When To Fertilize The Lawn
In this article, well try to share when and how often you should fertilize your lawn to get the best results. Well also discuss when is the right time to fertilize your lawn, when is good time to fertilize the lawn, when is it too cold to fertilize lawn, when is the best time to fertilize lawn, can i fertilize my lawn every 2 weeks, best time of day to fertilize lawn, when is the best time to fertilize your lawn, when to fertilize the lawn in spring, when to fertilize the lawn in the fall, best time to fertilize lawn before or after rain, etc.
How To Fertilize Your Lawn Effectively And Responsibly
All plants require basic nutrients which they receive from the soil and water, and they usually benefit greatly from supplemental applications. Grass, in particular, falls into this category. Fertilizing is essential to a healthy, dense lawn that maintains a deep green color and readily withstands weeds and other problems. In order to achieve optimum results, and not waste your money, its important that you choose the right fertilizer and apply it at the right time, in the right quantity.
There are many types of lawn fertilizer on the market, as well as home-grown products, that enhance the vigor of your grass. Choosing the right fertilizer begins with understanding the fertilizers active ingredients and knowing your soil and grass type. You then need to apply it correctly and take precautions not to burn your lawn or risk enviromental damage due to run-off. This article will cover all of these elements with the aim of helping you fertilize in a responsible and effective manner.
TYPES OF FERTILIZER
ORGANIC VS SYNTHETIC
In my opinion, organic lawns look better and resist problems better in the long run. Establishing a thick, beautiful organic lawn, however, can take a lot of time. Using synthetic fertilizers you can greatly speed up the process. If you opt for synthetic fertilizer for your lawn, I recommend doing this in conjuction with organics if possible. Check out my article on organic lawn care.
SLOW VS QUICK RELEASE
LIQUID VS GRANULAR
THE NUMBERS
GRASS TYPES
How Much Should I Water My Lawn After Fertilizing
Its wise to fertilize before rainfall and at low sun heat conditions, usually in the afternoon. But if you have to water your lawn, then its better to water after the fertilization process is done. Heavy watering can damage your lawn health.
If your fertilizer consists of any weed eaters, then wait for 24 hours before watering your lawn.
Also Check: What Time Of Day Is Best To Water Lawn
When Should I Fertilize My Lawn In New Jersey
Is March too early to fertilize my lawn? What is the best fertilizer for New Jersey grass? How often do I fertilize? Why do I need to fertilize my lawn in the first place?;
Lawn fertilizer promotes growth in your grass, which means for a thick, green yard. Its the proper next step after lawn aeration in order to bring your lawn back to health after a cold winter and the harsh summer. While homeowners know lawn fertilization is necessary, that doesnt mean it isnt confusing! To help you figure out the ins and outs of lawn fertilization, the experts at Healthy Lawn compiled everything you need to know about lawn fertilization in New Jersey.
Using A Handheld Broadcast Spreader
A handheld broadcast spreader works well for fertilizing small lawn areas. Walk evenly and slowly, and be sure to overlap distribution patterns slightly with each pass. A small spreader like this also works really well when you have shady areas in your lawn that require a different fertilizer rate than the sunny sections. Some fertilizers combine an herbicide with the lawn food. These products are sold as weed-and-feed lawn care products and are applied using a lawn spreader.
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Which Spreader Works Best For My Lawn
Fertilizer can be applied either through a broadcast or drop spreaders. The first works by flinging fertilizer across the lawn as you walk, while a drop spreader drops rather than flings. A broadcast spreader is used for large-sized yards, whereas a drop spreader is more suitable for small-sized lawns that corner sidewalks, pathways, and driveways.
Consider a spreader based on your lawn size and the fertilizer you have chosen for your lawns.
Can I Apply Fertilizer To A Wet Lawn
Most Scotts® fertilizers can be applied to either a wet or dry lawn. If youre applying a weed-and-feed product like Scotts® Turf Builder® Weed & Feed, though, you may need to apply to wet grass to help the particles adhere to the weeds for best results. How to know for sure? Check the package directions!
Read Also: How To Keep Lawn Green In Summer
Second Application: Late Spring
Performed in May, the second lawn fertilizer application is intended to make sure your lawn has the nutrients it needs to thrive during what is a very active part of its growing season. Because this is an active growing period for weeds as well, the second application should include a liquid blanket weed control to remove any newly germinated weeds.
What Is The Proper Way To Fertilize Lawn
Walk the full area of your lawn while spreading fertiliser, following a pattern that allows slight overlap on the edges of the spread. Its often suggested you apply half the fertiliser in a north-south direction over the entire area and the other half in an east-west direction, to obtain even coverage.
