Why Apply Liquid Fertilizer
The choice between a granular and liquid fertilizer tends to come down to the type of nutrients being delivered to your lawn. When you select a liquid fertilizer, its usually made to be absorbed by the plants leaves, like nitrogen and iron, to help with chlorophyll production and blade growth. In liquid form, the nutrients are immediately available for use by the plant.
Granular and other solid fertilizers, like compost, will take weeks or months to break down and be fully released. This means you can generally apply fertilizer only once per season, whereas liquid fertilizer can be applied more frequently. However, it cant be applied in too large of amounts at once. Too much liquid fertilizer can burn the grass since the plant absorbs too much and becomes dehydrated from the salt-based nutrients.
Applying Fertilizer To A Lawn
How much fertilizer should be applied to the lawn? When should fertilizer be applied? Many questions arise when it comes to fertilizing a lawn to be sure it is done correctly. Too much can be harmful yet too little can be ineffective.
How Much
The amount of fertilizer needed for the lawn is based on lawn size and the amount of nitrogen needed throughout the year. In Illinois, where fescue is more commonly used, the recommended nitrogen rate is 3 to 4 pounds per 1,000 square feet over an entire year. The nitrogen value within a bag of fertilizer will be listed on the bag as part of the NPK value and the rate to apply will be based off that value. For example, a 50 lbs bag of 20-04-10 fertilizer has 20% nitrogen and if applied at a rate of 3 pounds per 1,000 square feet the lawn would receive 0.60 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Therefore, a minimum of 5 applications would be needed during the course of the year to meet the minimum 3 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Also, in the above example the 50 lbs bag at a rate of 3 pounds per 1,000 square feet would cover a lawn size of 16,667 square feet. Therefore, knowing your lawn size and a properly calibrated spreader is extremely important when applying fertilizer.
When to Apply
Sum it up
Similar to woodworking, it is best to measure twice and cut once. Be sure that the lawn size is accurate, the calculations for fertilizer going down for that lawn size are accurate and that the scheduling is accurate.
Apply The Second Round Of Lime
After the first application of lime, you may notice some discoloration of your lawn. Dont worry! This is normal and should go away after a couple of weeks.
For the second application, youll need to apply two times more than what you did for the first roundthats right, four times total! Once again, make sure to water it in well so that it can spread throughout your lawn evenly. If there are any areas that didnt get enough lime during the first round or if there were clumps left behind, now is a good time to add them in before applying this second dose.
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How Long Should You Water Your Lawn After Fertilizing
The fertilizer and soil should be thoroughly moist, but dont water so much that the water begins to form puddles. About 20 minutes should do the trick. You dont want to wash away all those good nutrients or let the fertilizer get carried away by the water, where it could contaminate groundwater and nearby streams, ponds or rivers. If youre using hoses and sprinklers to water after fertilizing, not an irrigation system, be sure you move them around to provide nice, even coverage over all areas of your lawn.
After Your First Lawn Fertilizer Application
So now you know about the first treatment, but are wondering how often to fertilize lawn areas throughout the rest of the year?
After your first application, you want to apply another round of fertilizer 6 to 8 weeks later and repeat that two more times with 6 to 8 weeks in between.
Try to schedule your applications so you apply ahead of the hottest part of summer to give your lawn the necessary boost.
For an established lawn, youll fertilize 4 times each season, though that is based on some important assumptions. If your grass is damaged and youre growing it fresh, your lawn will require more treatments until its established.
This is also true if your lawn has a species of grass that isnt native to your climate, like in areas that are more hostile to grasses. Alternatively, the opposite is also true. Fertilizing regularly is most necessary when trying to keep alive grasses that arent native to your area.
Its very likely you can get away with only fertilizing 1 to 2 times per year if the grass in your lawn is native. A healthy lawn can get by with fertilizing in the spring, and maybe again In the fall to keep it strong through the off-season.
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Does Lawn Fertilizer Need To Be Watered In
Watering-In Standard FertilizerAll fertilizers should be watered-in. This ensures that the product will be washed into the soil and become available to the grass through the roots. It’s important to water-in with enough waterbut not too much. … The best way to water-in fertilizer is to do it naturally, with rain.
How To Apply Fertilizer To Cool
Don’t fertilize a dry lawn. Instead, wait until the day after a rain, when the soil is moist. It’s also best to time your application so there’s at least a few days before the next rain so your fertilizer doesn’t get washed away before it gets absorbed into the soil. Calculate how much fertilizer you’ll need for your lawn. Use a spreader or broadcaster, walking your lawn in a regular pattern to scatter the fertilizer as evenly as possible.
