These smart lawn fertilizing practices make way for a lush, easy-care lawn.
Max Kim-Bee
The right lawn fertilizing program can help you achieve the vibrant green grass of your dreams. But figuring out how and when to fertilize your lawn in an effective and environmentally sustainable way can be daunting. Before you start fertilizing, make sure your lawn is receiving adequate moisture, turf disease issues are remedied, and climate conditions are right for growth. Then, use the following tips to feed your lawn properly.
1. Fertilize When Grass Is Actively Growing
Turfgrass takes up nutrients and uses them when it is actively growing. Fertilizing dormant grass is a waste of fertilizer. The product is not absorbed by plant roots and may leach into the nearby water system.
Tips
Not sure if your turf is actively growing? If you are mowing, the grass is growing.
2. Fall Is Best
Whether your lawn is made up of warm-season grass (bermudagrass, centipedegrass, and St. Augustinegrass) or cool-season grass (Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and fescues), fall is the best time to fertilize for a green lawn. Warm soil temperatures combined with regular moisture and moderate temperatures in autumn are an excellent combination for strong root growth, which leads to vibrant green top growth in spring.
3. Fertilize with Care in Spring
Too much nitrogen fertilizer-more than 1 pound per 1,000 square feet-spurs lawn grass to turn green quickly and grow with gusto. Over-abundant shoot growth is at the expense of root growth. The compromised root system is rarely able to sustain the robust shoot growth, making the turf susceptible to drought, disease, and pests. Concentrate on fertilizing turf in the fall.
4. Watch the Numbers
The three numbers on a bag of fertilizer represent the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium the product contains. Nitrogen, the first number in the set of three numbers, is responsible for lush green growth and should be the largest of the three numbers for quick green-up.
5. Take a Soil Test
A simple soil test is the best way to deliver the right nutrients to your turf grass for good green growth. Available online from a variety of soil-testing services, a good soil test provides turf-specific fertilizer recommendations.
6. Choose Slow-Release Fertilizer
A slow-release fertilizer, also called controlled-release, provides turfgrass with small amounts of nutrients over a long period. More expensive than fast-release products, slow-release fertilizers reduce the risk of fertilizer burn and promote slow, sustained grass growth (as opposed to a big flush of growth). Look for the words "slow-release nitrogen" on the fertilizer package.
7. Water After Application
Grass can't take advantage of fertilizer until it reaches the plants' root zones. Lightly water turf-aim to apply about a 1/4-inch of water-to move the fertilizer down to the roots, or time the application to correspond to natural rainfall.
8. Avoid Weed-and-Feed Products
Often, weed-and-feed products don't correspond to the needs of the grass. The included herbicide that provides weed control has a specific timing for application that often differs from the ideal time to apply the fertilizer. Instead of a weed-and-feed product, choose a stand-alone herbicide and apply it at the right time.
9. Purchase Only What You Need
Calculate how much fertilizer you need for your lawn and buy what you need for the season. Aim not to store any fertilizer. Here's a simple guideline: Full-sun lawns grow well with 3 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per growing season, while shade lawns need only 1.5 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per growing season.
10. Think Green for the Environment
A green lawn is an eyesore if it is achieved at a cost to the ecosystem. Follow application directions precisely. Do not overfertilize. Excessive fertilizer pollutes both soil and water systems.
11. Leave the Clippings
Let lawn clippings filter into the soil, where they quickly break down, delivering valuable nutrients to the turfgrass. Scientists have found that leaving grass clippings on the lawn after mowing replaces one fertilizer application a year. If you fertilize your turf three times a year, that could equate to a 33% savings.
12. Wait Patiently
Expect grass to green up about four weeks after a fertilizer application, although it can take as long as eight weeks to see a response, especially during the cool temperatures in spring and fall. If the turf doesn't green up, more fertilizer isn't the answer. A soil, water, or climate factor is likely at play.
13. Consider Organic Fertilizers
Turfgrass can green up with the help of organic fertilizers. Examples of organic lawn fertilizers include cottonseed meal, seaweed, bone meal, blood meal, and various animal manures. However, organic fertilizers are usually less potent than synthetic products and require more frequent applications.
Related: The 9 Best Organic Lawn Fertilizers
14. Apply Three Applications a Year
For a dense lawn with good green color and moderate growth-as opposed to vigorous growth that demands mowing every four to five days during optimal conditions-fertilize your lawn in late spring, late summer, and again in late fall. Apply 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet with each application. If you leave clippings on your lawn, cut back to two applications-late summer and fall.
15. Overlap the Passes
When spreading fertilizer with a rotary spreader, overlap your passes by about 50%. Turf scientists determined most fertilizer granules fall within the wheel tracks and taper to the edge of the distribution pattern. Overlap passes so that the far edge of the fertilizer pattern lands on the wheel tracks of the previous pass.
Related: The 7 Best Fertilizer Spreaders
16. Use a Winterizer Fertilizer
High in nitrogen and potassium, a winterizer fertilizer product is applied in mid to late fall. It helps grass store energy for winter and improves cold tolerance and disease resistance. The healthy turf greens up quickly in spring.
Related: 7 Simple Tips for Protecting Your Lawn from Winter Damage, According to Experts
17. Be Ready to Mow
A green lawn is a growing lawn, and a growing lawn requires regular mowing. If your lawn demands more frequent mowing than you like, cut back on the fertilizer. The growth will slow, but the grass will likely remain green.
Frequently asked Questions
Is there a fertilizer that doesn't burn grass?
Any fertilizer can burn grass if it is misapplied. However, some fertilizers are less likely to burn grass: fertilizers labeled "slow-release" and organic fertilizers are more gentle on your lawn.
Will too much fertilizer cause brown spots in a lawn?
It can, but there are other causes as well. Don't overfertilize, and also check out how to repair brown spot damage done by those other causes.
When should I not fertilize my lawn?
Don't fertilize when it is extremely hot or cold because the grass won't absorb the nutrients well. Also avoid fertilizing while it is raining or immediately after a heavy rain to avoid washing some of the fertilizer away.
