In the U.S, approximately 67% of landscaping projects involve single-family residential homes. While several practices such as trimming and pest control ensure your landscape looks good, fertilization is essential for an exquisite lawn. To ensure your grass gets an even supply of Nitrogen and other essential elements, ensure that you apply your natural fertilizer three to four times per growing year. Read on to know the right time to fertilize your lawn for both warm and cool-season grass.
When Is the Best Time to Fertilize Your Lawn?
Cool-Season Grass
Cool-season grass such as Kentucky bluegrass and ryegrass thrive well during spring and fall cooler months. Spring has the best temperature and rainfall for the optimal growth of your cool-season grass. Apply your fertilizer when the soil is warm, and when your grass is actively growing. Applying fertilizer when the grass is dormant encourages rapid growth, which in turn exhausts the plants’ nutrients. Additionally, cool-season lawns experience a flush shoot, and applying fertilizer before this flush can result in the grass growing too fast, leaving less reserve of nutrients for summertime. Also, applying your natural fertilizer during fall encourages growth during the cool weather, a strong root system, and reserve nutrients. Do not fertilize in summer because the lawn is dormant, and Nitrogen can burn the grass.
Warm-Season Grass
Warm-season grasses like Bermuda grass and Buffalo grass thrive in hot summer months. During this time, the grass grows thicker and healthier, hence lawns should be fertilized around the time they emerge from winter dormancy. Apply your natural fertilizer during late spring to avoid promoting the cool-season weeds. Fertilizing during early fall can reduce susceptibility to the winter weather. You don’t want to stimulate growth that might be damaged by winter weather.
A Few More Lawn Fertilizing Tips
Before we wrap up here, we want to leave you with a few more essential fertilizing tips so you can care for your lawn year-round.
- Do not fertilize your lawn when it’s dormant. You do not want to stimulate unwanted growth.
- Your fertilizer will need water to soak in the soil.
- Apply a sufficient amount of natural fertilizer for it to be effective.
The timing of your fertilizing periods determines the efficacy of your natural fertilizer. For cool-season grass, apply fertilizer during spring and fall, and for warm-season grass, fertilize during summer.