Fertilizing & Liming Lawn Information

Working on the lawn need not be a backbreaking job.

Before adding anything, such as lime or fertilizer to the lawn, make sure these are needed. Applying amendments and fertilizer when it is not necessary is like throwing money out the window.

Take a Soil Test

Adding the right amendments may result in a lush lawn.

Take samplings of the soil in a few different areas of the lawn. Your local cooperative extension agency is the most accurate and inexpensive place to have the soil tested. Soil tests may also be purchased at the local garden center.

Fertilizing the Lawn

Ideally, lawns should be fertilized just before the nutrients are needed. Various types of grass will need varying applications of fertilizer. Timing of application will vary by type of grass, your location and the condition of the lawn. Fertilizer should be applied in two stages -- half in the spring and the other half in summer or fall, depending on whether the grass is a warm season or cool season variety.

Lime and Other Amendments for the Lawn

Your soil test will indicate the pH of your soil. This affects how well the lawn can take up the nutrients you apply. If lime is needed for nutrient uptake, it may be applied in spring or fall. Additionally, sprinkle a thin layer of compost over the lawn. This aids in drainage, provides nutrients as it breaks down and improves the lawn's ability to take up fertilizer that you apply.

References

• University of Arkansas: Fertilizing Your Lawn
• Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet: Lime and the Home Lawn
• "Ornamental Horticulture: Science, Operations and Management"; Jack E. Ingels; 2010