Safer Brand Ringer Lawn Restore
Our rating: 6 / 10
Cons:
- Using it in high grass requires more applications
- Door-to-door customer service is not so great, so contact the manufacturer on the Phone Number listed on the website
Fertilizing your lawn is necessary for a healthy lawn. Keeping your grass healthy using fertilizers will also give a better look, and reduce the amount of time spent on maintenance. This fertilizer is a blend of naturally-occurring plant ingredients and fortified with necessary nutrients. It also contains grass-friendly bacteria to enhance root growth for healthier overall grass. Also, it is environmentally safe, which makes it ideal for both commercial and residential use.
As a bonus, this product is easy to apply as it comes in a pre-measured-application-bag. Each bag has a resealable opening for easy re-use. It is also a safer choice as it does not release toxins that are harmful to humans, plants, or the lawn environment.
The active ingredients and nutrients in this product are activated naturally with rain water and sunlight. When you apply this product, the bacteria will spread evenly in your lawn and start to consume the lawn clippings and grass cuttings. This will result in a healthier turf with plenty of nutrients.
When Should You Fertilize
Before you purchase your fertilizer and apply it to your lawn you need to conduct a soil test. I know fertilizing is exciting, but youll be so thankful that you waited and did the test. Soil tests not only reveal to you when you should fertilize your lawn, determining if it needs nutrients in the growing seasons, colder seasons, or even both, it also gives you information about what fertilizer you should purchase.
It will help you figure out which nutrients your soil is lacking, which will inform your purchasing decision since youll want to get a fertilizer thats dominant in those nutrients. It will also tell you what quantity of fertilizer you should buy.
Scotts Turf Builder Winterguard Fall Lawn Food
The first on our list comes from one of the most trusted brands out there, Scotts. So much so that Scotts is the choice of many as best fall lawn fertilizer. This fertilizer has been specifically created to cater to the needs of the lawn during the fall season.
A season that both us and Scotts believe to be the best time to feed the lawn. Lawn food has an NPK ratio of 32 -0 10. It means the fertilizer boasts of active dose nitrogen and potassium. It will result in the roots to grow stronger and more profound. The blade of the grass will spring out much faster and healthier.
This winter, Lawn Food is perfect for all sizes being able to cover 5000 sq. Ft. to 15000 sq. Ft. The application is not so time-intensive either.
It has to be applied once during the fall season and again after 6 8 weeks depending on the local weather pattern. Scotts turf builder is a granular fertilizer that has a slow-release formula that creates a sustained source of nutrition for your lawn through half the season with just one application.
Yo may utilize this versatile fertilizer with any grass, may it be summer grass or winter grass. Its winter guard formula helps prepare the roots for the harsh winter. The easy application and limited feeding rounds take away all the stress of lawn nurturing.
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What Is The Npk Ratio
When you buy fertilizers, you will see three numbers on the packaging, such as 20 10 10. This is the NPK ratio and each number corresponds to nitrogen , phosphate , and potassium respectively.
So an NPK ratio of 20 10 10 will mean that the bag of fertilizer has 20 percent nitrogen, 10 percent phosphate, and 10 percent potassium.
So thats only 40 percent of the bag. The remaining 60 percent will be comprised of trace minerals and filler material that will guarantee that your fertilizer is evenly applied to your lawn to avoid over- or under-fertilizing your lawn.
Most of the time, you will need something with a lot of nitrogen in it. Because youre not worrying about fruits and flowers, lawn food or fertilizers often do not have too much phosphorus.
How Do Plants Make Their Own Food
Grass and other plants can make their own food if they have the following: chlorophyll, sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. Water is absorbed through the roots and enters the leaves.
From there, the water gets into chloroplast cells that house chlorophyll, which is a green pigment that gives leaves their color. This green stuff absorbs sunlight and this triggers an important chemical reaction that starts a chain of processes that ultimately separates hydrogen and oxygen in the water.
The oxygen goes back into the air that we breathe while the hydrogen is used by the plant and turns it into carbohydrates.
Meanwhile, carbon dioxide enters the leaves via small pores on the underside called the stomata. The carbon dioxide is reduced to oxygen and carbon. The plant will expel oxygen while keeping the carbon, which it synthesizes with the hydrogen to make sugars and carbohydrates.
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The Best Options For Clover
Fertilizer options for a mixed clover/grass lawn are somewhat limited because of this need for a low-nitrogen fertilizer due to clovers nitrogen-fixing abilities. Most lawn specific fertilizers contain a high amount of nitrogen to keep the grass-green and lush.
Most of the low nitrogen/high phosphorus products are geared towards flowering plants to encourage blooms and come in a liquid form.
In order to use these products for wide-scale application to a lawn, they will need to be mixed in water and applied with a hose-end sprayer.
Lesco Professional St Augustine Weed & Feed Fertilizer 17
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Lesco is one of the brands that produce fertilizer specifically for St. Augustine grass. Lescos 17-0-7 weed and feed fertilizer is a pro-grade product that will provide not only the required amounts of nitrogen but also other nutrients such as iron.
