Should I Water My Lawn After I Fertilize It
Once you have applied fertilizer to your lawn, either water plants immediately or wait for 24 hours before sprinkling water on them. Watering your lawn immediately after application helps prevent a wide range of problems that can plague the plants or the soil. Remember the more you water your lawn, the more fertilizer it will require.
We have looked at the benefits of fertilizers and the best time to apply them. However, there are a few things you need to keep in mind before applying fertilizer to your lawns.
How To Fertilize A Lawn
This article was co-authored by Jeremy Yamaguchi. Jeremy Yamaguchi is a Lawn Care Specialist and the Founder/CEO of Lawn Love, a digital marketplace for lawn care and gardening services. Jeremy provides instant satellite quotes and can coordinate service from a smartphone or web browser. The company has raised funding from notable investors like Y Combinator, Joe Montana, Alexis Ohanian, Barbara Corcoran and others. This article has been viewed 126,367 times.
Is your lawn patchy with spots that are thinning? Fertilizing your lawn can help you get the lush, green grass you desire. To properly fertilize your lawn it’s important to prepare the ground, pick out the right fertilizer, and use a method that will give your lawn the best chance to grow in stronger and healthier. Once you’ve laid out your fertilization plan, try and remain consistent from season to season. With a little work, it truly is easier to keep and maintain a healthy lawn.
Maintaining A Healthy Lawn Takes Effort
Its important to know the best time of day to fertilize your lawn to ensure the best results. Not only do you need to considered weather conditions and seasonal changes, but the time of day as well.
Read on to educate yourself more about fertilizer, what it does and the best time of day to fertilize your lawn.
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When To Fertilize Lawn
Knowing when to fertilize your lawn depends on how often you plan to apply it. If you fertilize once a year, do it around Labor Day thats when lawns absorb the most nutrients. For biannual fertilizing, add a second application the middle of October.
There are exceptions to this timeline depending on climate and soil types, so adjust if your lawn is not retaining enough nutrients. In the spring, if you feel the need, spread a little fertilizer to help the greening process.
Using A Drop Spreader
Choose a drop spreader for controlled fertilizer distribution. Overlap slightly on each pass to ensure you have adequate coverage, and don’t forget to close the hopper when you come to the end of a pass. You’ll typically pay more for a drop spreader, but if you’re tending a typical suburban-size lawn, it’s worth the investment. If you accidentally dump fertilizer onto your lawn, gather what you can, then use a stiff broom to spread out any remaining fertilizer as far as possible. Water it in well, and do so again a few days later to help move that nitrogen down through soil and out of the lawn’s root zone.
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Using Fertilizer After Rain
If youd rather not run the risk of having a heavy rain wash out your fertilizer, you can still use it on your lawn after it rains. In this case, wait until the blades of grass are completely dry before you start.
Check the weather forecast not only to check for information on upcoming precipitation also check to see if there will be steady sunlight in the days following your fertilizer use.
We all know sunlight is a key component of photosynthesis, and having steady sunlight and ideal weather conditions while the fertilizer is in full effect will help enhance its effectiveness and better improve the quality of your lawn.
If you fertilize once a year, do it in September for cool-season, Northern grasses, and early June for warm-season, Southern grasses. Otherwise, make two to three applications in fall, one month apart, and one in spring for cool-season grasses three applications are needed during the summer for warm-season grasses. ConsumerReports.org
Have any questions about the best time to fertilize a lawn, before or after it rains? Need a consultation?
Best Time To Fertilize Lawn Before Or After Rain
When is the best time to fertilize a lawn before or after a rain? Too much rain could wash away the fertilizer before it has a chance to soak into the soil, so plan to fertilize several days before a heavy rain arrives or several days later. Here are more tips from the professionals at Jonathan Green.
The Jonathan Green company is built upon innovative scientific research and time-honored traditions. We have studied turfgrass and what it needs to thrive since 1881, developing products that provide lasting results year after year. Currently, we use the latest scientific technology to test all of our products to make sure they will perform well on your lawn. The result will be a beautiful green, healthy lawn for you and your family.
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How Much Time Should I Fertilize My Lawn
Garden Lawn
Warm-season grasses can be fertilized every 6-8 weeks during the summer months and cool-season grasses should be fertilized 3-4 times per year when they are actively growing.
Fertilizing warm-season grass too heavily with nitrogen will cause lush grass growth encouraging chinch bug activity which is not good. Its always best to follow the manufactures direction on the fertilizer bag for the best results.
