Lawn Care For Those Who Want To Do It Themselves
This schedule is for southern grasses like St. Augustine, Bermuda, and Zoysia.
Fertilize Avoid feast or famine. Applying the total years fertilization in two spring and fall feedings is bad because fertilizer not used will wash away. An overabundance of nitrogen will contribute to insect and disease problems, like Brown Patch and Grub Worms. Apply fertilizers at rates no higher than can be used by your specific grass type during the times a year that they can be completely absorbed. This means applying no more than one pound of nitrogen per thousand square foot per application, always using a slow release fertilizer during the summer months.
St. Augustine Grass: 4-5 pounds of nitrogen per thousand square feet, per year. .
Bermuda Grass: 5-6 total pounds of nitrogen per thousand square feet, per year. .
Zoysia Grass: 3-4 total pounds of nitrogen per thousand square feet, per year. .
Lawn Care: When Is The Best Time To Fertilize Your Lawn
HomeBlogLawn Care: When is the Best Time to Fertilize Your Lawn?
Youll find more than 604,163 landscaping companies in this country, but many people still prefer handling their yard work themselves.
The downside to doing your own yard work is that you might not know how, and you might have many questions. For example, you might wonder, when is the best time to fertilize your lawn?
If this is the question, youre trying to find the answer to, continue reading to find out when the best time is to fertilize your lawn.
When To Stop Fertilization
Stop fertilizing your Bermuda grass in mid-September. Gardeners tempted to fertilize their lawns after mid-September risks injuring their Bermuda grass. Bermuda must be able to enter dormancy by the end of the summer. Gardeners notice their Bermuda grass going dormant when the grass turns brown. The actively growing grass is damaged when the temperature drops. When the temperature drops below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, Bermuda stops growing for the season. If nitrogen gets applied to the grass before dipping temperatures, new growth is injured.
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What Does Lawn Fertilizing Mean
Lawn fertilization is described as the application of material over your lawn. These materials consist of nutrients that will act as a catalyst and supporting agent to grow and maintain your garden. Calcium, nitrogen, phosphorus, citrate-soluble phosphatic, etc. are a few fertilizer ingredients that can improve garden health.
The following types of fertilizers contribute to help the lawn adapt to a change in weather:
Fall Lawn Fertilizer: Firstly, these fertilizers boost your garden with a much-needed nitrogen shot after the summer season. Secondly, morning time in the fall season generally gathers dew all over your lawn. This moisture allows the fertilizer to settle and get absorbed by the lawn. Also, make sure your fall fertilizer has greater potassium and phosphorus content as they help in root growth.
Cool-season grass portray great growth in the winter months, thus fall would be a good time to apply fertilizer.
Winterizer Fertilizer: These fertilizers will help your garden store nutrients for the long winter months. Nutrients like these are converted to energy whenever the plant requires it.
Summer Fertilizer: Summer fertilizers equip the lawn to combat drought and heat conditions. Over-fertilizing can burn the surface of your lawn. Generally, summer months are not a nice time to adapt to blooming gardens.
East Texas Ag News: Its Time To Start Fertilizing Those Lawns
EAST TEXAS – April is the month to begin fertilizing lawns.
The Texas A& M AgriLife Extension Service office in Overton says the ideal time to apply fertilizer is after you have mowed actively growing grass once or twice.
Centipede lawns are usually slower to green up and turf experts recommend that they be fertilized in early may.
For best results, have your soil tested for pH and fertility before applying fertilizer.
Soil testing forms and information is available from your local county office of Texas A& M AgriLife Extension Service otherwise use a 3-1-2 or 4-1-2 fertilizer ratio.
For the latest local Ag news… You can always visit ETXAgNews.com.
Copyright 2019 KLTV/KTRE. All rights reserved.
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How Often Should You Fertilize Your Lawn
Advice widely varies on this, as you may have already seen. The exact answer will depend on the type of fertilizer youre using a slow-release fertilizer will last longer and require fewer applications. However, a typical synthetic fertilizer will be fast-acting, but will require more frequent applications.
Most recommend a minimum of two applications per year if you’re using a slow-release fertilizer, but this is not set in stone some experts recommend up to 4-5 annual treatments. If you’re using a fertilizer which won’t last as long, you may find yourself having to apply it much more regularly to keep up appearances. The right answer for you will ultimately depend on your lawn’s soil levels as well as the fertilizer you choose.
Ian Grant, lawn care expert at National Greenhouse advises: “We would suggest treating your lawn 4 to 5 times a year. Being the end of summer your treatment should contain plenty of iron to keep the grass a deep green colour and this helps the roots grow to make the most of the late summer sun. This late summer treatment is especially useful if your garden receives lots of wear and tear by children or animals.”
How Often Should You Fertilize
Fertilizer companies will tell you that you need to fertilize multiple times per season, or throughout the year.