If youre looking to grow a lush green southern lawn, Lescos fertilizer is a great pick for your lawn. The iron is a major lift for lawns that are prone to brown patches.
The best time to apply this fertilizer is at the onset of spring. This will jump-start the growth and greening of your St. Augustine lawn, which is very important for outgrowing and chocking out lawn weeds.
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Use Grass Cycling For Extra Nutrients
Grass cycling is a great natural lawn fertilizer. All you do is leave the grass clippings behind when you mow the lawn. This simple process is surprisingly effective, providing grass with around 25% of its nutrient requirement!
The best way to do this is to use a mulching blade on your mower, as this cuts the grass into small pieces that quickly break down and disappear.
Its a great way to provide your lawn with nutrients in an eco-friendly way, and it helps you save money too.
Using A Rotary Spreader For Granular Fertilizer
A rotary spreader is designed to work on larger areas of lawn, and make fertilizing your grass with a granular fertilizer quick and easy.
To apply the fertilizer evenly, walk slowly up and down the lawn, overlapping slightly each time to make sure that you have covered the entire lawn with fertilizer evenly and to prevent stripes of growth.
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Organic Or Synthetic Formula
Organic formulas are made from naturally occurring minerals and usually contain organic matter like bone meal or different types of composted manures. Most organic fertilizers are not water-soluble they are slow-release and contain microorganisms that improve the structure of the soil.
Synthetic formulas are chemically processed raw materials, and they are water-soluble and work quickly to help plants or lawns jump on spring growth. Because they work quickly, it is essential to follow application guidelines to prevent burning plant roots and foliage.
Diy Fall Lawn Maintenance Steps
Fall lawn maintenance doesnt have to be difficult. But, it does require some know-how about products, techniques and timing to keep your lawn at its best throughout all the seasons of the year. Heres a list of steps that any do-it-yourself homeowner can follow to maintain their lawn in the fall and ensure lush grass the following spring.
- Aerate your lawn in early or mid-September if the soil is compacted. This will loosen up the soil and help the grass roots receive as much water, oxygen and trace nutrients from the soil as possible.
- Fertilize in mid-September , using a nitrogen-rich fertilizer product.
- Apply a pre-emergent weed killer to your grass a few days after fertilizing to head off the growth of winter weeds. But, be aware of how long pre-emergents last and when to reapply this product.
- Consider applying a second round of fertilizer in mid- to late-October, with a higher potassium content. This will help your grass grow stronger roots that can absorb more nutrients from the soil and store them up for a long winter.
- Keep mowing and watering regularly throughout the fall to help your grass rebuild strong roots after the heat of summer. This will also help to choke out winter weeds, since the best way to keep weeds at a minimum is to have lush, thriving grass.
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What If My Grass Seed Doesnt Grow
Grass will generally germinate two or three weeks after planting. If you dont notice sprouts and seedlings after that period of time, there are a few reasons why the grass may not have grown:
- Seedlings need water daily during their germination period, but too much water can drown them. Check the soil moisture depth to see how wet the soil is below the surface.
- New plants need sunlight to germinate, but too much sun will dry out the ground and the seeds. A good balance of shade and sun exposure, specific to the type of grass planted, will help the grass grow in healthy.
- If you didnt spread enough seeds, the new grass might not grow into the widespread, complex plan system that we want to cover our yard. Check the package as well to be sure the seeds werent too old to germinate.
- It might be that you didnt use enough fertilizer or that the soil balance was still off. Try another soil sample test to review the nutrient profile.
If your grass hasnt grown, and its still early in the year, there may be time to replant and try again. Spring grasses should be planted in March, April, or May before the daily temperatures get too hot for newly sprouted grass.
After Fertilizing How Much Water Should I Give My Lawn
Your watering schedule has a direct impact on how much fertilizer you require. The more fertilizer your grass requires, the more water it will require. The grass consumes more nutrients as it develops. You should fertilize your lawn every six weeks if you have an automatic sprinkler system. You dont want to let the watering outstrip the fertilizer, as this would disrupt the lawns development cycle. You can wait an extra two weeks between applications if you dont have a sprinkler system. Also, read the fertilizer package carefully to see if you need to water your lawn before or after applying the product. After application, granulated fertilizers require moisture to break down, whereas other fertilizers require you to soak the grass beforehand.
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What Is The Fertilizer Ratio
The main ingredients in fertilizer are Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These ingredients come in different proportions based on your needs. These proportions are called fertilizer ratio and are seen on all bags of fertilizers.
Have you ever seen something like on your fertilizer bag? This means the fertilizer was made with 10% nitrogen, 2% phosphorus and 5% potassium.
Tree And Shrub Fertilizer
Fall is also a great time to fertilize shrubs and trees. In my opinion, all trees and shrubs need fertilizer, because most of them are located in mulch beds that use up nitrogen as they decompose. In addition, every fall we rake leaves off these beds, depriving plants of the nutrients that decomposing leaves would traditionally release.
To compensate, I recommend applying one to three pounds of slow-release nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of bed and cultivating lightly. I prefer fertilizing trees in late September and early October to promote root growth.
