How to Fertilize Your Lawn
Winter’s rain and snow saturation, combined with the compositional changes of constantly frozen ground, means your spring lawn would be remiss without fresh fertilizer.
Businesses providing professional lawn fertilization are the best option for serious spring landscapers. An avid “DIY-ER” can follow the same general steps, but a fertilization technician’s expertise means you get the best quality products, application techniques, and certified safety steps for your lawn. You’ll have one less thing to worry about and labor over, and using a professional will likely result in enhanced grass growth and a healthier lawn.
A proper fertilization process will incorporate the following techniques:
- Determine the soil's nutrients
- Choose your fertilization method
- Know exactly how much fertilizer you need
- Check local fertilizer regulations
- Don't forget trees and shrubs
Determine the Soil’s Nutrients
Preparing a soil test allows you to understand the exact nutritional makeup of your lawn’s soil, whether it lacks in specific compounds or comes too saturated in others. Fertilization technicians will use the results of a soil test to select the appropriate nutrient-rich fertilizer specific for your spring lawn.
Most fertilizers have a formula balancing the positive-charged and negative-charged nutrients most common in soil’s chemical makeup. They also fight against common lawn weeds like crabgrass and dandelions while encouraging grass’s fundamental root growth and cell wall development.
Choose your Fertilization Method
Once you understand the nutritional makeup of your landscape’s soil, you must then select a proper fertilization method. But remember, not all applications are equal. Just because you’ve sprinkled a particular type in the past doesn’t mean it was correct or even the best buy for landscaping in spring.
A fertilization technician is certified across these application methods. They’ll know the ins and outs of controlled or slow-release fertilizers, pre-emergent blends, or spot treatments versus blanket sprays. All these variables will ensure the freshest spring landscaping project and a healthy lawn carried into summer.
Know Exactly How Much Fertilizer You Need
The right fertilizer applied at the right time, in the right amount, is a winning recipe. Your process of landscaping in spring must take into account healthy fertilizer dosages, as well as timing those doses for the right weather patterns and even the time of day. Buying in bulk isn’t always recommended. The safe storage of fertilizer, as well as post-use potency, are common household concerns — especially for those with children or pets.
Check Local Fertilizer Regulations
Many municipalities have specific laws on what fertilization types and techniques are permitted and in what zones. These regulations are rooted in community safety, addressing concerns such as chemical runoff and air pollutants carried within many conventional fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides.
Don’t Forget Trees and Shrubs
Early spring offers a great chance to take care of all your fertilization needs in one swoop. From the grass on your lawn to the trees and shrubs that adorn it, fertilizer is to spring what snow is to winter. Consider what kinds of fertilizers are needed for each plant type in your yard, plus any unique application details or safety steps they may require.
Learn more about maintaining your lawn from St. Louis landscaping experts.