Additional information
1. Keep the blades of your lawn more sharp and clean because dull blades will rip or tear the grass instead of giving that nice clean cut that promotes a healthy lawn.
2. Dont cut the grass when wet which may tear and uproot the grass blades because of an increase in moisture.
3. Keep your lawnmower in good repair by regular servicing, servicing is a must because the state of your lawnmower will affect the health and appearance of your lawn. Read the manufacturers guide for the proper maintenance of your lawnmower.
4. Know the proper height for your lawn type and cut at this level. The wrong cutting height for your grass type will bring on stress which will lead to a lawns decline.
5. Aerating a lawn will contribute to the health of a lawn.
6. A lawn thats growing thick and healthy will help to suppress weeds.
7. Getting a sprinkler installed would be great, sprinklers will make watering your lawn easier. Put the sprinkler on a timer and your good to go. Watering by hand is more labors and time-consuming.
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Why You Should Fertilize Your Lawn
Nitrogen is what gives your lawn a good green color. It also reduces weed problems which helps to give the turf a uniform appearance. Fertilizers are labeled with an NPK ratio which tells you what percentages of nitrogen , phosphorous and potassium , are used to create a particular formula. A soil sample taken to your local agriculture extension office can tell whether phosphorous and potassium levels are sufficient. If they are, your lawn probably won’t need those amendments for several years. Nitrogen, the main ingredient for promoting good growth and color should be applied annually.
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What Type Of Fertilizer Is Best
A fertilizer bag has three numbers, indicating the percentages of nitrogen, phosphate and potash. Nitrogen is the most important nutrient. Look for a fertilizer with at least 25% nitrogen. Select a fertilizer that contains some slow-release nitrogen . This will gradually feed the lawn this fall and next spring.
The second number, phosphate, is abundant in our soils and is rarely needed in established lawns. The third number, potash, will help our lawn to tolerate stresses, including our winters. Most winterizer fertilizers contain 510% potash.
Best Time To Fertilize Lawn
Fertilizing in the morning allows the soil to take in the most nutrients, soak in the morning dew and take advantage of cooler temperatures. Thats the best time. Do not apply fertilizer on an abnormally hot day, not even in the morning. Wait until the weather cools back down to a normal temperature.
You can mow anytime after fertilizing with a granular treatment. With a liquid treatment, wait a day or two.
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Best Time To Apply Liquid Fertilizer To Your Lawn
One advantage of liquid fertilizer is that it works quickly and can green up your lawn and any trouble spots within a few days. On the flip side, it doesn’t feed the lawn as long as granular fertilizer and needs to be applied more often. The grass should also be dry starting out since any water already present will dilute the formula and render it less effective. While granular fertilizers are designed to feed the roots, liquid fertilizer can also be used as a foliar feed for the leaves, If used when the lawn is actively growing, liquid feeds can also quickly burn the grass if applied at the wrong time.
Identify Your Lawn Grass
There is a multitude of grass varieties. You should know how to grow grass for lawn. Among all of them, you can find the major two types of lawn grass are grown in any region. These are-
Cool-season grasses
cool-season grass
These types of grasses are mainly grown well in low temperatures that means grow rapidly in early spring and early fall. If the temperature is high and the availability of water is low, these grasses may remain dormant. Major types of cool-season grasses are Bentgrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, Red Fescue, Annual, and Perennial Ryegrass, etc.
Best lawn fertilizer for early spring or cool-season grasses
You can get a good result by choosing the best lawn fertilizer for early spring. Commercial fertilizer can supply many of the nutrients for your lawn grass but among all of them, 3 are more crucial for your lawn grass. They are N , P , and K . You can use different kinds of combinations of these nutrients.
You are suggested to use 25-0-10 ratios of N-P-K fertilizer. Here 25-0-10 indicates the percentage of N-P-K. You can also use 15-5-10 or 20-5-10 ratios of N-P-K for your lawn in spring and fall.
Warm-season grasses
These types of grasses are tropical and grown well in warm temperatures that means these grasses grow well in mid-summer. These grasses are tough enough and become denser over time. Major types of warm-season grasses are Bermuda grass, Centipede grass, Kikuyu grass, and Zoysia grass.
Best lawn fertilizer for summer or warm-season grasses
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Best Time To Apply Granular Fertilizer To Your Lawn
Granular fertilizer can either be water soluble or water insoluble which also may be called slow-release. Both types have been effectively used on lawns for may years. Water soluble granular fertilizer should be spread when grass is dry and temperatures are cool, This form of fertilizer needs to be watered in to avoid leaf burn. Slow release formulas are less likely to damage grass leaves so it isn’t essential that the grass be dry. Watering after spreading helps to move the granules into the soil where they will do the most good.
