Most of the choice in this category comes down to one question: does your turf need hardening off for the cold months, or does it need fixing for a specific problem such as iron, magnesium or moss? Once you know that, the rest is a matter of how often you’re willing to spread and whether you want a straight mineral feed or an organic, biological one.

What is the turf asking for going into the cold months?

Turf going into winter usually needs hardier growth, or a fix for something specific. Too much nitrogen late in the season leaves grass soft and sappy, which is exactly what frost and disease exploit, so the low-nitrogen, high-potassium feeds do most of the honest work here.

Command Autumn Fertiliser with Seaweed & Zeolite (7-0-14 + 2%MgO + 4%Fe) carries the most potassium of the true autumn feeds, with seaweed and zeolite added to help the sward take up nutrients more efficiently. It is a standard release feed lasting 4 to 6 weeks, sized for close-cut turf from 3mm to 6mm.

Velscape Autumn/Winter Fertiliser (4-12-12) does the same low-nitrogen job at a larger scale. It is labelled for use from March to October, aimed at the run-in to colder weather, on lawns, parks and turf cut to 10mm or above, and lasts about six weeks per application.

Velvit Essential Autumn Fertiliser (8-4-16) sits in the same bracket at a lower price, with a uniform 2-3mm granule that throws evenly from a broadcast spreader across larger areas cut above 10mm.

If the turf is tough enough already and just needs toning down, not feeding, Command “Turf Hardener” (4-0-4 + 9% Fe) is built for that: very low nitrogen and phosphate, a strong 9% iron content, for use at the start or end of the season when turf needs lower nutrient levels rather than a growth push.

Where the problem is a visible deficiency rather than overall softness, look elsewhere. Black & Green Moss Control (12% Fe + 5% MgO) blackens moss and greens up turf quickly through iron and magnesium, and can go down any time the ground is free of frost. Command Complete (12-10-20 + 4%MgO) is the one to reach for when phosphate has become limiting for root development, and it can go down at any point in the season.

How often are you willing to spread?

The standard release autumn feeds above typically run out after 4 to 6 weeks, so budget for more than one visit across the whole autumn and winter period. If you would rather spread once and leave it, several products here carry a slow release fraction instead.

Command Slow Release All Season (13-0-26 + 1%Fe + TE) gets half its nitrogen from methylene urea, releasing over roughly 12 weeks, and suits early or late season application on high-value turf such as greens and lawns.

Nutrilong V90 Lite 17-3-8 (1-2mm) and Nutrilong V90 Lite 16-3-8 (2-3mm) both carry a 40% slow release fraction and are described for spring, summer and autumn use, though the spec sheet also lists a March to August application window. Treat these as a growing season feed that carries on into early autumn, rather than a from-scratch winter product.

Two products in the range are better kept for spring and summer than for hardening turf off: Nutrilong V90 18-8-16 (46% slow release) and Velscape All Season Slow Release (15-5-10) both carry enough nitrogen to push growth rather than toughen it, and both are labelled for March to August. Velscape All Season Growmore (7-7-7) is the same story: a balanced, general-purpose feed for lawns, parks and borders across the growing season, not an autumn-specific choice.

Conventional NPK or an organic, biological route?

Everything above works through mineral NPK. Phoenix Pro-Bacter (5-5-20 + 1%MgO, with Bacillus bacteria and Trichoderma fungi) takes a different route: the bacteria break down thatch and dead moss in the turf as they work, without raking and without the black staining that comes with iron-based treatments. It contains no sulphate of iron and is suitable from March to late October, so it covers the shoulder season into autumn rather than deep winter.

Onyx Mini Granular (10-0-4 + 11% amino acids) is a lighter organic-based bio-stimulant rather than a full autumn feed. It is built for recovery from mowing and stress, applied all year, on greens and other close-cut turf.

Which product for which job

Hardening a general lawn or park before winter: Velscape Autumn/Winter (4-12-12) or Velvit Essential Autumn (8-4-16), depending on budget and granule size. Hardening close-cut, high-value turf: Command Autumn with Seaweed & Zeolite, or Command Turf Hardener where almost no feed at all is what’s needed. One application to cover the shoulder season: Command Slow Release All Season, or a Nutrilong V90 Lite grade if you also want the option to carry feeding on through summer. Correcting colour or moss: Black & Green Moss Control. Correcting phosphate: Command Complete. Preferring a biological, non-iron route: Phoenix Pro-Bacter or Onyx Mini.

If none of that quite matches what’s in front of you, tell the team your turf type, cutting height and what’s actually going wrong (colour, moss, wear) and they will match you to a product from the autumn and winter range. Otherwise, start with the low-nitrogen autumn feed that suits your turf height, and add Black & Green Moss Control only if moss or colour is the real problem you’re solving.

Frequently asked questions

How much ground will a 20kg bag cover?

It depends on the product. Application rates across this range run from around 250kg/ha up to 500kg/ha, so a 20kg bag typically covers somewhere between 400m² and 800m² at the recommended rate. Check the individual product page for the exact rate before you order enough for the job.

Is Black & Green Moss Control a pesticide I need to handle differently?

No. It's a fertiliser blended with iron and magnesium oxide, not a chemical moss killer, so treat it like the other granular feeds in this range: keep it off frozen ground and follow the bag rate.

Can I use a spring and summer slow release product for an autumn application?

Sometimes. Nutrilong V90 Lite grades are labelled for spring, summer and autumn use, so they're fine for an autumn top-up. Higher nitrogen options such as Nutrilong V90 18-8-16 or Velscape All Season Slow Release (15-5-10) push growth rather than harden it, so they suit the main growing season better than late-season toughening.