How to Use Grass Fertilizer

Having a lush, green lawn brings feelings of pride and satisfaction as a homeowner. However, achieving this result does not come easy. You must be willing to put in the time and effort to enjoy the benefits of a healthy and attractive lawn. Selecting the proper nutrients to fertilize your lawn and sticking to a routine fertilization schedule are some of the most important things you can do to ensure your grass appears deep green and healthy.

Lack of moisture and unchecked weed growth are both major threats to healthy lawn development. Applying the right fertilizer consistently can eliminate the damage caused by each of these problems. Fertilizer keeps weeds away and provides grass with important nutrients. You just need to make sure you select the right type of fertilizer for your grass.

Nitrogen is Essential to the Health of Your Lawn

Grass thrives when it receives regular nitrogen. Since each type of grass requires different amounts of nitrogen for maximum effectiveness, this article is intended to help you determine how much to buy and how often to use it.

Keep in mind that the growth of your lawn relates directly to how much fertilizer you place on it. You will need to commit to mowing more often and performing routine maintenance on your yard for your lawn to keep the appearance you prefer.

You will also need to choose the most appropriate type of fertilizer to feed your lawn in addition to providing it with nitrogen. The most common fertilizer options among people trying to maintain a residential lawn include:

  • Fertilizer with pesticide
  • Inorganic fertilizer
  • Liquid fertilizer
  • Plant-specific fertilizer
  • Time-release fertilizer

You can learn more about each of these types of fertilizer by reading the Five Types of Fertilizer article on our website.

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Use Lawn Fertilizer

The fertilizer you choose to encourage lawn health depends on what type of sod you have. We recommend 15-15-15 fertilizer for most types of sod in Arizona due to our unique climate here. Soil in Arizona normally has little to no phosphorous content due to our dry, humid year-round weather.

The number 15 represents the ratio of potassium, phosphorous, and nitrogen present in each bag of fertilizer mixture. The equal amounts of each nutrient are especially beneficial for new sod that has yet to take root. Grass stands the best chance of healthy growth from the start when exposed to an even distribution of potassium, phosphorous, and nitrogen.

Once you have researched which type of fertilizer is most appropriate for your sod type, the next step is to water your lawn continuously for one to two days. You should complete this step before applying any fertilizer for the first time. In fact, we recommend that you do not buy your fertilizer until your lawn has received soaking hydration first.

The next step is to follow the instructions on the back of the fertilizer bag after purchasing the correct type and bringing it home. Here are some general tips to ensure that you fertilize your lawn right:

  • Plan to fertilize new sod as soon as soon as it has received an adequate water supply. Most existing sod responds best to an early spring and early fall fertilization schedule. The reason for this is that most lawn seeds contain a mixture of several grass types. However, the directions on the back of the fertilizer bag always supersedes any general tips.
  • Rotary and broadcast spreaders are best for fertilizing large areas of grass because they spread the fertilizer evenly and you will not miss any spots. When you need controlled distribution across a smaller area of lawn, consider using a drop spreader. A handheld drop spreader works well when you only need to fertilize one or more small patches of your lawn at a time.
  • Be sure to keep pets and children off the lawn for the first 48 hours after fertilizing.

What to Do After You Have Fertilized Your Lawn

Watering your lawn thoroughly after fertilizing it provides two important benefits. First, it enables the fertilizer to sink into the soil so it can start doing its job right away. Secondly, watering your lawn removes fertilizer from the blades of your spreader. This prevents your spreader from causing burns in your lawn during later applications.

Fertilizing your lawn is somewhat of a science that can take some trial and error to get right. We invite you to read the article Why and When to Fertilize Your Lawn to learn more about timing your fertilization efforts and why the process is so important to overall lawn health. Our lawn care experts also recommend reading this article if you have St. Augustine grass and need additional tips on choosing the best fertilizer. With patience and persistence, you will reap the rewards of a beautiful, lush, and deep-green lawn.

Contact us today if you need to purchase sod for your lawn in Phoenix, Tucson, and surrounding areas. You can also purchase sod online and save 10%.

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