There are many different methods and ways to fertilize your lawn. Read along to explore and learn how to fertilize our lawn in 5 easy steps that will help your yard withstand wear and tear and give you a beautiful green lawn.

Why Should You Fertilize Your Lawn?

Fertilizing will make your lawn dense and improve growth. However, to maintain its health, you must keep up with a good fertilization schedule. This will ensure that it will be less likely to have diseases, weeds, and pests!

Another reason to fertilize your lawn is to help your yard withstand the elements. If your kids like to play on the lawn or your lawn goes through harsh weather conditions, fertilizing your lawn regularly will make it grow stronger.

Now that you know some of the “why”s behind fertilizing your lawn, below is the “how”. Here are 5 steps on how to fertilize your lawn. 

 

How To Fertilize Your Lawn In 5 Steps

1. Prepare The Lawn For Fertilizing

First, ensure that you are prepping your lawn a couple of days before you are planning to fertilize it. Three to four days before you plan to fertilize your lawn, go ahead and mow it. Once you have mowed your lawn, remove any weeds so that you are not feeding them with fertilizer. 

This is a good time to dethatch a lawn if necessary, too. Dethatching is removing all the dead grass clippings and debris from your lawn. You can use a dethatching machine or a dethatching rake, like the ones sold at Johnson’s Ace Hardware

You should water your yard the night before fertilizing it; otherwise, the grass won’t absorb the nutrients.

 

2. Apply The Fertilizer

The next step is to apply the fertilizer. There are different types of fertilizers and spreaders to use. There are fertilizer bags you can spread, but there are also liquid fertilizers that are great for those dry patches.

Spreading fertilizer evenly is best accomplished with a spreader rather than by hand. For smaller lawns, we suggest using a handheld spreader. However, for a larger lawn, it is easier to get a push-along spreader that will make the job quicker.

Once you have purchased your fertilizer and spreader, start covering your lawn with the fertilizer. The next step to fertilizing your lawn is to water after application.

 

3. Water Your Lawn After Fertilizing

Once the fertilizer is spread evenly across the yard, grab a hose and water your lawn. This will help the fertilizer absorb better and prevent the chemicals from harming your lawn. 

You can also strategically fertilize your lawn before it is about to rain. Another pro tip is to fertilize your lawn when it is cloudier or towards the evening to avoid baking your lawn with warm water.

 

4. Check The Lawn After Fertilization

After you have gone through fertilizing your lawn, the next step is to check your lawn. Check your lawn over the next couple of weeks for any weeds or patches in your lawn. You can pull out these weeds and use fast-growing grass seeds to fill in those spots.

 

5. Begin The Fertilizing Cycle Again

Finally, ensure you fertilize your lawn regularly to keep it healthy, strong, and green. When you buy fertilizer, take note of how long the feed lasts. This is where checking your lawn over the next few weeks is essential. 

There are slow and quick-release fertilizers that differ in how long they take effect. Slow-release fertilizers are effective for three to four months; quick-release ones last for a month or so. Make a note of when it is time to begin the process again.

 

End Note

It can be difficult to know just how many times to fertilize your lawn. It is best to try to fertilize your lawn two to three times a year.

In terms of seasonality, the best time to fertilize a lawn is in March or April to promote growth after frost has melted, in July as a summertime boost, and in September or October before the winter weather approaches.

If there are any more questions about how to fertilize your lawn or what products are right for your lawn, Johnson’s Ace Hardware can help you answer all your lawn maintenance needs.