Fertilizing your Lawn
In
the Northeastern US you
should fertilize your lawn a minimum of twice a year: late spring and
early fall, which takes advantage of the two peak lawn growth seasons.
If you plan to fertilize three times a year, add an application of
fertilizer during the month of November.
If you were to only
fertilize once a year, September would be the best month to fertilize
your lawn. You say four times a year? Many homeowners find the "1-2-3-4" program
the simplest to use. Most of these 4-step products combine fertilizer
with insect and weed control products (crabgrass control and broadleaf
weed control). Be sure to apply these products according to label directions.
A "complete" chemical fertilizer with
nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium
Organic
fertilizer?
Many
individuals have moved to an organic approach in their gardens and on
their lawns. One of the old standbys as an organic lawn fertilizer has
been Milorganite™
which is Milwaukee sewage sludge. The typical analysis is a 6-2-0 fertilizer
and 4% Iron. You'll find other organic
fertilizers at your local garden center as well. Generally speaking, expect to pay
more for organic fertilizer.
The goal of a good fertilization program is to promote balanced growth,
creating a thick lawn that can
choke out invasive weeds. Heavy fertilization should be avoided
since it can contribute to lawn disease occurrence and promote excess thatch.
It's prudent to have a
properly timed fertilization program, using the right rate of
fertilizer, without applying too much. Sometimes less is more.
Begin with a soil test if you are hoping to have the best lawn in the
neighborhood, and work from there.
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Fertilizer
Ratios
Cool season grasses prefer a fertilizer
ratio of
4-1-2. This ratio translates into a fertilizer that
would have 16-4-8 on the label. The first number on the label is nitrogen,
which promotes lush, green growth, and is the predominant fertilizer in
most lawn products.
More economical fertilizer products usually contain fast release nitrogen
(soluble N). 'Soluble N' becomes available
as soon as it is watered into the lawn. Most lawn care companies
apply soluble N (from Urea) in their large tank mixes that are sprayed on your lawn.
This type of quick release nitrogen usually doesn't provide greening for more than 4
weeks.
Uneven fertilization causes lawn
striping
Slow-Release
Nitrogen
WIN means slower release
of the nitrogen. It costs more than soluble N but has more staying power. Slow
release nitrogen is listed as 'Water
Insoluble Nitrogen' on the fertilizer label.
Blood meal and other organic fertilizers have nitrogen
that requires microbes in the soil to break it down before it is
available to turf, classifying it as WIN. Slow release fertilizer has
less burn potential than quick release fertilizer, making it a better
choice if you do have to fertilize your lawn during the hot summer
months.
Adjusting your soil pH
Lawn disease
Lawn insects
Lawn sod
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