Organic Lawn Fertilizer: A Homeowner’s Guide
Look at these key features of organic lawn fertilizer, then decide if its right for you. Sponsored LinksWhat Exactly Is Natural, Organic Lawn Fertilizer? If a specific organic lawn fertilizer is not offered, use an all purpose blend or one with a higher nitrogen level. Instead of specific, blended organic lawn fertilizer, chicken or steer manures are also used. Or apply natural, organic lawn fertilizer twice a year at $25-30 each time, with half the time and labor. .
Where And When Should Fertiliser Not Be Used
You should not use fertiliser meant for use in the spring in the autumn or winter months spring fertilisers encourage plant growth which is not needed in the winter months where the harsher temperatures and weather conditions can damage any new plants. Always make sure you are using the right sort of feed for the time of year. There is also no real need to apply fertiliser to frozen ground or very dry ground as it will not be absorbed properly. When applying fertiliser you should be careful to not allow fertiliser to enter water sources like rivers or lakes as this can be harmful.
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When Is The Best Time To Fertilize A Lawn
The best time to fertilize a lawn is in the evening or on a cloudy day when the grass is wet or at least damp, and with more rain promised.
In terms of season, the best time to fertilize a lawn is in March or April after the last frosts have passed to promote growth, in July as a boost, particularly against hot weather, and in September or October to prepare the lawn for winter weather.
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My Take On Organic Fertilizers
Organic fertilizer is an eminent way to improve your gardens soil quality and yield. It is soil with adequate nitrogen. Rather than inorganic fertilizer, it is more environmentally friendly and found more popular among other lawn owners. It is quality, natural-based food for your lawn with poultry litter as an ingredient that provides vital nutrients to your garden.
However, these essential nutrients stimulate microorganisms in your soil which help make your lawn healthier so you can enjoy greener grass all year round. Moreover, You can also implement this fertilizer from May to September when temperatures are warmer.
Organic fertilizer can be applied after every six weeks to get results according to your yard growing season to keep plants healthy and reproductive.
Professionals Apply Fertilizer By Hand
There are two primary types of lawn fertilizer, organic and synthetic. Organic fertilizers are made from natural ingredients such as animal manure and other byproducts, while synthetic fertilizers are chemically-based. While organic fertilizers are beneficial to your lawn, they can damage it if used improperly. Organic fertilizers are safer to use, but require more product than synthetics. Whether you choose organic or synthetic fertilizers is a matter of personal preference, but keep in mind that they can cause allergic reactions in some people and pets.
Beforehand fertilizing your lawn, make sure to wear protective gear to protect your skin and eyes from chemical burns. Always wear long sleeves, pants, and a dust mask to protect your eyes. Read the label of the fertilizer youre applying, and make sure to measure the amount you need in a bucket. Then walk backward in a straight line as you apply the fertilizer. Remember to turn off the sprayer when youve finished each row of your lawn.
Another advantage of using a lawn fertilizer service is that you wont have to buy any expensive fertilizer, and you can apply it yourself for a lower price than hiring a professional. However, do remember that organic lawn fertilizer is more expensive than synthetic, and many companies offer guarantees and other incentives to encourage their customers to use their services. You can also use a spreader to apply granules.
When to Apply Lawn Fertilizer
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How To Apply Lawn Fertilizer
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- Working Time: 2 – 3 hrs
- Total Time: 2 – 3 hrs
- Skill Level: Beginner
- Estimated Cost: $60
When your grass is not looking up to par, your first instinct may be to apply some fertilizer to the lawn. While not necessarily an incorrect instinct, it is important to realize that the devil is in the details. You must consider exactly how to apply fertilizer to your lawn, including the right time to do so. Failure to take such considerations into account can result in wasted fertilizer or, worse yet, a burned lawn.
Learn about all the steps required to fertilize your lawn the right way, making it the envy of the neighborhood.
Start Spreading The Fertilizer
Get a drop spreader, broadcast spreader, or a battery-powered spreader and fill it with your chosen fertilizer. These tools make the distribution process faster, easier, and equal to all areas passed by.
For small lawns or gardens that have sloping soil, a handheld spreader is always the best option. This equipment makes it easy to reach the areas inaccessible to traditional push lawn spreaders.
To effectively cover the whole area, the second passing should be done in a perpendicular direction from the first spreading. Make sure to cover all the nooks and crannies and go back for a second passing to ensure the even distribution.
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Time To Fertilize Your Lawn
Fertilizer Spreader
In mid-April its time to do two things pay taxes and fertilize your lawn. If youve already taken care of the taxes, now you should decide whether or not to fertilize your lawn.
In many situations, fertilizing your lawn is optional. If your lawn generally has been healthy and attractive over the years, you may choose to leave well enough alone.
