When and Why Should I Fertilize My Lawn?
While there are many kinds of grass, you can separate them into two broad categories: cool-season and warm-season grasses. As you probably guessed, cool-season grass does better in regions that have cold winters, while warm-season grass thrives in warmer regions. Depending on the climate, both types of grass might be present in a given area.
No matter what kind of grass you have at your location, your lawn needs high-quality fertilizer applied at multiple intervals throughout the year. By doing this, your grass will grow lush and thick, and your lawn will be able to resist unsightly, undesirable elements like weeds, insects, rodents and snakes.
A Schedule for Fertilizing Your Lawn
In general, fertilizing should start early in the year, in mid to late April. If you notice that your grass has started to grow in the spring, it’s a sign that the ground temperature is around 55 degrees Fahrenheit at least, which is ideal for the first application of fertilizer. A second round should occur four weeks after you initially fertilize your lawn, around the middle or end of May.
How often you’ll need to fertilize your lawn after the second application depends on various factors, such as the type of fertilizer you use. If you use a slow-release product, you’ll probably have to fertilize every six to eight weeks. People who use a “regular” fertilizer should plan to fertilize every four weeks or so.
The frequency with which you water your lawn will also influence how often you’ll need to fertilize your grass. If you have an irrigation system that waters your lawn every day, you’ll likely have to fertilize your grass every six weeks. If you don’t have a sprinkler system installed for daily watering, you can generally wait an extra two weeks between applications.
To keep your lawn in good shape, you should fertilize your grass regularly from mid to late April through the end of fall. Grass continues to grow throughout autumn. With your grass’ roots extending further into the ground during fall, fertilizing your lawn in that season is more important than any other time of year. When fall rolls around, switch to a fertilizer that has more phosphorous and potassium. Higher proportions of those ingredients are necessary to help the roots of your grass to grow.
Leave Fertilizing to the Professionals at Ricci’s Landscape Management
If you live or operate a commercial location in Northwest Indiana, we suggest you leave fertilizing your property to the specialists at our full-service lawn maintenance and landscaping company. We’ll fertilize your lawn at the appropriate intervals to ensure your grass has the nutrients it needs to grow and remain healthy.
We’re proud to serve residents and businesses in Crown Point, Valparaiso and surrounding communities, and we can’t wait to serve you, too. Contact us online to request a quote today.
