Lawn care is a series of processes. One process that is often neglected is fertilizing.
Fertilizing Your Lawn 101
As lawn care professionals we’re often asked how we fertilize a lawn. It’s actually very simple. First off, we only use a high quality fertilizer, and we carefully measure the right amount. Timing is everything with fertilizer. It must be applied at the right time of the year. Back east, a lot of people fertilize in early May, early September, and early November.
Because Arizona has a much more extreme environment, however, the times of year to fertilize differ greatly. Generally early spring and late fall are best for a lawn care regimen including fertilizing. Why are these times of year the best? Simple, they help to reduce your lawn getting scorched by the fertilizer combined with the excessive heat.
Types of Fertilizer Used in Lawn Care
Fertilizer can basically be classified into three classes: chemical-based, organic, and hybrid, and they each have their pluses and minuses where lawn care is concerned. Chemical fertilizers contain controlled-release nitrogen. The amount of nitrogen to apply is about one pound of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn area . You have to be careful with chemical fertilizers however, as the percentage of nitrogen can be too high and you may end up scorching your lawn.
Organic fertilizer is usually a combination of animal and/or plant waste. It is better for the environment, however, like a lot of eco-friendly products, sometimes it isn’t as effective as it should be, generally because the nitrogen level is too low. A hybrid uses both chemicals and organic compounds. Often effective as a fertilizer, you have to make sure that the percentage of nitrogen is properly balanced. Proper lawn care means that you also know what type of fertilizer works best for your lawn.
Fertilizing your lawn is an important part of keeping it up. When you don’t know what to do, call in a professional lawn care company.
Green ServPro LLC
600 W. Ray Rd. Suite B2
Prescott AZ 85225
(928) 356-8167
