn fertilizer is packed in a practical litter box (3 kg container), which enables it to be applied quickly by hand and without a spreader. In addition to the small container, there is also a 10.5 kg bag. It is also a particularly sustainable product, as the organic fertilizer is based on purely plant-based substances obtained from recycling processes in food and feed production. Most other organic fertilizers contain slaughterhouse waste and/or animal faeces, which of course are not included in our product.
    • NPK (5-1-9)
    • Package: 3; 10.5kg

Mineral Autumn Lawn Fertilizer

If you want to garden sustainably, you should generally use organic fertilizers instead of purely mineral ones. Nevertheless, we would like to introduce you to some mineral autumn lawn fertilizers so that you can form your own opinion. Actually, this fertilizer is characterized by the fact that it is absorbed directly by the plants and can lead to burns on the plants if the dosage is too high. However, the special lawn fertilizers usually do not have this problem. Since mineral fertilizers often have a higher concentration of nutrients, less of them have to be spread per square meter. As a rule, 25 to 30 grams are sufficient for one square meter.

Pure mineral autumn lawn fertilizers should be avoided in sustainable gardening

Some mineral autumn lawn fertilizers, such as those from Compo and WOLF, do not contain any phosphate. While phosphate is an essential plant nutrient, there's an extra one in the fall seasonPhosphate fertilization usually not important. Usually the soil itself provides enough of the nutrient. In order for the grass to grow evenly after the fertilizer application, the fertilizer must also be distributed evenly. If a spot gets more or less fertilizer, sooner or later this will show in the growth. The stalks can grow in height at different speeds. That is why we advise against manual fertilization with mineral fertilizers. For perfect fertilizer distribution and effect, we recommend using a spreader. By using a spreader, just as much fertilizer is applied to the lawn as is required. Almost all fertilizer manufacturers also indicate on their respective products which is the correct setting for the respective spreader. In general, the product information on the fertilizer should always be read carefully. Lots of application hints are very helpful.

Overview of mineral autumn lawn fertilizers:

  • Compo Floranid Autumn Lawn Long-term fertilizer: A representative of the mineral fertilizers is Floranid from Compo. In addition to nitrogen and potassium, the fertilizer also contains magnesium. Since magnesium is less easily absorbed by the lawn when fertilized with potassium, an extra dose can't hurt! In addition, the nutrient nitrogen is present in such a way that it can only be absorbed slowly by the plants. As a result, the lawn is well cared for until spring and burns can be avoided.
    • NK (14-19)
    • Bags: 1.5; 3kg
  • WOLF-Garten Autumn Lawn Fertilizer LK-MU: Another mineral fertilizer with a high proportion of potassium and nitrogen comes from WOLF. The fertilizer LK-MU is the counterpart to the organic fertilizer NR-H from WOLF. In terms of composition, it is very similar to the Compo fertilizer, because it also contains extra magnesium. The nitrogen in the LK-MU fertilizer acts partly immediately and partly over a long period of time.
    • NK (19-19)
    • Bags: 2.5; 6.25; 10 kg
  • Substral autumn lawn fertilizer: The fertilizer has a balanced nutrient ratio similar to that of the Neudorff company. It also contains iron, which suppresses moss growth.
    • NPK (6-5-10)
    • Package: 12.5 kg
  • Beckmann lawn fertilizer autumn: A fertilizer that contains almost exactly the same nutrients comes from Beckmann. Like Substral, the fertilizer has a relatively low nitrogen content, which has no long-term effect. In this case, it must be fertilized early in the spring. But it contains iron andSulfur. The iron also helps here against moss infestation, sulfur and snow mold disease.
    • NPK (6-5-12)
    • Package: 5; 25 kg
COMPO FLORANID® autumn long-term lawn fertilizer 3 kg€22.99Details →- 9%WOLF-Garten Lawn Autumn Fertilizer LK-MU 400€32.99 €29.99Details →- 14%Substral Autumn Lawn Fertilizer 12.5 kg€27.99 €23.99Details →

Conclusion: Which autumn lawn fertilizer is best?

First of all, it has to be said that good lawn fertilizer has its price. However, since lawns have certain requirements, such as an even supply of nutrients over a long period of time, cheap blue corn cannot be used for lawn care. So you shouldn't save in the wrong place, especially here. The lawn is the focal point of any garden. That's why it's worth spending a few euros more for lawn care and buying a high-quality fertilizer.

Tip: When buying, it is worth buying the largest container, as this can save a lot of money.

It is up to you which fertilizer you ultimately choose. However, if you want to manage your garden sustainably and therefore do without purely mineral fertilizers, we can particularly recommend our Plantura organic autumn lawn fertilizer. This also contains 3.5% sulfur and 1.8% sodium, which on the one hand increases the natural defenses of the grass plants and on the other hand prevents typical deficiency symptoms such as yellow spots and thin growth. Advantages such as the practical litter box and the sustainable production from purely plant-based raw materials set this organic autumn lawn fertilizer apart from other products.

Our Plantura organic autumn lawn fertilizer impresses with its sustainable production and the practical litter box for spreading

We generally advise against using mineral autumn lawn fertilizers, as they have no advantage over organic fertilizers in terms of nutrient composition, but do have some disadvantages. The artificial form of nutrient supply can not only unbalance the soil life, but also the soil chemistry. Improper use can also lead to environmental pollution through leaching and, in the long term, the risk of soil depletion.

You should look more closely for the differences betweenIf you are interested in organic and mineral lawn fertilizers, you can find more information here.

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