Fertilizing Your Lawn
Fertilizing effectively involves more than simply picking up the first
bag of fertilizer you find and spreading it over your lawn once or twice
a year.
Fertilizers are available in both liquid and granular forms. Liquid fertilizers
are easily applied using a hose-end sprayer. Granular fertilizers are
applied with a spreader and must be watered into the grass. Granular fertilizers
are easier to control because you can actually see how much fertilizer
you are using and where it is being dispersed.
The experts at TruGreen
offer these guidelines for fertilizing your own lawn.
The Right Mix Matters
The right fertilizer for your lawn will depend on the soil's particular
chemistry: the presence of naturally occurring elements, as well as its
pH or degree of acidity.
Fertilizer Types:
Complete fertilizers contain nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium
in the same product, and may include other essential mineral elements.
Balanced fertilizers provide nutrients in a predetermined ratio
that best meets the lawn's individual requirements for those elements.
Overall, turfgrasses require nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in the
approximate ratio of 3-1-2, 4-1-2, or 8-1-3.
Weed and Feed is a common term which refers to fertilizer that
contains weed killer for broadleaf weeds such as dandelions. The weed
killer in these types of fertilizers are "contact killers," and are effective
only if the weeds are already actively growing. They will not kill weeds
which have not yet germinated.
Commonly used to prevent crabgrass, pre-emergents are weed killers
which must be applied before the weeds germinate. They are ineffective
if the weeds are actively growing. Pre-emergent weed killers are often
mixed with fertilizer and are designed to be spread in early spring. Crabgrass
normally germinates when the ground temperature reaches 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
How to select a lawn fertilizer
There are three major considerations in selecting a lawn fertilizer:
- The analysis. This indicates the percentage (by weight) of
the three major nutrients in a fertilizer: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
The analysis is printed on the front of every fertilizer package.
For example: 4-1-2
4 - First number is nitrogen (N). Nitrogen makes grass plants grow and
become greener.
1 - Second number is phosphorus (P). Phosphorus stimulates root and seedling
development.
2 - Third number is potassium (K). Potassium promotes disease and drought
tolerance.
- The nitrogen release rate. How fast the nitrogen is released
determines not only how fast the grass will green up, but also how much
it will grow and how long the results will last. Lawn grasses require
a steady, controlled feeding to produce a thick, green lawn.
Controlled-release fertilizers deliver just enough quick-release nitrogen
to produce a fast greening, while the balance is released gradually, by
microbial action in the soil, over a period of approximately eight weeks.
As a result, the lawn is fed continuously, so there is a constant supply
of nitrogen for the grass plants.
- Granule content. Make sure the fertilizers you choose are made
of an even mixture of granule particles so your lawn will get the proper
mixture of nutrients.
Before Applying Fertilizer
- Determine the square footage of lawn to be fertilized. Fertilizers,
weed-killers, and other soil amendments are typically sold by the amount
necessary to cover a certain square footage. A bag of fertilizer, for
example, may be recommended to cover 5000 square feet. You can determine
this figure by multiplying the length of your lawn by its width. Then,
subtract the square footage of the house, driveway, and areas not to
be fertilized.
| Lawn: |
250 ft. X 150 ft. |
= 37,500 sq. ft. |
| House: |
80 ft. X 36 ft. |
= 880 sq. ft. |
| Driveway: |
12 ft. X 50 ft. |
= 600 sq. ft. |
| Total |
|
= 34,020 sq. ft. |
34,020 divided by 5,000 sq. ft. per bag equals 6.8 or roughly 7 bags
of fertilizer. If you know how much acreage you have, it may be easier
to remember this: 1 acre equals 43,560 sq. ft.
- Identify your grass as a cool or warm season grass. You may already
know this, particularly if you planted the grass yourself. Or, you may
be able to determine what type of grass you are likely to have by your
geographic area. A large section of the U.S. can be considered "transitional,"
which means that both warm and cool season grasses may grow in the area.
If you live in this area, a clue to your grass type is the fact that
warm season grasses will turn brown after the first frost. Cool season
grasses, however, will generally stay green all year long in the cool
and transitional zones. They will not, however, survive the summers
in the warm season zone.
Applying Fertilizer
It's best to apply granular fertilizer in the early evening right before
it rains. Applying fertilizer in the early evening gives the lawn time
to absorb the nutrients, while rain washes the fertilizer down to the
grass roots and will prevent granules from burning the lawn.
Steps:
- Make sure the spreader and fertilizer are dry.
- Set the rate-of-flow lever according to the setting listed on the
fertilizer bag. If you have any doubts, apply too little rather than
too much.
- Close the hopper vent. Place the spreader on a hard surface and fill
the hopper slowly. Wear gloves and be sure to keep fertilizer away from
eyes and skin.
- For complete coverage, cut the recommended application rate in half
and apply evenly in a crisscross manner.
For spraying you will need:
- Hose-end sprayer (designed for liquid fertilizer)
- Garden gloves
- Liquid fertilizer
Steps:
- Fill sprayer canister with liquid fertilizer.
- Carefully attach canister unit to the end of your garden hose.
- Move at a steady pace to cover the entire lawn evenly. Walk slowly,
spraying from side to side.
Fertilizer Frequency
The rate of fertilization and frequency of application directly impact
color, growth rate, and density of a lawn. Lawns that are fertilized too
infrequently tend to be thin and overrun by weeds. And it's important
not to give up just because you don't see immediate results. Some nutrients,
like phosphorous and potassium, may not promote greening, but over a period
of time, they will improve the vigor and health of your lawn.
Danger Signs
Improper fertilization can create more problems than it solves. If you
don't apply enough fertilizer for the grass type, your lawn simply will
not show any benefit. Even worse, if you use twice the correct rate of
fertilizer or more, the salt in the fertilizer can "burn" the grass. Grass
blades will lose their color and turn brown.
Frequently Asked Questions
A drop spreader or a rotary spreader?
Drop spreaders treat the turf area directly below the spreader (from
two to three feet wide) and allow a more precise placement of fertilizer.
However, skips and overlaps will be very evident. Rotary spreaders broadcast
fertilizer in about six- to eight-foot swaths. Rotary spreaders are quicker
and more forgiving than drop spreaders, but require you to clean up fertilizer
from sidewalks and driveways following application.
Water your lawn after applying fertilizer?
Nutrients in standard fertilizers are absorbed primarily by plant roots.
Watering after fertilizing will force the nutrients into solution and
make them more readily available for turf uptake.
For help with your lawn, trees, and shrubs, schedule a free lawn analysis from the experts at TruGreen
.
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For help with your lawn, schedule a free lawn analysis
from the experts at TruGreen
.
|
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