New Landscape Makes a Yard Feel New Again

If you want a really green, lush, and healthy lawn, then you really do need to fertilize it. Fertilizers provide nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and sometimes other nutrients to make grass grow healthier and stronger. But how do you fertilize your lawn most effectively? Here are a few key tips.

1. Start early

Many people will wait until the early summer when the grass is really starting to grow to fertilize it. But if you fertilize earlier, your grass will have the nutrients it needs for that early-spring jump start in growth it often experiences. Generally, you'll want to fertilize the lawn in early spring, as soon as the temperatures start climbing. If it cools down again after you fertilize, that's okay. Any nutrients the grass does not use immediately will linger in the soil to be used when it does start growing. 

2. Fertilize around the edges, first

The edges of a lawn often get neglected. So, start by fertilizing around the edges. Spread fertilizer all the way around the perimeter. Then, to make sure you fertilize the middle of the lawn, walk back and forth in straight lines to fill in the middle of the lawn with fertilizer. This is easiest to do if you use a push-style fertilizer spreader. However, you can use a can and sprinkle the fertilizer as you walk, if needed.

3. Water your lawn afterward

Sometimes people figure that they'll spread the fertilizer and then just wait for the rain to wash it into the soil. The problem with this is that some of the fertilizer may get blown away or even eaten by birds before it rains. Also, rain tends to impart less moisture onto a lawn than you might assume unless it is a really heavy rainstorm. You'll have better results if you water your lawn generously after spreading your fertilizer.

4. Use a lawn-specific fertilizer

Yes, a general-purpose fertilizer will make your grass grow. But one made specifically for grass will do an even better job. For grass, you want a fertilizer that's quite high in nitrogen. All-purpose fertilizers tend to contain less nitrogen as too much isn't good for veggie and flower plants. 

If you use a lawn-specific fertilizer, spread it evenly, water it in, and do it early, you should get excellent results when fertilizing your lawn. Talk to a landscaper in your area to learn more about lawn fertilization services.