Everything you need to know about Lawn Fertilizer

Applying fertilizer:

• Water your lawn. Before anything, water your lawn a few days in advance to make sure your lawn is prepared to absorb the fertilizer.
• Choose which spreader you will apply. Spreaders come in two categories: broadcast and drop. After finding information on which spreader will best fit your lawn care needs, adjust the spreader settings. Fertilizer products will have their own particular spreader settings to get proper coverage.
• Test your Soil Your lawn’s soil will have a distinct pH level that will influence how the grass will apply the elements in the fertilizer. Use a home testing kit to decide which fertilizer will work well for your grass. After this, get your soil as close to neutral as conceivable to secure the maximum benefit from the fertilizer of your choice. The optimal pH range for growing hearty grass is between 6.0 and 7.0.
• Apply the fertilizer Nourish your lawn with fertilizer, by covering it identical to a mowing pattern. Walk back and forth in straight lines and lightly overlap with each pass.
• Second Watering It is essential that you water your lawn again, after you have fed it with fertilizer, to make sure that it packs it into your soil. Watering your lawn after fertilizing will make sure that the fertilizer runs into your soil and let it to slide off of grass blades.
• Leftover Product Properly save the excess lawn fertilizer by pouring it back into the bag and storing it for future fertilizing. Make sure to preserve it in a dry and cool place, away from pets and children.

Tips:

• Do not apply any type of lawn fertilizer close to humid or wet habitats – wetlands, rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds. Failure to follow this step may create unwanted growth of weeds, and even algae. Try to stay at least 6 to 8 feet away from water when spreading fertilizer.
• Invest some time to accurately measure the size of your lawn to ensure you get enough fertilizer to cover it.
• If you fertilize once a year, apply it around Labor Day. This time of year is when your grass is the hungriest and it will respond best to the nutrients you nourish it.
• Try using organic fertilizers during the sunny seasons when the temperatures are high. Organic lawn fertilizers, specifically in hot weather, strengthen the production of soil microbes in most cases.
• Keep notes. Include general information on what, how much, and when.
• Make sure not to apply lawn fertilizer more than four times a year.

Best ways to use Fertilizer:

• Fertilizer and water Use the three-step method of water, fertilize, and water. It is critical for your grass to get a second watering, as it allows for the fertilizer to be washed off of grass blades, and into the soil. A different approach to this is to appoint fertilizing application in between rainfalls so the rain can do the watering part for you. Although this method works, make sure you are not fertilizing before a bad rainfall, or it could wash away the fertilizer. Also stay away from fertilizing when your lawn has faded or browned from not enough moisture.
• Before or after Mowing? It is great to feed lawn fertilizer to a freshly mowed lawn, since you give it a few days to absorb the fertilizer. The best times to spread fertilizer are early spring, late summer, and fall. Mow the lawn and leave some of grass clippings, as it releases nitrogen into the grass which is one of the three main ingredients of lawn fertilizers.