How to Use Lawn Fertilizer

Fertilizing your lawn will help it grow weed-free, green and lush. When you have a lawn that you want to make or keep looking healthy and green, you need to know how to use lawn fertilizer so that you don't burn out the grass and end up with a brown or dying lawn. By following some easy steps, and understanding how to fertilize the lawn, you will be on your way to making your lawn one of the best in the neighborhood.

Things You'll Need

• Watering hose
• Spreader

Instructions

1. Fertilize the lawn to promote root growth and new leaf. The fertilizer replaces the nutrients that are lost when you remove grass clipping or have volatilization or leaching. It also helps the lawn stay healthy and recover from pest damage and foot traffic.

2. Choose the correct type of fertilizer for the type of grass you have. Read the label on the fertilizer to make sure that it is meant for your area and grass. The lawn size will be figured by measuring your lawn's width and length. Multiply the width by the length to calculate the total square footage and determine how much fertilizer you need for the entire lawn.

3. Choose a granular or liquid fertilizer that will work the best for your lawn. The liquid fertilizer reacts quickly and the granular is slow or fast releasing. With granular fertilizer, you must water the ground as soon as you use a spreader to distribute the fertilizer, while the liquid fertilizer attaches to a hose for distribution.

4. Apply the fertilizer in fall and spring for cool-season grasses. The growing season is when the temperatures are between 60 and 70 degrees F. Apply fertilizer to warm- and hot-season grasses in summer and late fall when the temperatures are between 80 and 95 degrees F.

5. Set the lever on the spreader per the directions on the bag when you use granular fertilizer. Always apply too little rather than too much. Use a criss-cross method to fertilize.

6. Fill the spray bottle with liquid fertilizer per the instructions on the bottle. Attach the watering hose and move evenly across the grass. Spray from side to side to cover the area.

References

• Fertilize Your Lawn