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Understanding the need for and effects of a well-planned fertilizer program is
the first step in not only keeping up with but actually making the Joneses
jealous. Of course you can always have a lawn service apply your fertilizer
program but for a significant cost savings (and most likely better results) you
can easily do the job yourself. Here’s what you need to know to effectively feed
and protect your lawn all year long.
Why?
Every time we mow our lawns, we remove part of the plant causing it to work
harder and grow a new shoot. He most important thing you can do for a growing
lawn is to feed it with the proper nutrition. Regular fertilizing also
strengthens grass, helping protect it from heat, drought, insects and diseases.
Furthermore, the best way to prevent weeds is with a well-fed, thick and healthy
lawn.
This discussion will center on chemical fertilizers because they’re much more
commonly used, but there are also effective natural methods for keeping your
lawn healthy throughout the year. If you are interested in a natural fertilizing
program, consult your local garden center and research various methods. Most
natural fertilizers have distinct benefits and over-fertilizing is not an issue.
The biggest drawbacks to natural methods are their release can be dramatically
affected by weather and they’re much slower acting than chemicals.
When?
Most lawns require four to five feedings each year, beginning with your first
mow and ending when your grass is finished growing for the year. Here’s a basic
feeding timeline:
Early spring (February to April) – A
spring feeding strengthens roots and helps kick off a good growing season. This
is also the time to apply a pre-emergent crabgrass control, which can usually be
found in combination with fertilizer for a one-step application.
Late spring/early summer (May to June) –
This is the big growth season for your lawn and also when broadleaf weeds are
actively growing. Your best bet this time of year is a fertilizer mix with
broadleaf weed control. Be sure to apply it to a damp lawn (onto morning dew is
ideal) and allow at least two days with no rain after application.
Late summer (July to August) – Your
heat-stressed grass that’s been subject to running kids and dogs does not need a
lot of fertilizer but an application will certainly help the recovery process.
Be careful not to fertilize when temperatures are above 90°F.
Early fall (September to October) – Since
fall is the best time to seed a lawn, it makes sense it’s also most important
time to fertilize your lawn with the nutrients it needs to recover from the
summer, especially if you skipped the mid-summer application.
Late fall/early winter (November to December) –
This will be the last time your lawn is fed before the winter months and the
appropriate fertilizer will strengthen roots and increase nitrogen storage to
give your lawn a head start in the spring.
What?
There are two basic types of lawn fertilizer, soluble and controlled release. As
mentioned before, we’re concentrating on synthetics or chemical fertilizers,
although many natural methods are also available.
Soluble synthetic fertilizers are produced by chemical reaction, from organic or
inorganic materials. They quickly release nutrients into the soil and deliver a
fast green up. Because they don’t depend on microbes, like natural fertilizers,
they’re readily available, delivering at critical time periods with precise and
known effects. These fertilizers do require more frequent feedings, even as many
as six throughout the year and have the capability to burn your lawn if applied
incorrectly.
Controlled-release fertilizers are sometimes called timed-release or
slow-release and combine some characteristics of natural and synthetic
fertilizers. Some contain nitrogen as part of a complex compound that breaks
down slowly in soil while others are actually coated pellets that release each
time they get wet, introducing small amounts of nutrients into the soil.
Be sure to talk to a lawn care specialist at your local garden center to make
sure you’re using the correct fertilizer formulation for your location.
How?
The final step in fertilizing, after you’ve chosen the day and type of
fertilizer, is application. If you plan on continuing to fertilize your lawn on
a regular basis, you’ll want to buy a spreader. There are many makes and models
available but the basic choice is if you want a rotary-style or drop spreader.
Choose a drop spreader if you have a very small lawn or wish to apply your
fertilizer very precisely, although it will take some time. Rotary spreaders
literally throw the fertilizer in a swath of several feet, getting the job done
much more quickly. One consideration is how many flowerbeds you have in your
lawn. If your yard is “crowded” consider a drop spreader to avoid
overfertilizing garden beds.
Everyone has their own pattern for spreading fertilizer but the experts say to
make header strips at each end of the lawn and to go back and forth shutting off
the spreader and turning around after each row. Watch the spread of your
fertilizer and adjust aisle widths accordingly.
What next?
Many people overseed their lawns every year, simply spreading a light layer of
grass seed over their entire lawn before winter to help fill in any bare spots
in spring. This is a good idea that will only help keep your lawn healthy and
full. Grub control is another issue for homeowners in some areas, but that’s an
entire topic of its own. If you notice sections of your lawn dead, gone or
peeled back, chances are you have grubs. The best way to check is to tightly
grab a section of turf near the damaged area and pull it straight up. If it
comes up easily (like a toupee) grubs have sheared off the roots and you need to
treat with a grub control product immediately. Another common lawn problem is
moss, which can be easily treated with powdered or palletized lime. For help
with these and other problems, contact your local garden center as soon as you
detect a problem.
SIDEBAR: Healthy Lawn = Disease Resistance
According to the University of California Department of Agriculture and Natural
Resources, maintaining a healthy, vigorously growing lawn is the best way to
prevent a severe disease outbreak in a turfgrass. A 5,000 square foot lawn
contains about four million turfgrass plants, each requiring optimum amounts of
water and fertilizer, the right mowing regime, and an aerated, well-drained
soil. About 75 to 85 percent of common lawn diseases can be avoided altogether
just by optimizing these practices to avoid stressed grass, which is much more
susceptible to disease outbreaks than healthy grass.
By Bill Calkins with help from the lawn care
experts at the Scotts/Miracle-Gro Company.
Managing Editor of Ball Publishing's Green Profit, Bill Calkins brings
experience working in and writing about garden centers and growing operations,
as well as a passion for sharing ideas and inspiring retail creativity. Take this link back to the main list of documents. |
