"Rob Barrett" wrote in message
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I recently fed my lawn with a soluble lawn feed that said to put half a
sachet in a watering can with 2 gallons of water and spread over 20 sq
meters. Things did not go perfectly.

First off, this seems to be a very light covering, so it was difficult
to move quickly enough to avoid exhausting the 2 gallons well before
covering 20 sq meters. I had hoped to go over the area twice, in
perpendicular directions, to get even coverage, but that just wouldn't
work. I only managed to go in one direction.

The end result was that I have a fairly striped lawn now of alternating
yellowish and lush greenish lawn. My guess is that the yellowish got
very little feed (it looks pretty much like it did before the feed,
though admittedly it's hard to know). But could it have gotten too much
and be slightly burned? How can I tell the difference?

I was thinking of mixing a more dilute batch and going back over the
yellowish stripes.

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Yes. See below.

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What should I do to avoid this problem next time? More dilute? Invest
in a spray attachment for the hose?

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Not necessary IMO.

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Switch to a dry feed like Growmore?

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Application of dry fertiliser can be just as problematical IMO.

Your only problem is that you're unable to accurately measure
out the quantities you need, because nowadays the instructions are
often dumbed down, so as to get people to waste more.

a) weight a full sachet. That will give you the application rate
per sq. metre.

Say for argument's sake, it comes to 40grms.

That gives an application rate of 1 grm per sq metre.

b) Measure your lawn.

Say it comes to 60 sq metres. That means it requires 60 grms
of fertiliser.

c) Next fill up your watering can with water and fit your standard rose.
Take your time, and applying the water evenly see how many watering
cans it takes to water the lawn. You should be able to measure this
within half a watering can. (Ideally you should be measuring it
in liquid measure - litres or gallons but anyway, The reference to
gallons in the instructions is a total red herring IMO).

d) Say it takes one and a half watering cans worth to water the lawn.
So put 40 grms in the first can and water it in. Marking where you stop.
(Or use two watering cans) Then half fill the watering can again and
put 20grms in that, to complete the job.

Or use a double dilution, and water the lawn twice. Once up and down.
The second time from side to side.

Then seal any open sachet with two strips of parcel brown tape
on either side.

You'll need to be able measure accurately in any case, with any liquid
feed you make up yourself from powder.


michael adams

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