Fertilising

At Must Have Maintenance we take fertilising seriously. We will carefully assess the health and condition of your soil, lawn, and plants before implementing a fertilising plan. Then, after we fertilise your gardens, we will closely review the progress of those efforts to ensure that the right outcomes are being had.

Why is fertilising important?

You have probably heard of the saying, ‘the key to a good garden is good soil’…and yes, that couldn’t be more correct. Essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are needed for plants to thrive. Unless you are returning all waste matter back to the soil (such as leaves, twigs, and clippings), the soil will need to be fertilised to replace lost nutrients. Applying organic material and natural fertilisers to the soil not only promotes plant growth, but it also helps to improve soil quality and texture; thereby increasing the soil’s ability to hold water, reducing erosion, and raising the soil’s pH.

When should you fertilise your lawn and gardens?

It is important to realise that different plants require different fertilisers, and at different times of the year. As a rule of thumb, it is best to apply fertiliser to lawn and plants when they are actively growing, such as in Spring. Feeding plants at the wrong time of the year may render the fertiliser ineffective, for example, feeding plants when rain is expected can result in run-off; whereby the fertiliser does not have the opportunity to be absorbed by the soil and root system but rather goes into your drains.

Can you over-fertilise?

Yes, it is possible to over-fertilise your lawn and gardens. Over time, various nutrients can build up in the soil, and therefore, should additional (unneeded) nutrients be added to the soil, it can disrupt pH levels and lead to toxic accumulations of harmful elements. Overfeeding plants can also make the leaves of plants softer and more susceptible to disease – for example, soft-leaved plants are commonly affected by grey mould.