How to Fertilize a Lawn

You'll enjoy the soft walking surface and serious air cleaning power your lawn provides when you fertilize it on time and with the right formulas. Put lawn fertilizing on your annual to-do list to ensure the continuing health of your growing investment.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Broadcast Spreader
• Garden Hoses
• Gardening Gloves
• Gas-powered Mowers
• Lawn Fertilizers
• Lawn Sprinklers
• Dust Masks

1. Time fertilizing to meet your lawn's needs. Let the lawn green up and mow it once or twice before applying a lawn food formula in spring.

2. Choose a lawn fertilizer made for your type of turf grass. Read the label to be sure it lists your grass (bluegrass or zoysia, for instance) and to see how often you can use it.

3. Use "new lawn" or "starter" formulas for seed, sod or sprigged lawns less than 2 years old. You'll appreciate the thickening effect they deliver in the first seasons.

4. Select slow-release, granular complete fertilizers for established lawns - they deliver a consistent supply of nutrients during the lawn's fastest growth times. Avoid fertilizers that have only one ingredient (such as nitrogen or potassium) unless a soil test indicates you should apply them.

5. Borrow or buy a fertilizer spreader and be sure you understand how to calibrate it for your lawn's favorite granular food. Walk behind the spreader at a good pace (but don't run), and make a pattern that covers each area of the lawn only once.

6. Know that water-soluble lawn food doesn't last long in the soil, and plan to reapply it as directed on the label. Spray with caution - cover each section only once to avoid overfeeding.

7. Fertilize at least one more time during the growing season, and apply a winter formula in early fall if one is recommended for your lawn grass. Don't worry if you forget, though - research says that once a year, whenever you remember, is fine for established turf.

Tips & Warnings

• Fertilizing a very dry lawn can burn stressed turf.
• Remember not to use agricultural fertilizers on true turf grasses - save them for the pasture.
• Apply fertilizer and weed-control products separately rather than in combination products.
• Always wear gloves when handling fertilizers and pesticides.
• Wear a dust mask when handling fertilizers to prevent inhaling dust.
• Spilled fertilizers can burn turf and other plants. Flood the area with water immediately to lessen the damage.

on 11/22/2005 Don't figure because a little fertilizer is good, a bigger dose will be better - it will hurt the lawn. Follow the instructions on the package.

on 11/22/2005 There are three basic needs for a good lawn: fertilizing, mowing and watering. Every lawn needs feeding throughout the entire growing season such as
spring, summer and fall.