A professional lawn fertilizer service tailors treatment to your lawn according to the nutrients your grass requires to make it healthy. Using the right fertilizers and applying them at an appropriate time can improve your turf quality. Here is more information about when and how to spread lawn fertilizers:
When to Fertilize Your Lawn
Different types of grass grow at various rates, enabling you to determine the right seasons to fertilize your lawn. Most grasses respond to fertilizer the best during their active growth periods. For cool-season grasses, including Kentucky bluegrass and fescue, apply fertilizer during the early spring and fall to improve growth. From late spring to summer, warm-season grasses, like Bermuda or Zoysia, can be fertilized. During the summer, apply fertilizer early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid fertilizer burn.
When your lawn is producing new leaves and appears thick, it is best to hire a professional to apply fertilizer. Healthy grass absorbs and uses nutrients more efficiently, increasing the risk of over-fertilization. If your grass is damaged because of drought or excessive traffic, wait until the grass regrows before applying fertilizer. This approach allows ruined grass to recover and utilize nutrients better, helping it grow stronger. Specialists may also feed lawns when rain is expected to allow nutrients to soak into the soil, promoting growth.
How to Spread Lawn Fertilizers
Applying fertilizers using the right techniques distributes nutrients uniformly, promoting even growth and reducing the risk of lawn diseases. It also lowers the possibility of applying too much or too little fertilizer on your grass, which affects how it develops. Here are some ways to add fertilizer to your grass:
Conduct Soil Tests
To determine the kind and quantity of nutrients your grass needs, a professional lawn fertilizer service tests your soil. They take soil samples from various areas in your lawn to determine nutrient status, soil pH, and organic matter. If the report shows that your soil is lacking certain nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium, experts choose fertilizers that contain these minerals. When your soil pH is too high, applicators often add lime, and if it’s too low, they may add sulfur to balance the pH.
Prepare Your Lawn
Mowing your lawn a few days before spreading fertilizer gives the grass time to recover and allows the nutrients to reach the soil easily. If some parts of your lawn are longer than others, they might get more fertilizer, resulting in uneven growth. Watering the lawn before application can create a better environment for the fertilizer to dissolve and be absorbed by the soil. Irrigating your grass a day in advance of fertilization is often best to prevent runoff and improve absorption.
Apply Fertilizer
If you have a large lawn, applicators use a broadcast spreader to distribute fertilizers evenly without missing any spots. For small areas or narrow places, a hand-held spreader is useful for distributing fertilizer evenly across the lawn. Some professionals use ride-on equipment to calibrate and distribute the fertilizer. Spreader settings can be changed based on the size of the granules and the speed at which the equipment is moving to make sure your grass is fed uniformly. Applying fertilizer by using overlapping passes in different directions covers all areas well.
Schedule Lawn Fertilizer Service Today
If your lawn has thin patches or is growing too slowly, applying fertilizer provides the necessary nutrients to boost grass health. Professionals can time fertilizer application to improve absorption, helping your grass grow thick and strong. Some fertilizer services also offer herbicide-free or organic fertilizers to reduce chemicals in your yard. Call a trusted lawn care company to book fertilizer services today.