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Lawn care is one of those things that has the ability to turn heads and freak out for all kinds of gardening enthusiasts. And is that a bright green grass is a source of enjoyment for the eyes and even the feet like few things, but maintaining a lush grass coverage and in good condition can be more complicated than one would think.
One of those most important cares is the subscriber. Providing the lawn with the necessary nutrients, without overdoing it and at the right time, is one of the strongest guarantees of enjoying a beautiful lawn. If you want to learn everything about him fertilizing the lawn, when and how to do itAmong more details, keep reading this Green Ecologist guide.
When to fertilize the lawn
Knowing when to compost your lawn is as important, if not even more so, than deciding which compost to use. Most experts agree that the best thing for the lawn is to fertilize it 3 times a year: in spring, autumn and summer, but paying attention in the latter case not to do it in the middle of the hottest weeks of the season, since the ideal is to always avoid extreme temperatures and hot or cold peaks when pay.
Why is it being paid in these three moments? In addition to the fact that grass, like all plants, needs a good supply of nutrients to develop healthy and beautiful, green and without dry or yellow leaves, giving your lawn these nutrients before and after difficult seasons will allow it to better resist the inclement both summer heat and winter cold, staying stronger and healthier.
It is important to respect these fertilizing seasons and not skip them regardless of the state of the lawn, as you will need the fertilizer whether it is in optimal condition or if it has become impoverished and yellowed. Lawn is a demanding crop, after all, and it requires perseverance and care.
What compost to use for the lawn
The main nutrient that grass needs is nitrogen, although it is far from the only one. When you go to buy the fertilizer or lawn compost, look at the three numbers that will appear at some point on the container, these represent the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that the product contains, in this order. Do not worry if the sum of the percentages does not give a result of 100, because the most normal thing is that the compost contains a good amount of filler material that facilitates the dispersion of the product.
Each type and species of grass has slightly different needs: learn well about the needs of the species of your lawn and get yourself a suitable fertilizer. Be especially careful not to overdo it with nitrogen because, although it is an essential nutrient, in excess it can alter the pH of the soil, burn the roots and yellow some areas. We recommend that you read about this problem in this guide on Yellow Grass: causes and how to recover it.
It is also highly recommended to use slow release fertilizers, which release their nutrients gradually and for a longer time, thus being absorbed more effectively by the plant.
How to fertilize the lawn
We have reached the important point where we talk about how the grass is fertilized. We give you some tips:
- Spread the lawn fertilizer evenly It is vital to take advantage of its properties properly: if you concentrate it in some areas, the grass in these areas will most likely burn, while those that it has not reached will probably be left with less vitality.
- You can try distribute the compost by hand trying to do it as regularly as possible, but getting it this way can be quite difficult.
- If you are not sure when doing it by hand and you have a large area to cover, it is best to use a spreader or spreader machine, like the one in the picture. There are many types and a wide range of prices, the most common being the rotating ones.
Errors when fertilizing the lawn
Here are some of the most common mistakes when fertilizing your lawn and what to keep in mind to avoid making them:
- If you are not sure about the quantity, it is it is preferable that you stay short of fertilizer to overdo it: the excess of nutrients in the plants is much more problematic and dangerous than the punctual lack of them.
- Don't fertilize if your grass is yellow or dry due to lack of water. Hydrate it first, which is what it needs most, and add nutrients when it has started to recover.
- Fertilize less in shady areas, since the grass is less active there.
- Do not fill your spreader machine on the same lawn: you will avoid spills and accidents. Also, always sweep up or remove excess compost that you drop.
What happens if the grass is not fertilized
If you stop fertilizing your lawn, the nutrients that the lawn needs will be depleted from the soil. This will cause the lawn coverage to lose ground to adventitious grasses or weeds, such as dandelions and clovers. In fact, these considered weeds are usually an indicator of a lack of compost in that part of the soil in which they have appeared, since they need less nutrients than grass to thrive well.
Now that you know all this about fertilizing the lawn, we recommend that you also read this other guide in which we teach you how to plant it well and some of its essential care: How and when to plant the lawn.
If you want to read more articles similar to Lawn fertilizer: when and how to do it, we recommend that you enter our category of Cultivation and care of plants.