Thats not to say applying fertilizer wouldnt make a difference. I once convinced my dad to fertilize his front lawn by explaining that the grass would be darker green and grow better. A couple of months later he informed me that I had been right, but he swore hed never let me fertilize his lawn again. The front yard was undeniably greener, but he had to mow it almost twice as often as the unfertilized backyard.
Lawns that definitely should be considered for fertilization are those that have sustained some damage in the past, which needs to be filled in by new growth. You also should consider fertilizing lawns that are thin or are poor in vigor and those where you desire a high degree of quality.
If fertilizer is applied during that time, it can stimulate the grass to put its efforts into early leafy growth when needs to be growing roots. That means early fertilization can lead to the grass going into the summer season with a less developed root system.
Remember that fertilizing turfgrass is something we do to increase the quality of our lawns and is not a matter of life and death.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Using Organic Fertilizer
8 Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Organic Fertilizer
Here are 8 advantages and disadvantages to consider when using organic fertilizers in your program. What are the advantages of using organic fertilizer? According to the Organic Trade Association, organic fertilizer also increases species biodiversity by 30% compared with synthetic fertilizer. What are the disadvantages of using organic fertilizers? In addition, the nutrients are usually complexed in organic chemical structure this means using organic fertilizer may not produce the pop of color seen with a chemical fertilizer. .
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For Professional Lawncare Services Call The Pros
At Lawnsavers we know the best techniques for how to give you a lush and beautiful lawn. Spreading fertilizer by hand seems like it would be very easy but there is more involved than you realize and things can go badly quickly giving you results that you have to live with for a long time. If you are looking to improve the look and health of your lawn dont hesitate to contact us at Lawnsavers. We serve everywhere in the GTA from Newmarket, and Barrie to Oakville or Ajax. Call us today for your free estimate.
Why Is My Lawn Bumpy
There are a number of reasons why lawns get lumps and bumps in them. The continual freezing and thawing over spring can cause soil to shift unevenly. Wild animals or pets can dig up areas of a lawn. Even walking on it when it is too soft either in the spring or after a very heavy rainfall can cause depressions to form in your lawn. If lumps and bumps in your lawn are concerning you it is best to contact a qualified lawn care specialist near you to diagnosis exactly what the issue is and the best way to deal with it.
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Why Shouldnt I Spread Fertiliser By Hand
Your bag of fertiliser will recommend a rate of application lets say 30g per square metre. At this rate with adequate moisture in the soil your lawn will respond by greening and growing healthily within a week to 10 days. Your lawn will be uniform in colour all over if using a rotary or broadcast spreader.
If you spread by hand the first problem is judging 30grams! Does each handful contain the same amount? Hopefully you already see a problem! The next big ask is for you to spread these variously sized handfuls uniformly as you throw them on the lawn. It should be obvious by now that you will have more than 30g in some areas and less in others. This will create a patchwork effect of pale green under fed bits, nice green bits and dark green areas that have been over fed! And remember that you have paid good money to do this to your lawn!!!
Fertilizing At The Wrong Time
If you fertilize lawn at the wrong time, you could do more harm than good. Fertilizing too early in the season can encourage growth when the grass is dormant, yet making it more susceptible to frost damage. Fertilizing too late in the season can lead to excessive growth but also will be damaged by the first frost. The adequate time to fertilize lawn is in the spring, after the last frost and in the fall, before the first frost.
Further, avoid fertilizing during the hot summer months when the weather is too hot or humid.
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Prepare The Lawn For Fertilizing
It’s best to fertilize a lawn when it’s been prepped in advance. This means taking the lawn mower to it three or four days before you are planning to fertilize it. Once mown, it pays to aerate the lawn, remove any weeds . This is a good time to dethatch a lawn if necessary, too. The night before you plan to fertilize it, give the lawn a light watering, too, as you don’t want to soil to be too dry, or the grass will not absorb the nutrients you are adding to it.
How To Spread Fertilizer: The Basics
Lawns need regular fertilizing to maintain a vigorous bright green appearance, remain healthy and resist insects, weeds and diseases. But not just any fertilizer applied at any old time will do. Lawn fertilizer need to contain the right balance of nutrients applied in the right quantities at the right time of year. Done improperly, fertilizing can burn the lawn and/or make worse some of the pest problems you were trying to solve.
Weed & Feed products not only fertilize, but also add the benefit of weed control. Application timing and rates, and the types of lawns they can be used on, are usually quite different than when just applying fertilizer. Be sure to always read and follow label instructions.
When To Fertilize
It depends on the type of grass you have and where you live. Fertilizing should always coincide with the natural growth cycles of the type of grass you grow.