Then again, fertilizer companies also tell you that you need to fertilize your ornamentals .
In reality, there is no hard and fast rule. How often you fertilize is going to be based on your individual circumstances and it will change over time as your garden gets healthier.
If youve just moved to a new property and the soil is in dire straits, then giving your ornamental garden, lawn, and veggie garden a feed with a good quality organic fertilizer wont do any harm and will get you off to a good start.
Long term, your ornamentals should need nothing except mulch and water, your lawn should need no more than one application per year, and your vegetable garden should need no more than a couple of applications, and only in summer.
Fertilizing anything when it doesnt need it is a bad idea. You could end up with fertilizer burn and plants that is less healthy than it was before! In fact, fertilizing too much is more damaging than not fertilizing enough. So, if in doubt, dont!
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Watering Your Flower Mound And Highland Village Tx Lawn
The best time to water your lawn can be a touchy subject in Texas because many communities put water restrictions in place, especially during summer. But, grass needs water to stay healthy and grow, so if Mother Nature isnt raining down on your lawn, you need to run a sprinkler if you expect grass to stay healthy and continue growing.
Many of the lawns we care for have irrigation systems, and yours might, too. Here are some tips for when and how often to water.
The best time to water your Texas lawn is in the early morning. This way, soil can soak in moisture before the sun causes water to evaporate and, generally speaking, the wind velocity is slower earlier in the day.
An exception to this rule is when water restrictions are in place. Lets say your municipality allows homeowners to water their lawns twice per week. We recommend watering morning and evening on those two days so you can achieve four watering timeswhich is ideal for summer.
Moving into the question of how often to water in summer, we recommend three to four days per week. In winter, plan on watering your lawn in the morning once a week.
As for how long to water your Texas lawn, plan on 10 to 35 minutes per zone, depending on the type of irrigation heads your sprinkler system has. Rotor heads must run longer25 to 35 minutes per zonewhile spray heads can do the job in 10 to 15 minutes per zone.
The Temperature To Fertilize Bermuda Grass
Bermuda grass must be fertilized in the spring when soil temperatures are at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit, according to gardening expert Walter Reeves. Adding fertilizer to your Bermuda lawn before soil temperatures favor green-up promotes weed growth because weed seeds take advantage of nutrients in the soil that Bermuda grass is not ready to absorb.
Floor Temperature
Fertilize your Bermuda lawn when the soil is warming up in the winter or when 50 percent of the grass is out of dormancy. To measure your soil temperature, create a pilot hole 6 inches deep in your soil with a screwdriver to avoid breaking the soil thermometer. Measure the soil temperature in the morning and afternoon. Take an average of both temperatures to get an accurate reading.
Spring Fertilization
Gardeners can tell when they should first apply the fertilizer in the spring by looking at their lawn. Wait to fertilize when at least 50 percent of the grass is green or is growing. As a rule of thumb, Bermuda grass grows when the air temperatures are 75 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, which occurs in late spring, depending on your area. Those living in the regions that receive mild winters can fertilize earlier in the season than those living in areas that experience frost. Make sure the soil temperature is warm enough before applying the fertilizer.
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When Is It Best To Fertilize The Lawn
A lot will depend on the climate you live in, but most gardeners agree that spring and autumn are the best seasons for lawn care. Grass stops growing in the winter and goes into a dormant state.
Summers can be hot and dry: any treatment could stress a lawn already dealing with high temperatures and a lack of moisture.
How To Know Which Is Better
Organic fertilizer is like eating a loaf of wholemeal sourdough bread. The nutrients are delivered in their unprocessed form and the energy is released slowly over time, supporting your health and blood sugar levels.
Meanwhile, synthetic fertilizers are like highly processed white bread. You get a really quick fix of energy as the sugars are released but there are few, if any, other benefits, and youre back to where you started pretty quickly.
Synthetic fertilizers are absorbed very quickly by the plant, which causes a quick burst of growth and apparent health that doesnt always result in a vigorous plant.
While the plant can appear healthy from the outside, all of that new foliage may be supported by immature, or weak roots that are lagging behind.
Furthermore, synthetic fertilizers dont support soil health or structure. Over time, synthetic fertilizers actually degrade soil health and structure, resulting in soil that is devoid of nutrients and cant hold on to water.
This usually means that people end up applying even more fertilizers to their gardens, thinking that this will remedy the situation. Unfortunately, it only makes it worse, and the consequences for the environment are worse too.
Excess synthetic nutrients from fertilizers run off into local waterways causing environmental problems such as algal blooms, and a buildup of nitrates in groundwater supplies. Meanwhile, excess water runs off from the degraded soil causing erosion and potential flooding.
