While the fall can be the most important time to use fertilizer for lawn before it gets too cold. The second most vital time will be spring.
Once the warmer weather approaches, your grass will be ready to get into the growing mode, and fertilizing it will mean it doesn’t use up too much energy.
Because of this, you need to make sure you don’t fertilize with just any old fertilizer on your lawn. But you need to be sure the timing is right so it can help your grass in time for the growing season to start in earnest.
Here you can find out all you need about the best lawn fertilizer to add to your lawn, when to do it and what lawn care actions you need to go through to make sure your rights reserved lawn fertilizers do their job. (Read When is the Best Time to Fertilize Your Lawn)
When Should I Fertilize Lawn in Spring?
A well-fed lawn is healthier, and it will have a healthier root system to combat weather fluctuations, drought, lawn mowing, people walking across it, and other significant stresses. Lawn fertilizer helps ready your grass for the coming season.
While you can apply fertilizer once a year, which will improve its condition, you can feed it more than this to transform it into a lush carpet of green. To get the ball rolling, you need to start at the right time, too early or too late, and it won’t offer the benefits to your lawn as you expect. (Read Best Lawn Mowers Brands)
Early Spring
Why feed: Lawns will be hungry after winter, and applying fertilizer now strengthens its roots.
When to Feed: Apply spring fertilizer for lawns in early spring from late February to April, as your grass begins to green and grow actively. You may find you fertilize your lawn around the time your lawn needs its first mowing.
When you use fertilizer for lawns in spring. Make sure it is ideally toward the latter end of early spring as you can divert your grasses energy into leaf development too early.
Late Spring
Why feed: Now, the grass is busy and uses stored energy, so it needs lots of nourishment and will react when you fertilize it before the summer.
When to Feed: Apply in late spring from April and June, about 6 to 8 weeks after your early fertilizer for spring application.
Summer
Why feed: Fertilizing in summer helps keep the grass healthy.
When to feed: Apply your dose of summer lawn fertilizer from June to August and about 6 to 8 weeks following your late spring feed. (Learn How To Add Potassium To Soil)
Fall
Why feed: Lawns start looking for nutrients following the summer’s damage and getting ready for winter. Carrying out your lawn fertilization now strengthens roots and can increase nitrogen storage, ready for a healthy lawn in the following spring.
When to Feed: Fertilize once from August and November, just before winter arrives, and it is around 6 to 8 weeks after you fed in summer.
What Fertilizer Should I Use in the Spring?
When selecting a lawn fertilizer for spring, you need to make sure it is the right kind.
Fertilizers comprise three main components which are, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. Also, it would be best if you were sure it is a slow-release fertilizer formula. This will help add nutrients over the coming weeks rather than a sudden burst and thus forcing your grass to grow too fast.
What Do You Put on Your Lawn in the Spring?
One thing that can catch many gardeners out is they may apply fertilizer while their grass isn’t in the optimal condition to do so.
To get good growth, you need to begin your lawn care. Here are some of the steps to take to make sure that it delivers the best benefits to your grass when you feed your lawn.
Rake Properly: You will have lots of thatch and dead turf grass nestled in your lawn. If you don’t clear this, your lawn won’t receive the nutrients from the fertilizer. (Read How to Dethatch Lawn)
Aerate: Soil may be compacted over the previous few months of the winter season. If it is too hard, your grass roots won’t spread, and as the fertilizer dissolves, it won’t soak into the soil. You can use hand aerators, of if you have a large area, you can rent a machine that will do this in far less time.
Spring isn’t the best time, though it may be a necessity if your lawn has seen a lot of foot traffic.
Overseed: You may see lots of patches that are bare and brown once the weather changes. It can help to overseed these bare patches with grass seed. If you need to do this, make sure to add your slow-release fertilizer at the same time. You will also need to add one application of fast release fertilizer around five weeks after germination.
Apply Preemergent Herbicides: Weeds are one thing that can overpower your grass and restrict its growth. Much of the herbicide needed depends on whether you have annual weeds or perennial.
One such wee is crabgrass that also begins its growth in spring. Your preemergent herbicide will coat the surface of your soil that coats seeds of the weeds and stops them from growing.
One thing to note is that you shouldn’t carry out any preemergent herbicide if you are performing any core aeration. Besides this, these herbicides will also stop your grass seeds from germinating before the growing season. (Read How Long Does Weed Killer Last)
Once you understand when and how to apply your lawn fertilizer, the entire procedure isn’t too tricky, and you can reap the rewards with healthy grass that goes from strength to strength as it grows, and you mow it through the season. (Read more: Electric Lawn Mower Reviews)