These nutrients will still be in the soil come spring when plants start to grow. If you have a tree or shrub that does not flower well, a dose of super phosphate will help promote flower growth. However, if the plant is not located in the right spot, all the super phosphate in the world won’t make it flower.
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Slow Release Vs Quick Release
Slow-release fertilizer should keep plants nourished for an entire growing season, as long as it is properly applied. This fertilizer can be either organic or inorganic, though it is more commonly organic. Organic slow-release fertilizer is broken down by soil microbiota and made available to plants. Manufacturers design slow-release inorganic fertilizer pellets to dissolve gradually as water passes through the soil. Because these fertilizers take time to act and are slow-releasing, they should be used in the fall and worked into soil once more.
Inorganic fertilizers can also be quick-release. This kind of fertilizer permeates completely into the soil in just a few weeks, providing your plants with a fast supply of nutrients. Quick release fertilizers should be applied multiple times, up to every two weeks, throughout the growing seasons.
Lawn Food Vs Fertilizer: When To Use What
If they are basically the same, should you prefer using fertilizers over products labeled as lawn food?
It all boils down on how knowledgeable you are with the nutrients that plants need for different things. Different plants and even different varieties of grass have different needs in various stages of growth.
So its all about formulations. For instance, if youre just starting to grow grass for your lawn, you will need more phosphorus in your fertilizer. This nutrient makes roots grow in grass, according to this page. You will also need nitrogen to keep your grass healthy as it grows.
As such, you would want to use products that are specially formulated for new grass, such as the Scotts Turf Builder Starter Food for New Grass from Amazon. This product, which is labeled as lawn food, promises to make new grass grow 35 percent faster and 70 percent thicker compared to unfed grass. It can also help new grass have healthier and deeper roots.
Or you can buy something like GreenViews Starter Fertilizer . This product has nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium, and chlorine, which are all beneficial to new grass. But whats more, you can use this product not just to start your lawn, but also for newly planted trees, shrubs, evergreens, and other plants.
As the grass starts to sprout and grow, your lawn will need an extra dose of nitrogen. You can move away from starter fertilizers to regular ones that have a more balanced ratio of nutrients.
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What Is The Difference Between Inorganic And Organic Fertilizers
Inorganic fertilizers are often called synthetic or commercial fertilizers because they are produced through manufacturing however, most contain nutrients from naturally occurring mineral deposits. Inorganic fertilizers usually focus only on nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium that leach quickly from the soil.
Organic fertilizers come from plant or animal sources, and they may contain compost, manures, or bone meal. The NPK levels are usually low, but the organic matter enriches the soil with microbes and improves water movement through the soil.
Top 7 Best Lawn Fertilizer For Spring
Fertilizing your lawn during spring is a strategic move to ensure that your lawn is well fed, grows thick, green, strong and lush. But beyond those benefits that reflect on the physical appearance of your lawn, feeding it in spring strengthens the root system of your lawn. Furthermore, following the exit of a long winter, the growing season kicks off and spring is the ultimate time of the year to vitalize your lawn with nutrients and lay a proper growing foundation for it all year round. Even though fertilizing isnt a one-time-fix-all nutritional endeavor to help lawns grow better, the foundations are important and the root says it all. When the roots are strengthened from late fertilization in spring, it then sets the pace for other growth processes to follow.
In this article, well be reviewing some of the best fertilizers for spring to help save you off the confusion when the time to choose one comes. So here we go.
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How To Choose Fertilizer Based On Your Grass Type
Determine your grass type to find the best lawn fertilizer for your yard. Warm-season grasses such as bahia, bermuda, centipede, St. Augustine and zoysia grow vigorously throughout much of the year and need a little more attention than cool-season varieties.
The cool-season grasses, like fescue, Kentucky bluegrass and rye, grow and spread more slowly than warm-season varieties. They are typically semi-dormant during the summer, so you can fertilize them just twice a year: once at the beginning of spring and again at the beginning of fall.
How To Fertilize Your Lawn
Before you fertilize, check your local weather forecast. Plan to fertilize just before a day of light, steady rain. Youll save water and your grass will be well-fed. Using an aerator to make small holes in your lawn before you fertilize can make it easier for fertilizer and water to reach the roots of the grass.
Fertilizers are typically grouped as granular, water-soluble and organic, and you can choose from walk-behind, handheld, drop or liquid spreaders to apply fertilizer to your lawn.
When trying to determine how much fertilizer to use on your lawn, remember that every eight steps is roughly equal to 10 feet. For size reference, compare your lawn to the size of a tennis court, which is 78 feet long and 36 feet wide.
It helps to break up your lawn into easily measurable sections. Sketch out a rough drawing of your yard and break it into a few large squares, rectangles, circles and triangles.
- For squares and rectangles, measure the length and the width, then multiply those two numbers to get your area.
- For circles, measure half the distance across the center of the circle then multiply by 3.14.
- For triangles, measure the base and the height, multiply the two numbers, then divide by two.
- Once you have the areas determined for each shape, add up the areas to get the total area of your lawn.
Choose from broadcast, handheld and drop spreaders to apply fertilizer to your lawn. Find recommendations for the proper spreader settings on the label of most fertilizers.
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