How to Fertilize a Lawn
Know your grass., Do a pH soil test., Measure your lawn., Select a fertilizer that meets your lawn's needs., Choose a type of fertilizer.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Know your grass.
The type of grass you have will determine what type of fertilizer you need to use, and how often you need to fertilize.
Some regions have primarily warm season grasses, while others have primarily cool season grasses.
If you don't know what type of grass is growing in your yard, ask your neighbors who have similar grass, or take a sample to your local garden center.
Warm season grasses grow primarily in the southern regions of the US.
They include St.
Augustine, Bahia, Carpetgrass, Centipede, Bermuda, Zoysia, and Buffalo, among others.
These grasses turn brown in the fall after the first frost of the year.
Cool season grasses grow primarily in the northern regions of the US.
They include Fine Fescue, Bluegrass, bentgrass, and ryegrass.
Cool season grasses are more cold-tolerant, but will still fade to a light tan or brown color during the coldest winter days in most climates.
Both warm and cool season grasses can grow in the middle regions of the US. -
Step 2: Do a pH soil test.
This measures the alkalinity or acidity of the soil, and helps to determine what pH your fertilizer should have.
You can buy pH testing kits for soil at garden stores or online.
Follow the instructions on your kit to determine your soil's pH.
If your soil has high acidity or alkalinity, you'll need to pick out a fertilizer that will balance things out for optimal growth.
Take samples from multiple locations and various depths, up to 10 to 12 inches (25–30cm).
Record all the results for later reference.
For more detailed information about your lawn's nutrients, send the soil samples into a soil testing lab or your local agriculture extension. , You'll need to know the square footage in order to buy the right amount of fertilizer.
Multiply the length of your yard by its width to find out the square footage.
Make sure you subtract the areas that won't need to be fertilized, like your home and any landscaped areas. , Now that you know your type of grass and your soil pH, choose a fertilizer that provides the necessary nutrients.
Fertilizers are always labeled with three distinct numbers, representing these nutrients in this order: nitrogen (N) for leaf growth, phosphorous (P) for development of roots, flowers, seeds & fruit, and potassium (K) for stem growth, water movement in plant, flowering & fruiting.
Most lawns do well with a 3:1:2 or 4:1:2 fertilizer.If you used a soil testing lab, the report may recommend that you look for a fertilizer or soil addition with extra nutrients.
Possibilities include the three macronutrients calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sulphur (S), as well as the micronutrients copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese, (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), zinc (Zn), boron (B).
Occasionally specialized plants or soil conditions will require silicon (Si), cobalt (Co), vanadium (V), or other rare mineral catalysts. , Even once you here are a lot of different types of fertilizer to choose from, and it's good to do a little research before picking one.
Ask for help at your garden store if you have trouble deciding.
Here are some factors to keep in mind:
You can get either liquid or granular fertilizer.
Liquid fertilizers work quickly, but they're also absorbed quickly so they need to be reapplied every few weeks.
Granular fertilizers are sprinkled across the lawn and get absorbed more slowly.
Choose between quick release and slow release granular fertilizers.
Slow release fertilizers only need to be applied once or twice in a growing season.
Choose between chemical or organic fertilizer.
You can get fertilizer that also kills weeds, but using an organic fertilizer is better for your lawn's health in the long term. -
Step 3: Measure your lawn.
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Step 4: Select a fertilizer that meets your lawn's needs.
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Step 5: Choose a type of fertilizer.
Detailed Guide
The type of grass you have will determine what type of fertilizer you need to use, and how often you need to fertilize.
Some regions have primarily warm season grasses, while others have primarily cool season grasses.
If you don't know what type of grass is growing in your yard, ask your neighbors who have similar grass, or take a sample to your local garden center.
Warm season grasses grow primarily in the southern regions of the US.
They include St.
Augustine, Bahia, Carpetgrass, Centipede, Bermuda, Zoysia, and Buffalo, among others.
These grasses turn brown in the fall after the first frost of the year.
Cool season grasses grow primarily in the northern regions of the US.
They include Fine Fescue, Bluegrass, bentgrass, and ryegrass.
Cool season grasses are more cold-tolerant, but will still fade to a light tan or brown color during the coldest winter days in most climates.
Both warm and cool season grasses can grow in the middle regions of the US.
This measures the alkalinity or acidity of the soil, and helps to determine what pH your fertilizer should have.
You can buy pH testing kits for soil at garden stores or online.
Follow the instructions on your kit to determine your soil's pH.
If your soil has high acidity or alkalinity, you'll need to pick out a fertilizer that will balance things out for optimal growth.
Take samples from multiple locations and various depths, up to 10 to 12 inches (25–30cm).
Record all the results for later reference.
For more detailed information about your lawn's nutrients, send the soil samples into a soil testing lab or your local agriculture extension. , You'll need to know the square footage in order to buy the right amount of fertilizer.
Multiply the length of your yard by its width to find out the square footage.
Make sure you subtract the areas that won't need to be fertilized, like your home and any landscaped areas. , Now that you know your type of grass and your soil pH, choose a fertilizer that provides the necessary nutrients.
Fertilizers are always labeled with three distinct numbers, representing these nutrients in this order: nitrogen (N) for leaf growth, phosphorous (P) for development of roots, flowers, seeds & fruit, and potassium (K) for stem growth, water movement in plant, flowering & fruiting.
Most lawns do well with a 3:1:2 or 4:1:2 fertilizer.If you used a soil testing lab, the report may recommend that you look for a fertilizer or soil addition with extra nutrients.
Possibilities include the three macronutrients calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sulphur (S), as well as the micronutrients copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese, (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), zinc (Zn), boron (B).
Occasionally specialized plants or soil conditions will require silicon (Si), cobalt (Co), vanadium (V), or other rare mineral catalysts. , Even once you here are a lot of different types of fertilizer to choose from, and it's good to do a little research before picking one.
Ask for help at your garden store if you have trouble deciding.
Here are some factors to keep in mind:
You can get either liquid or granular fertilizer.
Liquid fertilizers work quickly, but they're also absorbed quickly so they need to be reapplied every few weeks.
Granular fertilizers are sprinkled across the lawn and get absorbed more slowly.
Choose between quick release and slow release granular fertilizers.
Slow release fertilizers only need to be applied once or twice in a growing season.
Choose between chemical or organic fertilizer.
You can get fertilizer that also kills weeds, but using an organic fertilizer is better for your lawn's health in the long term.
About the Author
James Kelly
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow home improvement tutorials.
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