Lawn Care 101: When Should I Fertilize My Lawn?

Did you know Americans are super into their lawns? People end up applying fertilizer and hiring professional lawn care companies. But If you’re asking the question “When should I fertilize my lawn?”, we can help.

In this guide, we’ll go into when and how often you should look at fertilizing your lawn.

Ready to learn how to apply lawn fertilization? Keep reading now.

When Should You Fertilize the Lawn?

Consider fertilizing your lawn in the morning. This way, the soil will have a chance to take in nutrients and also soak up the morning dew. Also, the ground can enjoy the cooler temperatures.

Don’t apply fertilizer on a hot day. Instead, wait till the weather cools down. Also, you can mow at any time after you fertilize the lawn. But if you use a liquid treatment, try to wait a few days.

Should You Fertilize Often?

Try not to get carried away with fertilization. A fertilizer is a tool to keep your lawn healthy and dense.

Overfertilizing can occur if you aren’t careful. But, if you don’t use it responsibly, you could cause environmental problems.

What About the Timing?

You shouldn’t apply fertilizer before a hot day or a significant rainfall. Rain will wash away the nutrients in the fertilizer, and it won’t absorb in your lawn. Try to hold off until the weather’s less rainy.

Do you plan to aerate your lawn? You should aerate your property and then complete the fertilization.

Aeration will create tiny holes in the soil and expose the root zone. The holes will let in water, air, and fertilizer to the roots.

If you want successful lawn fertilization, rent an aerator. Aerators pull out plugs of soil.

What About Warm-Season Grass?

When you fertilize will depend on the kind of grass you have in your area. It would help if you spent time fertilizing so it would happen before your grass hits the peak growing stage.

Do you live in the south? Lawns tend to have warm-season grasses. Fertilize your turf in the early summer or late spring before grass begins growing.

You could also add another application of fertilizer in the late summer. Does your warm-season grass go dormant in the winter? Make sure you don’t fertilize after the first of September.

Warm-season grass types include centipede, zoysia, Bahia, and Bermuda. The grasses tend to thrive in a frost-free region.

What About Cool-Season Grasses?

You should fertilize your cool-season grass in early autumn. You can get fertilizers called ‘winterize fertilizer.

Professionals like Heartland Turf & Landscape say cool-season grasses benefit from one fertilizer application.

The fall feeding will help the grass green up in the spring. For regions where cool-grass grows, try to apply the fertilizer in November or October.

Fertilize My Lawn

We hope this guide answered your question of “when should I fertilize my lawn?” make sure you determine what kind of grass grows on your lawn. You could always talk to a professional lawn care company if unsure.

Are you looking for more home tips? Stick around on the blog for more information today.