A well-maintained lawn boosts curb appeal, helps appease your HOA, and ensures your kids have a comfortable, safe place to play outdoors. From lawn aeration to mowing, there are a wide array of tasks you have to keep up with to ensure your turf stays in top-notch condition. Perhaps the most important yet most confusing of these jobs is knowing how often should you fertilize your lawn.
What time of year is best to lay down fertilizer? And how many times within a month or season is healthy? Below, we provide the answers to these questions and more. So read on!
The Beginning of Spring: March
Wherever you’re located in the US, early spring is a great time to feed your lawn. The warming weather encourages the grass to push out new green blades. And this makes your lawn hungry!
Aim to add fertilizer once in this period—ideally in March, though you can do it as late as April or as early as February (especially in areas without snow or frost).
If this is your first time fertilizing your lawn, it may pay to consult with professional lawn care services like this company in Kansas City: https://www.heartlandturf.com/kansas-city/.
The End of Spring: May
As we mentioned above, if you feed your lawn in very early spring, aim to feed it again in late May. Your grass should be sprouting vigorously by now and has likely used up the energy you gave it a few months ago.
At this time, weeds like dandelion, violet, and clover are popping up. Feeding your grass now will help it develop strong roots so it can out-grow these invasive plants.
If you’re unsure which fertilizer is best for this time of the year, contact your local lawn care company for advice.
The Beginning of Summer: June
Summer lawn fertilization is all about:
- Insect and weed control
- Boosting heat and drought tolerance
- Staying strong under heavy foot traffic
Giving your grass the food it needs to stay healthy ensures it has the strength to withstand these harsh conditions.
Aim to fertilize your lawn at the start of summer so it has a store of food to last through the hardest, hottest months. This should be at least one month after your late spring feeding.
The Beginning of Fall: September
Fall is the season of falling leaves and yard work—including raking those leaves off a lawn that’s preparing for winter dormancy. At this time, you need to ensure your grass has enough stores of nitrogen and other nutrients to survive the cooler or even freezing winter months.
Look for a high-nitrogen food with nutrients that focus on strong root growth and winter pest resistance. This will ensure your lawn recovers quickly, popping up green and healthy the following spring.
How Often Should You Fertilize Your Lawn: Explained
As you can see, it’s not so much a case of how often should you fertilize your lawn but when or what time of year.
Giving your lawn a comprehensive feeding somewhere between 4 and 6 times a year is enough. Remember, while fertilizer has benefits, putting down too much can have adverse effects—from ultra-rapid growth to killing your grass due to too-high salt and nitrogen levels.
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