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What Is Lawn Fertilizer
Think of lawn fertilizer this way: No matter how many glasses of seltzer you drink, you cant live on ityou need to tuck into a few good meals each day, too. Your lawn is just the same. As much as it needs water, it also needs additional nutrients to survive, and lawn fertilizer supplies those nutrients.
The More You Know The More Your Grass Will Grow Here Are The Best Ways To Maximize Your Lawn Fertilization Schedule
Understanding when and how to fertilize your lawn is a major component to maintaining a healthy, lush yard. Fertilizers give your lawn a healthier root system while eating up unhealthy nutrients. With some simple steps, youll be on your way to having a lawn that is the envy of the neighborhood.
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What Time Of Day Is Best For Fertilizing A Lawn
Lawn fertilization is not as finicky as water when it comes to the time of day that you apply it to your yard. While many people focused on yard health will swear by some application time or another, an essential aspect is that the grass is dry when you spread the fertilizer. This allows the lawn fertilizer to fall between the blades and down to the soil below.
If you fertilize in the morning, do so on a day when no dew is left. The afternoon is a good time as long as its not yet too hot out. The evening is also acceptable because even if dew falls overnight, as long as the fertilizer goes down first, it should be fine.
Why Does My Lawn Need Fertilizers
Fertilizers are minerals that provide the necessary nutrients to aid in the growth of your plants. They also help improve soil quality and restore its pH levels. In addition, some fertilizers also help to keep insects and weeds away from plants, helping to protect them.
Fertilizing your lawn regularly will give your plants and grass a much-needed boost that will help them stay healthy.
However, you cannot use a single fertilizer for all your plants. Before applying fertilizer to your lawns, you need to know the growth pattern of every plant and what nutrients they need for their development. You should also be familiar with when to apply fertilizer to your lawn and how much.
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Best Regular Lawn Fertilizers
There are even more conventional lawn fertilizers companies, with dozens, if not hundreds, of different fertilizers designed for different climates, grass types, and lawn preferences. While youll need to pick a specific product based on your individual needs, some of the top brands to buy fertilizer from including Schultz, Scotts, Bonide, and Ace.
Each of these products will give specific instructions meant to be followed when you use their fertilizer, so base your decision regarding the best time to fertilize a lawn not just on the information listed here, but on the fertilizer instructions most of all.
When Is The Best Time To Fertilize Your Lawn In Florida
A lawn is great to look at, but its a science to maintain! Our clients have a lot of questions about how to keep their lawns green and healthy and there are a lot of factors that go into what looks like a simple green carpet. Theres the grass type, the watering amount and schedule, the mowing requirements, pest problems, reseeding/replanting, and, of coursefertilizing.
We have many years of experience working with our clients to keep their lawns looking beautiful let’s talk about the best time to fertilize your Florida panhandle turfgrass.
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Apply Lawn Fertilizer With Care
Grass will benefit the most from lawn fertilizer when it’s applied correctly. First, do not fertilize right after you mow; wait at least two days after mowing. Second, use a spreader to apply it evenly and make sure it reaches all areas of your yard. Close the spreader hopper when stopping and turning so fertilizer doesn’t leak out in piles. Clean sidewalks and paths of any excess fertilizer to prevent it from washing or blowing into grass, resulting in burn spots.
The best time to apply your lawn fertilizer is in the morning when the grass is wet with dew, and you’re not expected to have rain for one or two days. Once you apply the lawn fertilizer, add at least a half inch of water within 14 days per Pennington Seed. This can be from rainfall or watering with a sprinkler.
Feeding your grass a regular dose of lawn fertilizer helps it stay healthy, strong and green all summer long so you can enjoy it as much as possible.
References
Is It Good To Have Rain When You Fertilize
Ideally, you should aim to fertilize about two days after rain or watering, and when the next heavy rainfall is;at least two days away.
It can be helpful to have some rain before and after fertilizing. Rain a couple of days before fertilizing keeps your yard moist and the turf healthy, receptive to the nutrients. Light watering or rain right;after;fertilizing, on the other hand, washes the fertilizer off the blades and onto the ground.
Heavy rain right after fertilizing, however, may make the fertilizer run off the soil or into the lower layers, where it wont do as much good for your roots.
Using fertilizer on wet grass the day after heavy rain is also not ideal, because the fertilizers can stick to wet grass and damage it.
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First Application: Early Spring
Your lawn fertilizer schedule should begin with an application in March or April. In Michigan, its important to get the first fertilizer application down after the first frost is gone from the ground, but also before the soil temperature gets too warm and weed seeds begin to germinate. Infusing soil and root systems with nutrients helps your lawn recover from its dormancy in the winter and bounce back to good health.
