Secrets to a Weed Free Lawn - Feed It!

We have been discussing the best way to get a weed free lawn and creating a healthy lawn is the best way to do that.  We have discussed about the correct timing of a pre-emergent herbicide as well as the benefits of aerating your lawn.  Today we are going to discuss feeding your lawn.  Most of the nutrients required by a healthy lawn are supplied in the soil, but additional nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium may be needed to support healthy plants.

While most people realize that applying fertilizer is an important part of creating and maintaining a healthy lawn, many people don't know the right way to go about it.  The biggest mistake is the frequency of applying fertilizer.  Many folks like to fertilize once, right at the beginning of the season, to help with the green-up of the lawn in the spring.  While this will provide good short term results for your lawn, it is not the right long term solution.

Fertilizer should be applied several times during the year -anywhere from 3-5 depending on your lawns needs.  For most warm-season lawns,  you should generally fertilize in mid-April, early June (as may be needed to maintain a healthy green color), and early October.  Of the three fertilization times, the most important one is the fall fertilization because it helps the lawn grass over-winter better and enhances spring green-up in the spring.  

Another common mistake is not using the right type of fertilizer or the right ratio of nutrients. Fertilizers are labeled with three numbers that represent the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the product.    Use fertilizer with a N-P-K ratio of 3-1-2 unless you have your soil tested and it recommends otherwise.