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My Take On Organic Fertilizers
Organic fertilizers are becoming more popular with lawn owners because of the idea that they are more environmentally friendly. Quality organic fertilizers will contain meal-based nutrients or some may contain poultry litter. A complete natural organic lawn food will have low NPK numbers, most always below 10. Its best to apply these fertilizers during the warmer growing months, from May through September, depending where you live. Organics help feed your lawn by stimulating microbial activity in your soil, creating a healthier medium in which your grass can grow.
They are safer to use and will not harm your lawn like some conventional fertilizers will, especially during the hot summer months. They work a bit slower, however, so youll need to be patient.
Youll also discover they are much more expensive. All that said, give them a try!
Your Lawn Should Be Fertilized Multiple Times During The Year
Just like you, your lawn needs regular helpings of nutritious fertilizer to stay strong and perform its best. Well-timed fertilizer applications not only feed your grass to help it grow thick and lush, but also give weeds less room to grow. Ideally, you should fertilize your lawn with the right Scotts® Turf Builder® lawn food for your grass type 4 times a year: in early spring, late spring, summer, and fall. Feedings should be spaced 6 to 8 weeks apart.
To save you time, you can choose products that conquer all of your lawn issues in one fell swoop. Choose a Scotts® Turf Builder® weed-and-feed formula, for example, if weeds are a problem in your lawn. If you have thin, weak grass, Scotts® Turf Builder® ThickR Lawn, a seed-and-feed product, can be applied easily with a spreader to thicken existing turf and fill in gaps with new grass, all while it fertilizes. The best way to conquer obvious bare patches in your lawn, though, is with a more targeted seed-and-feed product: Scotts® EZ Seed® Patch & Repair, which combines high-performance seed with absorbent growing material and continuous-release lawn fertilizer.
With any fertilizer, its important to read the entire label and follow all directions.
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How To Apply Lawn Fertilizer
There are several ways to apply lawn fertilizer. Using a spreader provides more even coverage than fertilizing by hand. Hand fertilizing often results in burns where the fertilizer is concentrated and pale areas that dont get as much fertilizer as they should.
Broadcast or rotary spreaders are easy to use and dont cause striping like drop spreaders. The advantage to drop spreaders is that there is no chance of overthrow getting fertilizer on streets, sidewalks, or driveways. With a drop spreader, you have to make two trips over the lawn at right angles. For example, if you make your first trip over the lawn in a north-south direction, the second trip should run east to west.
After applying the fertilizer, water the lawn thoroughly. Watering rinses the fertilizer off the grass blades so that they wont burn, and it allows the fertilizer to sink down into the soil so it can get to work. Keep kids and pets off the lawn for the amount of time recommended on the label, which is usually 24 to 48 hours.
Does Rain Wash Away Lime
Heavy rainfall that exceeds one-half inch can wash away both powdered and pelletized limestone spread on your lawn. The amount of lime you should add depends on several factors, including the type of soil you are using, the moisture content of your soil, and how much lime is already present in your yard.
For example, if you have a sandy soil with a high clay content, you may want to add a little more lime than you would for a clay-rich soil such as that found in the Pacific Northwest. If you live in an area that has a lot of clay, it may be a good idea to start with less lime and gradually increase the amount as you get used to it.
You can also experiment with different types of soils to see what works best for you.
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When To Apply Popular Uk Fertilizers
Below is a table detailing how often to apply popular U.K. lawn fertilizers such as Miracle-Gro Evergreen and Westland. Please note that some of the fertilizers below contain weedkiller. These can be applied to any type of grass.
Please note that the table below includes Amazon Affiliate links.
*NPK = Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
Apply Your Fertilizer When Grass Is Growing
No matter how frequently you fertilize your lawn, the rule of thumb you should follow is that you should apply fertilizer while your grass is growing the fastest.
Over applying fertilizer runs a big risk to your yard:
- Its bad for the environment, since runoff pollutes local streams.
- It runs the risk of burning your grass, which is when you sap grass of natural nutrients causing it to brown.
- Lastly, youre wasting money by buying too much fertilizer.
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After Fertilizing How Much Water Should I Apply To My Lawn
Your watering schedule has a direct effect on the amount of fertilizer you need. In general, the more water you put on your grass, the more fertilizer it will require. The grass consumes more nutrients as it develops. Every six weeks, you should fertilize your lawn if you have an automatic sprinkler system. The growth cycle of your grass will be harmed if you water it more frequently than you fertilize it. Allow an extra two weeks between treatments if you do not have a sprinkler system. Read the fertilizer package to find out if you need water the grass before or after you apply the product, too. In order to break down granulated fertilizers, the lawn must be sprayed with water before application.
How Often To Fertilize A Lawn
Differenttypes of grasses have their own growing season and you must make a differentfertilizer schedule for different types.
