Sulphate of Iron on Lawns

Sulphate of Iron is one of the most widely used products in the professional turf care industry. This is because it is very versatile, it had many uses and is also relatively cheap to purchase. This product is primarily used for controlling moss during the spring months, however it can also be used to help prevent certain lawn diseases and discourage earthworm activity, thus preventing worm casts.

It is also a great product for giving the lawn a quick green up, particularly during the winter months when the grass is looking yellow and tired.

Moss Control

For many generations sulphate of iron has been the best product for controlling moss in the lawn. It is one of the main ingredients in lawn sand. Lawn sand is made up of:

• Sulphate of Iron - This product controls the moss in the lawn. 
•  Sulphate of Ammonia - This is a nitrogen based fertiliser which creates rapid grass growth, thus helping the lawn recover rapidly once the moss has been killed and removed. 
•  Sand - This is simply used as a carrier to bulk the product up. This helps with the application of the product.

Lawn sand should be applied during the spring time when grass growth is just getting started. After 2 weeks the moss should have been killed sufficiently for it to be removed from the lawn with a powered lawn rake or scarifier.

Sulphate of iron is also Incorporated into many other lawn feed products used for moss control. Most fertiliser companies have weed feed and moss control products. The vast majority of these products contain sulphate of iron.

Worm Suppression 

Worm casts can be a major nuisance during the autumn and winter months when the conditions are wet and humid. As Iron sulphate acidifies the surface of the lawn this helps discourage worm activity, as worms don't like acidic conditions.

Sulphate of Iron applied every 4 - 6 weeks at a rate of 10g/m2 during periods of worm activity, can help reduce worm numbers thus reducing the number of worm casts. Worms tend to be more problematic on heavy clay soils rather than lighter sandy soils.

Disease Prevention

Although turf diseases are not an issue on most typical garden lawns they can be a major headache on closely mown sports turf such as golf and bowling greens. For these reasons sulphate of iron is also regularly used in conjunction with turf fungicides to help prevent and control disease, especially fusarium patch disease.

Applying this product every 4 - 6 weeks at 10g/m2 will help prevent any fusarium patch disease problems.

Application Methods

Sulphate of Iron is readily available in a powder form, and although it can be applied in this form it best dissolved in hot water and applied through a sprayer or a watering can. It is also important that it has dissolved properly as it can be prone to blocking sprayer nozzles if it hasn't been mixed enough.

Take care when mixing, as Sulphate of Iron can stain clothes or concrete path ways. If any solution is splashed onto your clothing wash them separately to other garments as it may contaminate them too.

For sulphate of iron based products such as lawn sand and weed, feed and moss control products always follow the instructions on the packaging.