Keeping your lawn lush and healthy is every homeowner’s goal. To aid in this, you will need fertilizer because they provide additional nutrients for your plants’ growth. However, if misused, it can damage and even kill your grass. For the best results, you need to know how often you should do it. Fertilizers can be expensive too. Of course, you don’t want to waste your money on something that will not bring favorable results. If you are feeling lost already, you’ve come to the right place. This article will answer the question about how often you should feed your lawn. To know your lawn fertilization frequency, you have to consider the following: type of grass, fertilizer application times, kind of fertilizer used, manner of applying fertilizer, and frequency of watering.
Type of grass
Identify first what type of grass you are maintaining. Warm-season grasses like St. Augustine grass and Bermuda grass grow fast in warm weather. However, cool-season grasses like the tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass. For this type of grass, you need to feed them from late spring to early fall. Feeding too early in spring will promote the growth of cool-season weeds from the nitrogen. You may also do so in winter.
Fertilizer Application Times
Fertilizing is usually done on your lawn two times a year if it’s already established. If it’s not, you can feed the lawn up to 4 times. When you first start to apply fertilizer, be sure to do so when the grass grows. The fertilizer application at this stage provides your grass with a boost of nutrients early to ensure its growth. Consider also the temperature of your soil. Soil that is 55-degrees Fahrenheit is optimal for feeding.
Now you’re probably wondering what next, asking how often you should feed your lawn after the first treatment. You may want to wait for 6 to 8 weeks for your next application. Then repeat that within 6 to 8 weeks in between treatment. Plan your applications and consider applying before the hottest part of the summer. It will give your grass a necessary boost. If your lawn is damaged, it may require more treatments until it reaches recovery. It is also applicable if you have grass that is foreign to the climate of your area.
Type of fertilizer used.
How often you should feed your lawn will also depend on what type of fertilizer you use. You may choose either organic or synthetic fertilizer. Organic fertilizers come from natural sources. At the same time, those that came from materials made in the lab are synthetic. There is also an option of either quick-release or slow-release. Organic fertilizers are considered slow-release. This kind of feed helps develop your soil to support grass growth using its capacities. Synthetic fertilizers are primarily quick-release. They aid in fast growth, but they do not contribute anything to your soil.
In choosing your feed, also consider its components. Check out the NPK rating. It shows the amount of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium in the fertilizer. The right choice for your first application is those who have a 20-5-10 NPK rating. The 20% Nitrogen will help your grass grow lush. The 5% Phosphorus will promote healthy root development. While the remaining 10% of Potassium aids in healthy grass growth. Synthetic fertilizers tend to have higher NPK ratings, which result in more immediate results. Despite the fast results, synthetic fertilizer tends to inhibit your lawn’s ability to grow naturally.
Manner of applying fertilizer
To know how often you should feed your lawn, decide whether you will use liquid or granulated fertilizer. Whatever you prefer will determine how you will spread it. Granular fertilizers are relatively easy to apply. Using liquid fertilizers requires precision in volume and application, so you may want to enlist a professional service for this. When applying fertilizer, consider the weather forecast. You don’t want your fertilizer to be washed away by rain. If you opt for a granular fertilizer, you can spread it quickly using a small broadcast spreader.
Frequency of watering
The last thing you should consider in asking how often you feed your lawn is how often you water it. Usually, the fertilizer you buy will have instructions on whether you need to water before or after application. Be mindful of watering. Overwatering will wash away the nutrients before the grass can fully absorb them. In most cases, granular fertilizers do not need much watering after application to ensure that the granules have adhered.
Your lawns need fertilizer for them to thrive. However, doing it improperly or overfeeding may cause more harm to your grass and the soil. Of course, you do not want your money to go to waste and your hard-earned yard to die. So, if you find yourself asking how often you should feed your lawn, go back to this article.