Schedule for cool-season grass
Cool-season grasses are actively grown in spring and fall when the average temperature fluctuates between 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. You have to follow heavy fertilizer in fall and light fertilizer in early spring. You can use either slow-release or fast-release fertilizer.
You must apply these fertilizers before the very high temperature in summer when the grass will remain in dormant conditions. One pound of N-rich fertilizer is very effective for 500 square feet area of your lawn for cool-season grasses. Special cool-season fertilizers are available in the local market which facilitates your lawn to protect your grass during the winter season.
Schedule for warm-season grass
Warm-season grasses are actively grown when the average temperature fluctuates between 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit that means in late spring and summer. You might notice that your lawn grass turns green in the late spring and this is the best time to fertilize your lawn. Slow or fast release fertilizer can be used for these warm-season grasses.
Best time to fertilize lawn before or after the rain?
On the other hand, after heavy rainfall fertilization, gives an effective result for your lawn. It helps to reduce the chance of fertilizing running off that can not pollute near water sources and rest environment clean.
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How Much Fertilizer Do I Need To Buy For My Lawn
Lawn needs are usually based on nitrogen needs and vary from 1 to 6 pounds needed per 1,000 square feet per year. Specific amounts depend on the type of grass. Leaving grass clippings on the lawn usually reduces this number by 1 pound. Check with your local Westlake to learn about lawns in your area.
Lets say for example you want to add 1 pound of nitrogen to your lawn in the Fall. It just takes a little math to calculate. Just follow these steps.
1. Divide 1 by the first number in decimal form on the fertilizer bag.2. Multiply that by the square footage of your lawn.3. Then divide by 1000.
The answer will give you the total pounds of fertilizer you need to apply to the lawn.
Heres an example:Lets say you have 24-0-12 fertilizer and a 8000 square foot lawn. One divided by 0.24 equals 4.2. Multiply 4.2 by 8000 for 33,600. Then divide by 1000 for the answer of 33.6 or 34 pounds. So you would need to put 34 pounds of 24-0-12 spread over the entire lawn to properly fertilize it.
Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and safety of this information. Neither Westlake nor any contributor can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.
What Is The Best Fertilizer To Use
There is no one perfect or absolute best fertilizer to purchase for your lawn, but there are many good ones available. Nitrogen is the most important nutrient percent nitrogen is expressed as the first number in the series of three on the fertilizer bag. What kind of nitrogen in the product is the key information, as there are fast-release and controlled-release nitrogen sources. To find the answer, look in the guaranteed analysis section on the back of the bag. Key terms to look for include controlled-release, slow-release, slowly-available, or water-insoluble nitrogen. Some specific types that may be listed include ureaform, sulfur-coated urea, polymer-coated urea, and IBDU . Several organic nitrogen sources are controlled-release.
Most quality lawn fertilizers offer a balance of fast and controlled release sources to offer a fertilizer that will provide some quick color and some long-lasting nitrogen.
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What To Watch Out For When Applying Iron
Its important to be aware that iron can stain concrete, and therefore you should be careful to avoid walkways, athletic courts, and concrete driveways when applying iron to your lawn.
This happens because of the chemicals in some synthetic iron supplements.
Iron can leave ugly orange stains on your concrete patios and other hardscape features of your landscape, so this is something that you will want to keep in mind.
I use a supplement called Dr. Iron which delivers great results and does not stain concrete, and I highly recommend it, especially if youre concerned about preserving the beauty of your hardscape features. It works wonderfully to green up my lawn.
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How To Calculate The Amount Of Fertilizer Needed For Your Lawn
- Joseph Heckman, Extension Specialist in Soil Fertility
Fertilizer recommendations for lawns are usually given in pounds of nitrogen to be applied per 1,000 square feet. Home gardeners sometimes have difficulty converting these recommendations to the amounts needed for their selected grade of nitrogen fertilizer and their lawn size. This fact sheet provides conversion tables and examples showing you how to calculate the amount of fertilizer needed for your lawn.
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Does Lime Make Grass Greener
Adding lime to soil raises the pH so it becomes less acidic. Lime can green-up a lawn. The best way to determine whether or not your soil needs liming is to test its pH. pH level of turf grass is between 6.2 and 6.5, so if your soil has a lower pH it may not need to be limed.
How much lime should be added depends on the type of lime you use and how much you want to add to the soil.
If you are using lime in the form of peat moss, it is recommended that you add 1/2 to 1 cup per 1,000 square feet of lawn, depending on how thick the lawn is and the amount of soil you will be adding to it.
However, if you have a very thick lawn and you dont want it to turn brown, you can add as much as 2 to 3 cups per acre.
