May 20th, 2020 by Sarah Miles

While flowers and plants may take all the glory in your garden, any keen gardener will tell you that what really sets your garden apart from the neighbours’ is a lush green, well-maintained lawn. However, a gorgeous green lawn doesn’t just happen with a bit of mowing; it needs a little TLC.

One of the best things you can do for your grass is to treat it to some iron sulphate. It will benefit your lawn in 5 different ways:

1. Greens Grass

All plants need iron. Without it, a plant cannot produce chlorophyll and you may remember from school science lessons that chlorophyll provides the plant with oxygen and this is what gives it that healthy green colouring. Iron sulphate promotes beautiful green grass, which is what you want for a vibrant, lush lawn.

2. Strengthens

Iron sulphate will make your grass healthier and therefore stronger. This gives it a much better chance of being able to fight off drought in the summer and frost in the winter. Stronger grass is also more resistant to disease, so it's less prone to things like red thread and fusarium.

3. Hardens Turf

Iron sulphate encourages grass roots to grow strong and healthy. This means they bind the soil together, which has the side effect of hardening turf. It’s why iron sulphate is commonly used on sports pitches and golf courses, and it makes your lawn a little more comfortable to walk on. If you ever fancy a kickabout with the kids, this is good to know!

4. Deters Pests

Iron sulphate makes your soil more acidic which deters pests such as chafer grubs and leather jackets. Because it makes grass stronger, it puts it in a much better position to resist pests. Acidic soil will also suppress worm casts as worms will be less inclined to dig through acidic soil. This preserves a perfectly even lawn - if you want your lawn to look like a bowling green, iron sulphate will certainly help with that!

5. Deters Weeds

This is one of the greatest advantages of iron sulphate; its ability to get rid of and then deter weeds and moss. It will blacken and kill moss which can then be raked out. Healthy grass is also more resistant to weeds - weeds tend to be opportunistic, so they'll only take root when they can muscle out other plants. The stronger your grass is, the better it'll be able to compete with weeds.

Because of all these benefits, it means that using iron sulphate on your grass will not only make it look better but will help it to remain healthy and strong. It’s also really easy to apply, simply dilute to various levels – depending on the result you’re after (less for greening, more for turf hardening) and water in. Make it part of your spring gardening routine.