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9 TIPS FOR FERTILIZING YOUR LAWN

Monday, October 24, 2022   /   by Lauren Wilson

9 TIPS FOR FERTILIZING YOUR LAWN


1. 
Fertilization

 

Fertilize your lawn properly, and you’ll be on your way to a healthy turf that maintains a deep green color and gives weeds a run for their money. Nitrogen is every lawn’s most important ingredient, and each type of grass demands different amounts to display peak growth and performance. How often you fertilize affects not only lawn appearance, but also maintenance level. The more you fertilize, the more you’ll have to mow, for instance.

 



2. Using a Broadcast or Rotary Spreader


A broadcast or rotary spreader works well when you’re fertilizing larger lawn areas. Before filling the hopper, make sure it’s closed. It’s a good idea to fill it on a tarp, so you can easily gather any spilled fertilizer. Apply fertilizer around the perimeter of the lawn first, and then start to move back and forth across turf in an orderly pattern. Overlap application strips slightly to ensure that you cover the whole lawn evenly with fertilizer.


3. 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.


4. 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.


5. Using a Handheld, Pre-Calibrated, Battery-Powered Spreader


Handheld, pre-calibrated, battery-powered spreaders make application a cinch for small yards. Simply flip a switch and start walking to fertilize your lawn. This type of handheld spreader works well in small yards or areas that make it hard to maneuver a traditional push lawn spreader, like on slopes.


6. Fertilizer and Water


A day or two before applying fertilizer, water your lawn thoroughly. After grass dries, apply fertilizer. Then lightly water again. This second watering is vitally important, because it washes fertilizer off grass blades and into soil. You can also time fertilizer application between rainfalls to let rain wash fertilizer into soil. Just be sure you don’t fertilize before a downpour, or you may wind up with fertilizer washing away, especially if your lawn slopes. Avoid applying fertilizer during a drought when a lawn has browned or withered from lack of moisture


7. Grass cycling


Grass cycling refers to letting grass clippings lie on the lawn after cutting. These clippings can provide up to 25 percent of your lawn’s fertilizer needs, saving you time and money. One hundred pounds of lawn clippings can yield up to three to four pounds of nitrogen. On an annual basis, an average half-acre lawn in a temperate zone like Pennsylvania yields more than three tons of grass clippings, so grass cycling can play a big role in nourishing your lawn. You don’t need a specialized mulching mower to grass cycle, although you might want to replace your current mower blade with a mulching blade, which cuts grass into smaller pieces that decompose more quickly.


8. When to Fertilize Warm-Season Grasses


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.


9. When to Fertilize Cool-Season Grasses


Fertilize cool-season grasses in early fall. These fertilizers are often sold under the moniker “winterized fertilizer.” Many lawn care professionals state that cool-season grasses can get by with just one fertilizer application per year in the fall. The fall feeding is responsible for a quick green-up in spring. For most regions where cool-season grasses grow, apply fertilizer in October or November. Make applications before grass starts to discolor with the arrival of cold weather. Check with your local extension office or a reputable garden center to discover the proper timing for your region.



Earl Sanders Realty, Inc.
760 Lynnhaven Pkwy, Suite 100
Virginia Beach, VA 23452
757-917-5197
Kelly Cordero
Branch Manager / Regional Manager
Mobile: 757-348-7053
Office: 757-689-8778
Email: kelly@cbmmortgage.com
www.cbmmortgage.com
NMLSR ID #282839
760 Lynnhaven Pkwy, Suite 101
Virginia Beach, VA 23452
Branch NMLS ID # 1743533
CBM Mortgage, Inc.– Company NMLS #282839 www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org
CBM Mortgage is an Equal Housing Lender

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