Why Autumn Is the Most Important Time to Fertilise Your Lawn

Autumn is the most important time to fertilise your lawn in Adelaide. Learn how Emerald Green fertiliser helps lawns recover from summer, hold colour through winter and bounce back stronger in spring.

In Summary

If your lawn is looking tired after a long, dry summer, autumn fertilising is one of the best things you can do for it.

Applying a quality granular fertiliser now helps restore colour, strengthen roots before winter and give your lawn a head start when spring arrives.

For autumn feeding we recommend Paul Munns Emerald Green Fertiliser. Emerald Green was developed and formulated by us specifically for autumn fertilising, providing the ideal nutrient balance to improve colour, strengthen turf and help lawns better withstand the colder months.

To get the best results this season:

• Apply a liquid wetting agent first to help water penetrate dry soil. We'd recommend Paul Munns Betta Wet hose on wetting agent. 
• Apply Emerald Green fertiliser evenly across the lawn
• Water thoroughly so nutrients reach the root zone

Why Fertilise in Autumn?

After such a dry summer across South Australia, there’s a good chance your lawn is looking a little worse for wear. Autumn fertilising is always important, but it’s even more valuable this year because many lawns have taken a hit from the heat and lack of moisture.

Over the decades we’ve spent helping people grow better lawns, one thing has remained consistently true: a well-timed autumn fertiliser makes a noticeable difference to how a lawn performs through winter and how quickly it recovers in spring.

Feeding your lawn while it is still actively growing will improve colour and overall health. It also strengthens the lawn heading into winter, which helps warm-season grasses like Couch, Kikuyu and Buffalo hold their colour better through the colder months.

While some winter colour loss is inevitable with these grasses, a well-fed lawn will generally stay thicker, healthier and more resilient. A stronger lawn going into winter also helps reduce the likelihood of weeds taking hold while growth slows.

Autumn fertilising also allows the lawn to store nutrients that will help drive growth when temperatures begin to rise again in spring. When the soil warms up again, a lawn that has been properly fed in autumn will usually respond faster and start growing sooner.

What Makes a Good Autumn Fertiliser?

Almost all fertilisers contain three key nutrients — nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium — each of which plays a different role in lawn health.

Nitrogen promotes healthy growth and colour. Without enough nitrogen, lawns can become thin and pale, which not only affects appearance but also leaves the turf more vulnerable to weeds and disease.

Phosphorus helps convert the sun’s energy and other nutrients into usable food for the plant while supporting root development. Strong roots are essential for maintaining healthy turf, particularly when lawns are under stress.

Potassium plays a particularly important role heading into winter. It helps strengthen cell structure, improve water regulation within the plant and increase the lawn’s ability to tolerate stress and colder conditions.

For autumn fertilising, you ideally want a fertiliser that provides enough nitrogen to improve colour and recovery while also containing sufficient potassium to strengthen the lawn before winter.

That’s why we recommend Paul Munns Emerald Green Fertiliser. It was developed by us specifically for autumn fertilising, with a nutrient balance designed to support strong colour, healthy turf and improved resilience through the colder months.

Over the years it has proven to be a very reliable fertiliser across Couch, Kikuyu and Buffalo lawns, which is why so many of our customers return to it each autumn.

Getting the Timing Right

The timing of your autumn fertiliser is important.

If you apply fertiliser too early in the season, the lawn may use most of the nutrients before winter arrives, which reduces the benefit of the application.

On the other hand, if you leave it too late, warm-season grasses such as Couch, Kikuyu and Buffalo may already be slowing down and won’t absorb nutrients effectively.

Normally, mid to late April is a good time to fertilise. However, this year has been much drier than usual, and many lawns have taken a hit. Applying fertiliser a little earlier can give lawns more time to repair themselves before the cooler weather arrives.

How to Fertilise Properly

Applying fertiliser is fairly straightforward, but doing it properly will give you much better results.

After a long dry summer, soils often become water repellent. When this happens, water tends to run off the surface instead of soaking down into the soil. Since water is what carries nutrients down to the root zone, this can significantly reduce the effectiveness of fertiliser applications.

For this reason, we recommend applying a liquid wetting agent before fertilising. This helps break down water repellency in the soil and allows water — and nutrients — to penetrate much more effectively.

For best results:

• Water your lawn first
• Apply a liquid wetting agent
• Apply Emerald Green fertiliser evenly across the lawn
• Water everything in thoroughly with around 25mm of water
• When you have finished watering, you shouldn’t be able to see fertiliser granules sitting on the surface.

It’s best to carry out this process during the cooler part of the day, ideally in the morning.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I fertilise my lawn in autumn?
In South Australia, the ideal time is usually mid to late April while soil temperatures are still warm enough for lawns to absorb nutrients.

Why is autumn fertilising important for Couch, Kikuyu and Buffalo lawns?
These warm-season grasses slow their growth during winter. Fertilising in autumn strengthens the lawn before this slowdown and helps it recover faster when temperatures rise again in spring.

Why do you recommend Emerald Green fertiliser?
Emerald Green was developed by Paul Munns specifically for autumn fertilising and provides the nutrient balance lawns need at this time of year to support colour, strength and winter resilience.

Should I apply a wetting agent first?
After a long dry summer, many soils become water repellent. Applying a wetting agent before fertilising helps water and nutrients penetrate deeper into the soil, giving much better results.

 

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