Know Your Type Of Grass
Each type of grass will call for particular fertilizing schedules.;
Therefore, it is ideal to time fertilizing so that it coincides with the time period;just before peak growing phases of the lawn.;
Depending on your type of grass this could either be during the warm season or cold season.;
Warm season grasses: are served best when fertilized in late spring and early summer.;
Cold season grasses: are best served being fertilized once a year in the fall.
Recommended Reading: How To Fix Lawn With Lots Of Weeds
Bottom Line On Watering And Fertilizing For A Greener Lawn
Knowing how often to water the lawn , means learning the terrain.;
But now that you know how to water and fertilize properly, you just need to pick out the right sprinkler for your lawn. ;
Be sure to share this with your friends and family! But not your neighbor!;
At least not if you want the greener side of the fence.
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.
Recommended Reading: How To Fertilize Lawn And Kill Weeds
What Month Are You Suppose To Fertilize The Grass
Related Articles
As the weather warms up, we all look forward to getting outside and enjoying time in our yards. Of course, we want our grass to be healthy and green, so applying lawn fertilizer at the right time is required. For most locations, that means giving your yard a good feeding between February and April followed by additional feedings in late spring, summer and fall to encourage healthy growth.
Tip
Apply lawn fertilizer in early spring when your grass starts to actively grow and follow up with additional fertilizer in late spring, summer and fall.
Do You Need To Fertilize The Grass In The Hot Summer Months
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Proper watering and fertilizing of lawn grass can promote healthier turf, with deep roots and a lush feel. Generally, you should not be grass fertilizing in hot weather. Overfertilizing can lead to the need to mow more often, and fertilizing at the wrong time can irreversibly damage your lawn. A summer lawn care schedule should mostly focus on watering and mowing as needed.
Tip
In general, fertilizing in hot weather is not recommended.
Read Also: How To Keep Your Lawn Healthy
Be Wary Of Fertilizer Application Rates
Across the board, most fertilizer manufacturers are overzealous about their recommended dose and feeding schedule. Start light with half the recommended amount and rate of fertilizer. You can reapply if you don’t like the results. Over a season or two, you’ll get a clear sense of how much it takes to get a healthy lawn.
A healthy lawn will be a relatively light shade of bright green. A lawn that is a deep, almost blackish green, has been very heavily fertilized. The dark green color comes from a lot of nitrogen-based fertilizer used on the lawn. It is highly likely that some of that fertilizer has run off into the streets, storm sewers, and has made its way into local streams and rivers.
The Best Time To Fertilize Lawn
Fertilizing your lawn beginning in early spring is the best way to get nutrients directly into the soil to prepare for the warmer months ahead. Fertilizer works to reduce the amount of weed growth while helping to protect the lawn from pest damage.
Your lawn is ready to be fertilized when the soil reaches temperatures above 50 degrees; a soil thermometer is an easy way to tell when your lawn is the appropriate temperature. For most climates, the first feeding of the season typically occurs in mid- to late April, and the second feeding should be applied in mid-May, with follow-up fertilizers being applied every six to eight weeks thereafter, with the last in fertilization in October.
Read Also: How To Choose Fertilizer For Lawn
Should I Fertilize In The Morning Or Evening
Although fertilizing grass in the morning or evening has its respective benefits, it is generally recommended that such products be applied early in the day.
Heres why:
- Low-speed winds will not lead to uneven distribution of fertilizer
- Thirsty plants will greedily absorb fertilizer-laden water early in the morning
- Fertilizer application will not burn your lawn due to the presence of dew and cool temperatures
- Plants are more receptive to nutrients as they arent exhausted by the midday heat
Though it is widely believed that the best time to apply fertilizer to your lawns is in the day, sometimes, morning may not be the best time to do so.
Why Should You Not Apply fertilizer in the Morning?
If the weather forecast predicts a bright and hot sunny day or heavy rain, it is best to avoid applying fertilizer. If the day temperatures are expected to soar, then the grass may become too dry, and the chemicals in the fertilizer may cause your lawn to burn.
On the other hand, if there is a heavy downpour, then the rain will wash off all the nutrients and fertilizer from your soil. If you are keen on applying fertilizer in the morning, it is best to do so before 7 am.
If you choose to fertilize your lawns in the evening, the drip system of irrigation is highly recommended. Under the drip system, the fertilizer is injected into the water to help it reach plant roots without wetting the foliage. This process is known as fertigation.
