How to use fertilisers for the lawn turf
Fertilising the lawn turf is quite a tricky question, but it's really based on 4 essential factors namely the type of grass, the climatic conditions, the fertiliser that is been used and how well you want your lawn to look. Of course some people want to look the best, while others may not be willing to put in a lot of hard work. Well here's the how you should go about it.
If you really want your lawn to look really great, then you need to fertilise the lawn at least 4-5 times a year. The bare minimum for any type of grass is at least twice a year. There are essentially two categories of grass. The first is the warmer climate grass, while the other is the colder climate grass.
Since each category of grass has its own growing season, apply the fertilizer appropriately. It's a general rule, that fertilisers (nitrogen) should be applied only when the lawn is growing. If you apply it earlier, you will encourage the growth of weed and that's not great for your lawn turf.
Colder climate grass
These have two growing periods. The first growing period is when the winter is gone and the spring is there. The second time would be in the fall after the summer temperatures have dipped.
For the lawns that have colder climate grass especially in the north, the spring and the fall season is when the fertiliser should be applied.
Warmer climate grass
These type of grass do exceedingly well in the summer months and should be fertilized in the spring season and in the late summer season. If you live in the south, then its better to apply the nitrogen based fertiliser in the early or late spring and then again in fall (but less amounts).
We have tabulated when to add the fertiliser to your lawn for best results. The fertilisers that you find in the stores are mostly premixes with weed control, pest control and also other elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Usually the bag of fertilizer will have numbers such as 12-6-6. This number indicates that there are 12 parts of nitrogen, 6 parts of phosphorus and 6 parts of potassium for the entire weight of the bag.
When choosing a fertiliser, there are certain essential points that should be kept in mind. These are guidelines to help you choose better.
There are a number of pre mixed combinations that are available in the market- The fertilisers are premixed with disease control, moss control, dandelion control and pest control elements. This saves you considerable time and effort, time and effort. Of course stand-alone fertilisers are also available. If you have a specific problem with your lawn, you could of course apply the treatment for making your turf healthy again.
Never apply nitrogen, when the lawn is in a dormant situation or hasn't greened up
- If you apply nitrogen to a dormant lawn, it encourages the growth of weed or unwanted grass in your lawn. Apply the nitrogen-based fertilisers when the lawn is growing as it helps to nourish the grass. If you have had a long winter, then you should wait till the grass starts growing again.
Read the labels carefully on your fertiliser mix bag
- There are many types of fertilisers and they all carry their own advice. Many of them are also timed release. This means that the fertilisers would be released in the soil over a period of 2-8 months. Be sure to read it on the label to avoid over fertilising and burning the lawn in the process
Don't fertilise the lawn during drought periods or dry periods
Fertilisers need plenty of water for the lawn to absorb the nutrients. If you have had a particularly dry spell, then you should wait for the season to change. When the weather changes, then you should water the lawn as it helps the lawn. Else it will burn your lawn.