A popular saying goes “the grass is always greener on the other side.” But one smart soul has altered the old adage to say “the grass is always greener on the other side, but it also takes more work.” Every homeowner wants the landscaping around their home to grab attention but the big issue for most is figuring out the right steps to reach that desired result.
One of the most important steps for creating a great looking lawn is choosing the best way to fertilize your lawn. All homeowners know their lawn needs fertilizer. What is not so clear is when and how to add fertilizer to the soil. Your soil fertilization strategy can help or hurt your lawn. This article discusses the important things to know about spring fertilization.
Should you fertilize your lawn during spring?
The straightforward answer is yes, but when and how depends on a lot of factors. To have a thriving lawn, you need to build up the nutrient reserves in the soil. But fertilizer can also hurt your lawn by encouraging weeds, burning your grass, or even killing them.
The timing of fertilizer application and type of fertilizer are critical factors. Homeowners often start thinking of adding fertilizer to their lawn at the first sign of spring. But just because winter is over doesn’t mean the time is right to fertilize the lawn. Here is why:
Even when the snow disappears, the ground may still be frozen or have significant frost in it. You do not want to fertilize frozen soil. This will only waste your fertilizer and make it easier for fertilizer pellets to get washed into water bodies.
The other thing is when the weather gets warmer grass roots break their dormancy and begin to grow. This may go on for a while before grass blades start to appear. Deep roots formed in spring promote vigor during summer. You don’t want to fertilize the lawn in a way that interrupts root growth in favor of green turf.
That said, for most parts of the country, early spring is a good time to fertilize the lawn. This is often when soil and temperature conditions are at their optimum for plants to take up nutrients. But to maximize the impact of spring fertilization, you should only add fertilizer after you have taken steps to understand the characteristics of the soil in your region.
What kind of fertilizer should you use in spring?
The type of fertilizer you choose severely impacts the vitality of your lawn. Not every product is effective for this time of the year. One thing you don’t want to do is to encourage growth in the top layer of soil while the deep roots of your grass suffer. Here is a quick explanation of what to use based on the chemical contents of the fertilizer.
Potassium: This helps grass develop disease resistance and strong roots. Applying potassium-rich fertilizer makes your lawn resilient by improving its ability to withstand shocks. Potassium helps you lay the foundation for lush, healthy, and balanced growth in the months ahead.
Nitrogen: This is more important for blade growth, even though it also stimulates root development. Most homeowners favor nitrogen fertilizers because the effect of applying them to the lawn is visible and almost immediate. But nitrogen fertilizers may only encourage surface growth.
A high-nitrogen fertilizer is recommended for spring fertilization (to encourage blade growth) but only after you have taken steps to promote healthy root development. In addition to choosing between potassium-rich fertilizer and nitrogen-rich fertilizer or when to apply each, you must decide whether to use liquid or granular fertilizer. These are the things you want to think about.
Wind speed: In areas with high winds, this can wreak havoc on your fertilizer application. In such places using a liquid product could result in waste or disruptions to your schedule. That’s because you have to stop the application every time it gets windy. So, a granular product could be the better option in places with excessive wind.
Fertilizer quality: On the other hand, a liquid fertilizer will let you incorporate more elements into one application than you can typically get with a granular product. With a liquid fertilizer, you can afford to have as much as five different components in one single application, including essential micronutrients, iron, and other plant care products. This could be a reason to use a liquid fertilizer.
What is best for your lawn?
Fertilizing your lawn in spring is incredibly important. What you do during this period will help jump start your lawn for the rest of the year. You don’t want to make a poor start by choosing the wrong fertilizer or an ineffective fertilizer application schedule. If you are not sure of the right steps to take, it is a good idea to get the help of an expert. They can look at your soil and other factors to give you the best advice.