When To Fertilize Your Lawn
What time of year is best to fertilize your lawn depends on what type of grass you have, cool-season or warm-season. This is because the best time to fertilize is the period when the grass in question is growing most actively, and this period is different for cool-season grasses than it is for warm-season grasses. Nonetheless, there’s no one “right” fertilizer schedule. Different people have success doing it in slightly different ways. All that can be suggested is a typical schedule favored by many.
Is It Too Late To Fertilize My Lawn
When it comes to your lawn, fertilizing it is expected. If you as a homeowner expect to maintain a plush green lawn, then fertilizer is definitely a requirement. Knowing when to fertilize your yard is necessary for the success of growing a healthy lawn. Is it too late to fertilize my lawn? Knowing what type of grass and when to fertilize, will determine how healthy your lawn will be.
Lets take a look below at when it is too late to fertilize your lawn.
What Month Should I Fertilize My Lawn
Most lawn care companies recommend that you apply lawn fertilizer in the spring, between February and April. This is when your grass will start to green up as it begins to actively grow. Basically, if it looks like your grass is ready for its first mowing of the season, then it should also be ready for lawn fertilizer.
While most people know to fertilize their lawns in the spring, it is important to remember that fall feeding is critical, too. In the fall, grass roots are going down into the soil and need fertilizer to stay healthy. This is the most important application of fertilizer for the whole year since it will protect your lawn as it goes dormant over winter. However, if the fall you should use a specific fall fertilizer that is slightly higher in phosphorous and potassium, as it will promote better root growth. To ensure optimal lawn health, fertilize heavily in the fall and lightly in early spring.
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What Is The Best Fertilizer For Early Spring
Best Lawn Fertilizers for Spring 2021 Reviews
When To Fertilize Warm
When to fertilize depends on what kind of grass you have. You want to time fertilizing so it occurs just before grass enters its peak growing phase. If you live in southern areas where lawns feature warm-season grasses, fertilize turf in late spring or early summer, just before grass kicks into high gear. Make a second application in late summer. If your warm-season lawn goes dormant in winter, don’t fertilize after the first of September.
Warm season grass types include bahia, Bermuda, St. Augustine, centipede and zoysia. Warm season grasses typically thrive in frost-free areas and grow best at temps of 75 degrees to 90 degrees.
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How To Fertilize A Lawn
Fertilizing a lawn the the proper way will keep it growing strongly and densely, but once it’s done, keeping it well fertilized is what will maintain its health and good looks moving forwards. It will also mean your lawn can withstand harsh conditions whether a kids’ football game or bad weather. Even better? Fertilizing a lawn regularly can ensure it’s less likely to suffer from disease, pests and weeds.
Note that fertilizing is in addition to knowing when to add lime to lawns and not a substitute for this.
How Do You Pick Up The Thatch After Dethatching
There are several different ways to pick up thatch after you finish dethatching. You can use a lawn sweeper that attaches to the back of your tractor. They also have push lawn sweepers. This is an easy way to pick up the thatch, and it works well if you have a larger yard.
Another option is to use a rake and rake up the thatch. Then, you can bag it or place it in your compost pile. You will want to use this method of clean up on small yards when you dont have a lot to clean up. It can get tiring to rake a large yard by hand.
If you have a leaf blower, you can use it to pick up the thatch. You will still need to get it to a central location such as your compost pile or bag it to go out. Leaf blowers can be noisy, but they work well if you have one.
No matter which method you use, make sure that you pick up the thatch after you finish dethatching. You need to make sure that the debris isnt left behind to settle back in and prevent your grass from receiving the nutrients and water it needs.
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Can You Over Fertilize Your Lawn
Can I put too much fertilizer on my 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.
Fertilizing Your Florida Lawn
When to fertilize your lawn depends on a few things, but the biggest rule is to fertilize only when your lawn is actively growing.
In South Florida, turfgrass grows year-round, while in North and Central Florida, it grows from roughly March or April through September, October, or November.
The maintenance plan you choose also influences when to fertilize. If you choose a higher maintenance plan, youll fertilize more times during the growing season, while a basic plan will require fewer applications.
Look for a fertilizer with at least some slow-release nitrogen, which releases the nitrogen to the grass over an extended period of time. Be sure that it also contains 2% phosphorus or less in accordance with Florida State Law.
