Good soil is needed for a healthy green lawn, but fertilizer applications are also necessary to replenish the soil nutrients as they are used up by the growing grass. There are no one size fits all fertilizer plans for lawns, as many factors can affect nutrient needs so a customized plan for your yard is the best option.
1. Grass Type
Grass type can affect the type of fertilizer used and more importantly, the timing for application. Most grasses require a balance of the macro-nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium along with a selection of micro-nutrients, although the amount of each can vary depending on the type of grass. Cool-season grasses must be fertilized when they are most actively growing, usually in the spring and fall as they tend to slow or go dormant in summer. Warm-season grasses, on the other hand, grow rapidly through summer and may require an application every few weeks from spring through early fall.
2. Nutrient Availability
The only way to be assured that the grass receives adequate nutrition is to have your soil tested each year to determine which nutrients are lacking. Your lawn service can easily perform the test prior to drawing up the fertilization plan for the season. Nitrogen is generally always needed as the plants rapidly use up stores in the soil, but other nutrients can persist longer, and over-applying them can damage the lawn.
3. Repair Plans
Sometimes lawn repairs are needed to ensure the fertilization plan works as it should, so make sure your lawn service is aware of any planned repairs before they fertilize. This may mean aerating the soil to open it up so nutrients can soak into the root zone of your grass, or it may involve adding drainage to soggy areas so that the nutrients aren't washed out of the lawn too quickly. Sometimes overseeding is necessary to build up sparse areas, and your lawn service will need to take care to adjust fertilization so it doesn't burn the tender new grass blades.
4. Irrigation Factors
lawn irrigation and water runoff from rainfall can wash fertilizer and nutrients out of the soil and straight to the storm drain. Your lawn fertilizer service should map water flow around the yard and make plans to address any concerns from runoff nutrient loss. This may include recommending repairs to minimize the runoff issues, or it may require more frequent applications in areas that are badly affected by runoff.
Contact a lawn fertilization service to get a customized plan for your yard and garden.
