The dream of many homeowners is a lush, green lawn, but achieving that dream requires planning, maintenance and the right fertilizer schedule. Fertilizing your lawn the right way, at the right time with the right products is the key to healthy, vibrant grass. If you’ve ever wondered when and how you need to fertilize your lawn, this guide will walk you through a step by step schedule for each season, so you can keep that green lawn you’ve always wanted!
Why a Fertilizer Schedule Matters
Changing your lawn’s needs throughout the year means you need to follow a consistent fertilizer schedule. Some of these challenges are brought in by different seasons (heat, cold, dry and wet all impact the health of your grass). A fertilization schedule clearly designed for your lawn will develop a strong, deep root system which will be more resistant to stress, pest, and weed attack. At the right time fertilizing enables the optimum growth, greenness and vitality.
Understanding Your Lawn’s Nutritional Needs
Lawn fertilizers generally consist of three primary nutrients: N, P, and K. These nutrients promote different aspects of growth:
- Nitrogen (N) boosts leaf growth and overall lawn color.
- Phosphorus (P) supports strong root development.
- Potassium (K) enhances disease resistance and drought tolerance.
A soil test is a good idea to start a fertilizer schedule. By testing your soil, you can see what’s located in it and determine what type of fertilizer it needs.
Seasonal Lawn Fertilizer Schedule
Early Spring (March to April)
Early spring is time to give your lawn a boost as your lawn comes out of dormancy. This is a time of year your grass is waking up and a nitrogen-rich fertilizer can help jump-start grass growth. A slow-release fertilizer is preferable because you feed your grass at a consistent rate over a period of time without overwhelming it.
- Fertilizer Type: Nitrogen-heavy, slow-release fertilizer
- Application Tips: Apply once temperatures start to rise and grass begins to green.
- Benefit: Encourages root development and prepares the lawn for active growing.
Late Spring (May to June)
When the weather warms up, your lawn is going into its peak growing season. Late spring fertilization will also give your grass the energy it needs to grow thick and full. Now’s the time to go in with another round of fertilizer on the line for nitrogen to help maintain strong leaf growth.
- Fertilizer Type: Nitrogen-rich fertilizer
- Application Tips: Apply after mowing and water immediately to help absorption.
- Benefit: Strengthens the lawn and promotes dense, green growth.
Summer (July to August)
With the heat and possible drought that can accompany summer, it’s a stressful time for your lawn. In fact, it is recommended that you not fertilize your grass at all in really high temperatures as this could kill your grass. If you need to apply some fertilizer on your grass, you can do that with a light dose of fertilizer with less nitrogen to not stress out the grass.
- Fertilizer Type: Low-nitrogen, balanced fertilizer
- Application Tips: Apply early in the morning or late in the evening when temperatures are cooler.
- Benefit: Maintains lawn health without encouraging excessive growth during the hottest months.
Early Fall (September to October)
One of the most important times to fertilize your lawn is during fall. It’s early fall and your grass has just come off summer stress and is getting ready to go dormant for the winter. Strengthening the roots and making the lawn more cold-resistant: a high-potassium fertilizer will help.
- Fertilizer Type: High-potassium fertilizer
- Application Tips: Apply in early fall to allow nutrients to reach the roots before the first frost.
- Benefit: Enhances root strength and helps the lawn recover from summer damage.
Late Fall (November)
The last step in your lawn care schedule is late fall. The "winterizer" application of fertilizer, this last one, is applied to help the grass store up nutrients for the winter months. Winterizer fertilizer is lower in nitrogen and higher in potassium to assist root health and disease resistance.
- Fertilizer Type: Winterizer fertilizer (low nitrogen, high potassium)
- Application Tips: Apply before the ground freezes but after the last mowing.
- Benefit: Prepares your lawn for winter dormancy and ensures a quicker green-up in the spring.
Best Practices for Fertilizing Your Lawn
- Water After Fertilizing: Watering after fertilizer is always a good thing. It helps the nutrients sink all the way down into the soil. Any of this ensures fertilizer burn does not occur and promotes deep rooting.
- Avoid Over-Fertilizing: If you apply too much fertilizer to your lawn, you can actually hurt it by producing more growth than your lawn can stand or by burning the grass. Pay close attention to how much fertilizer.
- Use a Spreader: You’ll want to use a broadcast or drop spreader to achieve even coverage. This can lead to patchy growth or over-fertilizers in some areas.
- Mow Regularly: Mow your lawn the same height and try to keep it even without making it too short. It shades taller grass which keeps the soil cooler and supplies moisture.
Conclusion
You can have a lush green lawn, if you use the right fertilizer schedule. A seasonal approach will make sure that you apply nutrients to your grass at the right time of the year. Fertilization is one thing that will not only make your lawn look good, but it will also help keep it healthy. If you plan and work carefully, your patience will be amply rewarded with year round vibrant thick growth.
FAQs
1. How often should I fertilize my lawn?
You should fertilize your lawn four times per year, according to a seasonal schedule. The best times for optimum lawn health are early spring, late spring, early fall, or late fall.
2. Can I fertilize my lawn in the summer?
Yes, but use a low-nitrogen fertilizer and do not apply during extreme heat. Planting fertilizer on a hot day will burn foliage, so fertilizing in the early morning or evening when the temperatures are cooler will prevent burning.
3. What happens if I over-fertilize my lawn?
Over fertilizing can cause your grass to grow too fast with weak roots and can even burn the lawn leaving yellow or brown patches. Follow the recommended on the fertilizer label.
4. How long should I wait to water after fertilizing?
Fertilizing lawn soil will require you to water your lawn after fertilizing to help the products get absorbed into the soil. This step also helps with fertilizer burn on the grass blades if they are hit with too much fertilizer.
5. Can I fertilize a newly planted lawn?
Don’t fertilize new lawns until the grass has set in and is growing—usually mowing no. 3 or 4. By this, it makes sure the roots are strong to be able to take the nutrients.
6. Should I fertilize my lawn before or after mowing?
Fertilizing after mowing is best. When mowing before fertilizing, you not only make sure the fertilizer goes to the soil and not up into the grass but by mowing first, you help with an uneven application of nutrients.
