Do You Need To Fertilize Your Lawn?
Walk into any lawn and garden department at a big home improvement store, and you will most likely see an entire aisle of fertilizers. There are liquids, bags and boxes, all claiming to help you grow the lush, beautiful lawn of your dreams. These fertilizers can range from only a few dollars a bag up to hundreds of dollars to cover a large lawn. Fertilizing is an important part of any lawn care program, but efore buying any fertilizer, it is important to know what these fertilizers do, when to apply them and whether you even need fertilizer for your lawn.
Fertilizer Basics
Most fertilizers contain nutrients which can improve the growth of your grass, including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. However, not all soils, grass types and climates need the same ratios of nutrients. In addition, fertilizers can enhance other plant growth as well, including weeds that you are trying to control. It certainly is not as simple as sprinkling on fertilizer in the spring to promote the lush green grass that many of these fertilizer products portray on their packaging.
First, you need to determine what your soil and grass need. The best way to do this is to have a professional landscaper test your soil, and make recommendations on the type of fertilizer you will need. Second, you need to put the right amount on at the right times for the fertilizer to be beneficial. Too much fertilizer can actually harm your lawn, so knowing how much and how often to apply is critical.
In the long run, instead of wasting money trying different fertilizers, it can be more efficient and cost effective to hire a professional landscaper to get the lawn you desire. Drawing on their expertise, they can utilize the best fertilizers and growing techniques to create the a lawn which makes the entire neighborhood green with envy.
Posted on behalf of Brad Pannone, Pannone’s Lawn Pros & Landscaping