The Best Time To Fertilize And When To Avoid It
If you’re wondering the best time to fertilize, remember it’s just as important to know when not to do it.
In the Florida panhandle, grasses tend to be more dormant in the winter months. During winter, the grass isnt as able to take in the needed nutrients, so it make sense to avoid applying fertilizers at this time.
Hold off on fertilizing if your area is expecting heavy rains of two or more inches, or a tropical storm is expected in the next 24 hours. You want to make sure the fertilizer has a chance to get into the soil and root systems, not get washed away.
Also, if you just planted new turfgrass, the University of Florida Extension recommends waiting 30 to 60 days before using nitrogen fertilizer. The young roots arent deep enough to really absorb the nutrients, and the soil from the sod farm may already have nutrients in place.
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Armadillos Have Invaded The Lowcountry And Are Here To Stay
There are four main types of warm season turf grasses in the Lowcountry: centipede , St. Augustine grass , Bermuda grass and zoysiagrass .
Centipede grass is considered a low-maintenance turf grass while the other three are considered high maintenance. While there are alternatives to these four, these are the most widely used for lawns in the Lowcountry.
“The turf grasses that are common to the Lowcountry are most active when the weather becomes warmer, Burtt said. Fertilizing the yard before the active growing season can be a waste of money, time and effort.
And rarely, if ever, use a weed-and-seed product on your lawn.
“Anyone who does use a weed-and-seed product is just throwing their money away and polluting the environment,” said Amanda McNaulty, a horticulture agent for Clemsons Sumter County Cooperative Extension Office. “Its like a frat boy drinking beer, it goes in and goes out and doesnt do a whole lot of good.”
The sentiment is shared by Burtt.
“Those weed-and-seed products are right by the register when you check out, so its very easy to be tempted to use them,” Burtt said. “Fertilizers and herbicides generally dont work well together. Sometimes you are just fertilizing the weeds that you are trying to kill, so its counterproductive. And you are not saving any money by combining the products together.”
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.
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How Do I Calculate How Much Fertilizer I Need
Fertilizer recommendations for lawns can be confusing to the average homeowner. These instructions are usually given in pounds of nitrogen to be applied per 1,000 square feet. Home gardeners often have difficulty converting these recommendations to the amounts needed for their selected grade of nitrogen fertilizer and their homes lawn size. Luckily, you can use online fertilizer calculators to simplify things.
How Often Should You Put Epsom Salt On Your Lawn
Some homeowners like to use Epsom salt as a natural lawn fertilizer in the spring to facilitate lush green growth. Epsom salt contains magnesium, which is key to seed germination, chlorophyll production, and improving the uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur.
To try this method, add 2 tablespoons to each gallon of water used on the lawn. If you have a sprinkler system, lightly sprinkle the salt directly atop the grass and then allow the system to water it into the sod.
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Identify The Weed Species
The next step is to identify the weed species you want to control in your lawn. The two most common weed species are bluegrass and crabgrass.
Bluegrass and crabgrass prevent new weeds from growing by preventing them from coming up to the surface. You can control these two weed species by either removing them from the lawn before they germinate or by using an ultra greenwood insecticide.
Can I Put Too Much Fertilizer On My Lawn
There is the idea of too much of a good thing, and that definitely applies when it comes to fertilizing your lawn! Applying too much fertilizer to your lawn will cause the nitrogen and salt levels in the soil to increase rapidly, which can damage or even kill the grass. When this happens, it is known as fertilizer burn and looks like yellow and brown strips or patches of dead grass. These symptoms can appear as soon as the day after a fertilizer application, making it easy to determine the cause.
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Fertilizing Help From Experts
You now know when and how to fertilize your lawn, but if you want to hire a dedicated team of professionals to help out, contact us. Whether you are responsible for a single-family home, a townhouse complex or a soccer field, Lawn Troopers are uniformed and fully insured and equipped with all the necessary tools to fertilize a range of grassy landscapes. Contact us to request a quote.
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Tips For Applying Fertilizer After Rain
The first thing you should consider is whether your grass needs any fertilizer at all right now. Your lawn may not need fertilizer if you just applied it recently. Consider the following tips.
- Wait until the soil is wet
- Use organic fertilizers
- Avoid application when it is hot and humid
- Avoid spraying nitrogen when the grass is browning
Also, you need a lawn maintenance plan to know when to add more fertilizer and how to do it. It will help you avoid the mistakes that most gardeners make, which cost them their beautiful grass.
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