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Texas Lawn Fertilizer Guide By Season
How often should you fertilize your lawn in Texas? Homeowners should do lawn fertilization for Texas lawns twice a season. Regularly scheduled lawn fertilization helps soil receive the nutrients it needs to grow strong, green, healthy grass year-round. Below we have created a Texas Lawn Fertilizer Guide with tips and answers about how to care for the lawn.
When To Fertilize Lawn In Texas:
Overview: Before fertilizing your lawn in Texas, conduct a soil test. Then, the first application should take place in early spring. Use a slow-release high nitrogen fertilizer at this stage.
Heres a thing.
Fertilizing your lawn in Texas can be tricky.
This is because it depends on multiple factors. For example:
- Condition of your lawn
And more
The idea is that if your lawn is already greener and lush, the amount of fertilizer you add will be lower.
But if your lawn is spotty, you may need to fertilize it more regularly.
So, lets talk about this in detail.
This is the first thing that you should do.
A soil test will help you understand the condition of your soil. As a result, you can make better decisions with the fertilizers you use.
Note that this can vary due to the weather in Texas.
In general, apply spring fertilizer when the grass is actively growing.
Some sources also recommend fertilizing your lawn twice during spring. This is because of the grass growth at this stage.
Slow-release fertilizer provides a steady and even nutrient distribution.
To fulfil the nitrogen deficiency, you can use fertilizers high in nitrogen such as 34-0-0.
At this stage, a moderate amount of phosphorus is required. A high amount of phosphorus can damage your plant as well.
Heres why.
Amazing, isnt it?
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Should I Fertilize My Lawn In The Spring
Absolutely! In fact, the Green Bee Lawn Care experts suggest individuals fertilize their lawn twice during the spring because spring is the prime time for grass growth. That is to say, springtime in Texas is when the grass is in a phase where it experiences the highest level of active development. Bringing fertilizer into the mix at this time will strengthen the foundation of its growth cycle and improve the overall maturation of the grass for the entire year. A slow-release, high nitrogen granular fertilizer is the best fertilizer blend to use for both of these applications. Suppliers design this blend to dissolve into the soil slowly over time. The slow-release function helps create a steady, even nutrient distribution. During this time of the year, it is vital to help the grass grow and recover without overwhelming the lawn with the intensity of an application using full spring fertilizer.
Summer Lawn Fertilizer Schedule
We suggest performing two applications of fertilizer during the summer to keep lawns healthy in Texas heat. It is essential to pick a lawn fertilizer blend formulated for the summer months. In other words, individuals need a summer blend fertilizer that protects their lawn from heat stress. Summer fertilizer helps grass continue to build on the healthy growth developed in the spring. Further, it protects the health of the lawn against drought, heat, insects, and disease.
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The Problem With Phosphorous
As we mentioned before, phosphorus is an important nutrient for your lawn. But too much phosphorus can actually be harmful.
Excess phosphorus can lead to water pollution and encourage the growth of algae and weeds. So when youre choosing a fertilizer, be sure to choose one thats low in phosphorus.
What About Weed And Feed
Because of the different timing of weed seed germination and actively growing grass, we do not recommend products with both fertilizer and pre-emergent. As we mentioned above, your lawn will not be actively growing for several weeks, therefore pre-emergent time is much too early to fertilize. You want to catch and suppress pesky weed seeds early in the season, just as the weather begins to shift. Pre-emergents form a membrane over the soil to keep the seeds from sprouting. Keep in mind that they have no effect on existing weeds. Post-emergents will help take care of the tender baby sprouts that have emerged.
Our knowledgeable garden advisors are available to answer your questions about your lawn and landscape every day.
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Feeding The Lawn In The Summer And Fall
Warm-season grasses thrive in the heat of the summer and can be fertilized throughout the growing season. However, cool-season grasses are in a survival mode during the heat of the summer. Refrain from applying fertilizer to a lawn in mid- or late-summer if you live in a climate where cool-season grasses are in your lawn seed mix. A cool-season lawn should need nothing other than water and pest management until September.
Most lawn experts recommend a mild dose of a turf-builder fertilizer formulation in the early- to mid-fall, while the turf still has several weeks of active growth before dormancy. This application will help build robust root systems going into winter and restart the growing cycle in the spring. You are not looking to return your lawn to the green of summer. Heading into winter, you can expect a natural slowdown of your lawns growth and the loss of its green luster.
Why You Should Hire Professional Lawn Care In Houston
Creating and executing a high quality lawn care plan for your specific area can be a lot of work, especially on top of all the other duties homeowners have to take on. Houston is a humid area that attracts many mosquitoes, which can make toiling outside very unpleasanton the plus side, some lawn care companies also offer mosquito control.
Taking proper care of a Houston lawn requires extensive knowledge of the unique lawn and its individual needs, from fertilization and aeration to weed and grub control. Professional lawn care companies are equipped with the proper expertise, equipment, and products to keep your lawn in the best condition.
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