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Do You Fertilize Before Or After Seeding
You can fertilize your lawn before or after overseeding. Both tactics work to feed your new grass seed. Its best to fertilize within 3 days of seeding. This means you can spread your starter fertilizer a few days before you lay down your seed or a few days after. Both are far more beneficial for a healthy lawn than going without fertilizer.
Late Summer To Late Fall
Between August and November, grass slows down and prepares for the winter months. At the same time, broadleaf weeds start active growth again. With Pennington UltraGreen Winterizer Plus Weed & Feed Fertilizer 22-0-14, you can feed your northern or southern lawn nutrients essential to its winter prep and spring green-up and kill broadleaf weeds. As a general rule, allow six to eight weeks between fertilizing and your first expected frost.
As with all fertilizer products, check the label and follow instructions for your specific grass type. If you’re overseeding, wait until next year for weed & feed. Instead, turn to Pennington UltraGreen Lawn Fertilizer 30-0-4 for the year’s final feeding.
Always sweep excess fertilizer off sidewalks and patios to avoid runoff.
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Should You Water Lawn After Fertilizing
At Master Lawn, we typically say to wait 24 hours before watering your lawn after fertilizing. But it is important to make sure that it does receive a good watering session soon after that 24 hour waiting period. Watering helps the fertilizer to activate and to break down and begin feeding nutrients to the lawn.
Are There Circumstances Where You Shouldnt Use A Starter Fertilizer
When it comes to situations where a starter fertilizer for grass isnít required, Landschoot advises, In some cases, a 1- or 2-inch layer of good quality compost amended into soil before establishing turf will provide more than enough nitrogen and phosphorus for optimum establishment. This is certainly the case with bio-solids or manure-based composts which contain significant amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus, so a starter fertilizer is not needed.
You should not use starter fertilizer in areas where you cannot control runoff. Nitrogen and phosphorus from indiscriminate use of fertilizers have caused such great environmental concerns that about half the states in the U.S. have imposed some sort of regulations on fertilizer use.
If your lawn is not rich in natural organic matter, nitrogen plays an important role. Addressing soils that arent amended with organic materials Landschoot continues, In cases where soils are not amended with compost, nitrogen is almost always needed for rapid establishment. Our research shows a greater influence of nitrogen compared to phosphorus on the rate of turf establishment, so if you cant use phosphorus , an application of 1 lb. quick-release nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. will speed up seedling development.
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What Types Of Grass Do I Have
Before you go and start fertilizing your lawn, you must first know what type of grass you have. There is a variety of grasses available to each homeowner. Before you spend money on a fertilizer understand your lawn. Lets take a look at the various types of grasses.
- Combination if your grasses are combined you will notice the warm-season grasses turn brown after the first time a frost comes. The cool-season grasses will be green as long as it is cool. However, during the summer months, the grasses will burn out if the temps are excessively high.
- Warm-season grasses these grasses are typical in the southern states. Warm temperatures allow these grasses to thrive. They are tough and will form a thick grass layer over time. The top warm-season grasses are St. Augustine, Centipede, Bermuda, Zoysia, and Kikuyu grasses.
- Cool-season grasses consist of grasses like tall and fine fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and ryegrass. Lower temperatures create great conditions for a peak growing season. Early spring and early fall make the grasses dormancy turn to growth.
Does Granular Fertilizer Need To Be Watered In
All fertilizers should be watered-in. This ensures that the product will be washed into the soil and become available to the grass through the roots. The best way to water-in fertilizer is to do it naturally, with rain. Try to time the application of fertilizer just before an expected rainfall of at least 1/4 inch.
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Should I Fertilize My Lawn Before Or After Mowing
Ideally, youll want to mow and rake before fertilizing so that excess lawn waste is removed, allowing the fertilizer to have an easier time reaching the soil. Aerating your soil before fertilizing can also help. When fertilizing a lawn, it is best to apply fertilizer after the lawn has been mowed so it has a few days to absorb the fertilizer.
Best Time Of Day To Fertilize
The best time to fertilize is also the best time to mow: between 8 to 10 AM or 4 to 6 PM, although this will depend on weather and water factors. Here are a few guidelines to follow:
High heat and fertilizer dont mix, especially with cool-season grasses. Asking cool-season grasses to absorb high amounts of nitrogen while surviving heat or drought will not end well for your lawn.
Wait until the grass dries from morning dew or rain before applying fertilizer. Droplets will weigh grass blades down, preventing fertilizers from evenly reaching the soil.