Cool-Season Grasses
For cool-season grasses, such as Kentucky Bluegrass, Fescues, Bentgrass and Ryegrasses, the most important time to fertilize is in fall and spring, just before their vigorous growth periods. In cold winter areas, don’t fertilize until the grass begins “greening-up” in spring. That means it’s beginning to grow. Avoid fertilizing cool-season grasses in the heat of summer. Summer feeding can weaken the turf and promote disease. Your local Cooperative Extension System office can give you exact timing for your area.
Warm-Season Grasses
How Often To Fertilize
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Applying Liquid Lawn Fertilizer
To apply liquid lawn fertilizer, follow manufacturers instructions on how to prepare the fertilizer and how to connect the fertilizer bottle to your garden hose. Turn on the water to your hose and then open the valve on the fertilizer bottle. Walk at a slow, steady pace to cover the entire lawn evenly, spraying from side to side.
After applying the lawn fertilizer, water the lawn immediately with a garden hose, unless directed otherwise by the package instructions. Clean out fertilizer residue from your spreader with a garden hose, taking care to prevent the runoff from flowing into nearby soil or drains.
Good work! Now you know how to fertilize your lawn and keep it growing and green.
Basic Types Of Spreaders
Spreaders are available in three primary models: handheld, walk behind and tow behind.
- Handheld spreaders are used for smaller areas. They dont hold much material and can be hard to get a uniform spread if you try to use them to cover a larger area.
- Walk behind spreaders are use for medium sized areas and require the user to push them across the property.
- Tow behind spreaders are used for larger areas and tow by a tractor or ATV.
The fertilizer should be broadcast on the ground before planting, and it should then be tilled or watered into the soil.
Alternately, you can also broadcast fertilizer onto the top of growing plants and then water it into the soil. This practice is called topdressing.
Should you have a spill or accidentally overfertilize an area of your lawn, it is imperative that you clean up as much of the excess fertilizer as you can. The area should then be flooded with water to prevent your grass from becoming scorched or receiving chemical burns.
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How And When To Fertilize Your Vegetable Garden
How and When to Fertilize Your Vegetable Garden
We use fertilizer to make our plants grow better, but when is the best time to apply fertilizer? Apply fertilizer with caution, though: The only thing worse than starving a plant of nutrients is to accidentally overfertilize it. When to Fertilize Your GardenFor edible crops, fertilizer is usually applied in the spring and mixed into the garden soil before planting. These three numbers refer to the three most important nutrients plants need: Nitrogen , Phosphorus , and Potassium .
In terms of cost: While organic fertilizers can be more expensive upfront than processed fertilizers, they are often still economical for small gardens. .
Why Fertilize The Lawn In Fall
Like the rest of us, your lawn gets tired by the time summer ends.
Your lawn has struggled through a long, hot relentless summer. Its endured excessive heat, humidity and drought. Its been trampled by kids, dogs and overuse. Weeds, insects and diseases have taken their toll. Your lawn is hungry and tired. It wants a good meal before it settles in for a long, well-deserved winter slumber.
So why fertilize your lawn in the fall?
- This is your lawns last chance to thicken up, restoring turf density back to its early summer form.
- Fall fertilizer helps regenerate roots lost by hot, humid or dry summer weather.
- Fall fertilizing fortifies your lawn so it can better combat severe winter conditions that lie ahead.
- A good feeding fills up your lawns gas tank before going dormant. That way it has plenty of energy stored for a healthy start next spring.
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Lawn Fertilizer Nutrients: Nitrogen Phosphorus & Potassium
Some fertilizers are packaged for certain uses and types of grass. This makes it easy to distribute the right nutrients needed. Before you begin, determine what kind of grass makes up your lawn. A balanced lawn fertilizer contains equal proportions of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. This is indicated by the nutrient ratios on the package. For example: 10-10-10. This particular ratio indicates that it is a good, general-purpose lawn fertilizer formula. Some types of grass in particular regions may require different formulations. For example, some lawns may not need much or any at all of a particular nutrient, such as phosphorus. In these situations, an unbalanced fertilizer is appropriate. Ask an employee at your local True Value hardware store if youre not sure which to use.
Nitrogen helps grass stay green and thickly growing and is the most important of the nutrients to help grass grow well. Phosphorus keeps grass roots healthy and strong. Potassium keeps grass blades strong and resilient, protecting them from drought and damage from insects and disease.
Read fertilizer labels for proper application times, amounts and conditions. Apply only as directed on the package.
Helpful Tips
To ensure you are using the correct type of lawn fertilizer, purchase a soil testing kit to determine your soils pH levels and existing nutrient levels.
Use a starter fertilizer for lawns less than two years old.
