Fertilization Tips for Growing a Clean, Green Lawn

Every homeowner with a yard desires a vibrant, eye-catching lawn. However, you may think that upkeep is a challenging, time-consuming process. But what if keeping your grass green is actually easier than it looks?

Growing green grass can feel challenging, but proper fertilization techniques allow you to rejuvenate your lawn and keep it looking beautiful. Follow these tips to achieve the lawn of your dreams:

Take Your Lawn’s Temperature Before Application

The temperature of the soil matters when it comes to grass growth and fertilization. There are two main grass types: cool-season grasses and warm-season grasses. The temperature of the ground impacts both, and neither will grow adequately in unideal conditions.

• Warm-season grasses grow best when the soil is anywhere between 65 and 100 degrees.
• Cool-season grasses grow best when the soil is anywhere between 50 and 65 degrees.

When the ground becomes too cold for either type of grass, it will enter dormancy until the weather returns to optimal conditions.

• Warm-season grasses go dormant once temperatures consistently drop below 65 degrees.
• Cool-season grasses go dormant in the winter once temperatures consistently drop below 50 degrees. They also go dormant in the summer when temperatures rise above 90 degrees.

Fertilization and Soil Temperature

Fertilizer for either cool- or warm-season grasses also requires ideal temperatures to work at its best and not damage your lawn. Fertilizer delivers nutrients to your grass’s roots, but conditions have to be suitable for the grass(es) to absorb the nutrients and utilize them effectively. Grass slows its absorption process down when temperatures become too hot or too cold, so feeding the grass at the wrong temperature is usually wasteful and ineffective.

Plus, applying fertilizer at too high a temperature can result in grass burn, where the grass becomes damaged and wilts because the heat has caused the soil to dry out.

The best times to fertilize your cool- or warm-season grasses are when soil temperatures are anywhere between 50 and 85 degrees. This helps ensure that the active grass will be able to absorb the nutrients and use them effectively.

Apply Fertilizer Appropriately and on the Proper Schedule, Especially During the Warmer Months

As discussed above, soil temperature matters when it comes to effective fertilization. Navigating your fertilization schedule appropriately in the warmer months, especially during the summer, is a crucial part of year-round fertilization.

In Middle Georgia, summers can get hot. And with the heat can come drought, summer weeds, more people walking around on the grass, and other things that can damage or weaken your lawn. Your grass needs fertilization at this time, but with temperatures reaching or exceeding 100 degrees at times throughout the season, it can be tricky to plan out a fertilization schedule and optimize your grass growth.

To help simplify the fertilization process once the weather gets warm, stick to these times:

• One application in the spring, ideally in late March or April
• One application in early summer, ideally in June
• One application in late summer, ideally late August

Keep Your Lawn Watered—And Be Sure to Water After Fertilization

It’s no secret that grass needs water to thrive and grow. But too much watering can drown your grass roots, and not enough can dry your grass out. Watering schedules vary, too, based on your climate and the grass types that make up your lawn.

Sprinkler systems, applications with a water hose, and natural rainfall are all effective ways to get water to your soil and grass roots. In Middle Georgia, it can rain a lot during the summer, or we can experience a dry season where it hardly rains at all. So, having a sprinkler system installed or a water hose in place is a good idea to be able to hydrate your lawn when necessary.

In our region, you can water your lawn once a week, providing about half an inch of water per application throughout the year. If we’re in a dry period, especially in the summer, you can increase your schedule to every two or three days for better hydration.

Watering After Fertilization

It’s recommended to apply water to your yard about 24-48 hours after fertilization. This helps any fertilizer that landed on grass blades to make it onto and into your soil. Plus, watering helps any fertilizer that didn’t seep down into the soil do just that.

Maintain an Affordable, Effective Weed Control Regimen

As a homeowner or property owner, you have a lot to juggle and a lot to think about when it comes to maintaining your home and lawn. It can be overwhelming to keep up with a fertilization schedule for your lawn, especially if you pair it with a weed-control regimen. But doing both is crucial if you want to promote healthy, lush grass all year long.

One way you can keep up with the regimen while also keeping the task off your plate is by partnering with a skilled lawn care company that knows the grasses, climates, and fertilization needs of Middle Georgia. At Mid Georgia Turf Solutions, we offer an eight-application weed control and fertilization service that lasts throughout the year, keeping your grass green, clean, and weed-free. We know the nuances that come with achieving turf health and will be glad to provide our expert services to help you gain the lush yard you’ve always wanted.

For more fertilization tips and help keeping your lawn well-fed, talk to Mid Georgia Turf Solutions.

Our eight-application weed control and fertilization service lasts all year long and works to target stubborn weeds while we feed your grass the nutrients it needs to grow strong and lush.

Call about our weed control and fertilization services today: 478-992-5705