While you can fertilize before a light rain if youre expecting a big rainstorm, wait. Synthetic fertilizers will wash away before they even have a chance to absorb.
Dont wait too long in the evening to fertilize, as grass needs time to dry out a bit before the cool nighttime temperatures. Wet grass is more susceptible to fungal diseases.
Only fertilize when the grass is growing, not when its gone dormant.
Find out about the ideal time of day for fertilizing plants:
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Your First Fertilizer Application Should Take Place In Early Spring
Fertilize your lawn in early spring when your grass first begins to grow. In Northeast Ohio, this is typically between March and April when temperatures start consistently staying near 50 degrees. Also consider a weed control application at the same time. Getting ahead of weeds before they germinate can help prevent them from taking over your lawn. A second application of both products should be used in late spring before it gets too hot.
Can You Use Too Much Lawn Fertilizer
You can use too much fertilizer, which is why using a spreader and following the manufacturer’s instructions carefully are both good options. And yes, using too much fertilizer can harm your lawn, leaving the individual blades of grass scorched.
‘Avoid overdoing the fertilizer as you will produce soft weak growth which will just grow too long too quickly,’ comments David Truby. ‘Make sure there is an even coverage as this will ensure the uniformity of color across the entire lawn. To do this, you should use a spreader designed specifically for this purpose and apply the required amount in two halves to help get a more even coverage across your lawn.’
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Why Lawn Fertilization Is Important
Lawn fertilizers are made of the three major nutrients nitrogen , phosphorous , and potassium in various combinations and concentrations. Because nitrogen is the key nutrient for leaf growth, the ratio of nitrogen in lawn fertilizer is always the highest. Phosphorus is important for root growth, and potassium helps with water and nutrient absorption, but their numbers are always lower because most soils already contain enough or most of those two nutrients.
What Kind Of Fertilizer
The type of lawn fertilizer that’s sold in your area is usually what’s right for your region’s soil and turf types. In colder regions, it might be labeled as a winterizer fertilizer. Typically the bag will have slow-release nitrogen, which means the nutrients release slowly over time to grass roots. The numbers on the fertilizer bag should have a larger first number , followed by zeros or smaller numbers for phosphorus and potassium . It might read like this: 32-0-10 or 10-0-20.
In areas with acidic soil, many homeowners apply dolomitic lime in the fall, too. If soil is too acidic, grass roots can’t absorb nutrients. A soil test is the surest way to know if your lawn needs lime. Other signs lawn soil could be too acidic include moss and poor grass growth.
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Best Fertilizer For Cool
Nitrogen is probably all your lawn needs. N-P-K are the letters you’ll see on fertilizer labels and they stand for the key nutrients: Nitrogen , phosphorus , and potassium . Odds are your soil has plenty of phosphorus and potassium. In fact, in some states it isn’t even legal to buy lawn fertilizer with all those ingredients unless you have a soil test to prove you need them.
Excess phosphorous can cause major problems in waterways by encouraging algae, which throws off the balance of the ecosystem that keeps the water clear and fish and other aquatic life healthy. Dose your lawn with a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer the fertilizer bag display of N-P-K should have a bigger number in the first place and either zeros or smaller numbers for the other two nutrients, like 32-0-10.
When To Apply Popular Uk Fertilizers
Below is a table detailing how often to apply popular U.K. lawn fertilizers such as Miracle-Gro Evergreen and Westland. Please note that some of the fertilizers below contain weedkiller. These can be applied to any type of grass.
Please note that the table below includes Amazon Affiliate links.
*NPK = Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
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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?
Apply Lawn Fertilizer In Spring
Deciding exactly when to apply lawn fertilizer depends on where you live. According to Scotts, you should apply lawn fertilizer between February and April when your grass starts to green up and begins to actively grow. Essentially, if it looks like your grass is ready for its first mowing of the season, then it’s ready for lawn fertilizer.
Giving your grass a good dose of lawn fertilizer in the spring sets the stage for a healthy growing season. It strengthens the roots and gives the grass a boost of nutrients to sustain it as it grows. The type of fertilizer you need depends on what type of grass you have and if you want to address other problems, such as weed prevention, or kill pests, like fire ants.
If you’re not sure what type of fertilizer to use, you can speak with your local garden center expert to find out what works best for your grass. Are you not sure what type of grass you have? Cut a small sample and take it with you to show the garden center expert.
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