{"id":10333,"date":"2020-02-03T03:12:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-02T17:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gardens.theownerbuildernetwork.co\/?p=10333"},"modified":"2025-10-30T21:17:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T11:17:17","slug":"heres-how-to-fertilize-your-lawn-the-right-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/2020\/02\/03\/heres-how-to-fertilize-your-lawn-the-right-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Here’s How to Fertilize Your Lawn the Right Way"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

To grow a beautiful lawn, you need fertilizer. A good fertilizer will control weeds, promote plant growth, and ensure a high-quality soil. All this will allow you to grow healthy, dense grass for your lawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a broader overview of everything that goes into creating healthy, vibrant grass, explore our ultimate guide to cultivating a lush lawn<\/a> \u2014 it covers the complete care cycle, from soil prep to watering and maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing vigorous turf pays off in more ways than just ensuring you have a lawn that looks good. A stand of thick grass discourages weeds and endures seasonal temperature extremes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A stand of thick grass discourages weeds and endures seasonal temperature extremes. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fertilizing Your Lawn the Right Way<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

But there\u2019s a right way to do everything. And when it comes to lawn fertilizer, the right way consists of a simple, straightforward set of guidelines anyone can master.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some foolproof tips on using fertilizer on your lawn the right way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Test the soil.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Collect samples by randomly pulling 10 to 12 individual soil\nsamples from your lawn from a depth of 3 to 4 inches. Make sure there is no\nvegetation or root mass in the samples. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mix together the soil samples and put about a cup of the mixture\nin a plastic bag and send it off for testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your soil test results recommend adjustments to correct nutrient or pH issues, follow the recommendations carefully. You should test the soil once a year until it achieves the correct balance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your soil test does not reveal any issues, test every\nthree years simply to monitor the health of your soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"If
If your soil test results recommend adjustments to correct nutrient or pH issues, follow the recommendations carefully. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Focus on even distribution rather than amount.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many retailers promote a four-step lawn fertilizer schedule for homeowners. Fertilizing more than four times a year is excessive. Most can get by with two every year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you apply too much lawn fertilizer, especially in sandy soils, a good portion of it will leach through the soil and make its way into groundwater, lakes, streams, and wetlands. More isn\u2019t always better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"More
More isn\u2019t always better. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fertilize your lawn at the right time.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When and how often you should apply fertilizer to your lawn\ndepends on the type of grass you grow and where you live. Grasses need nitrogen\nand other nutrients during seasons of active growth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fertilize grass when it\u2019s naturally dormant, and you\u2019re wasting both your time and your fertilizer. Your best bet is to consult your local extension worker about the appropriate fertilizing schedule for the type of grass you grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Grasses
Grasses need nitrogen and other nutrients during seasons of active growth. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Please, be mindful of the environment.  <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fertilizer is essential to keeping your lawn healthy, thick,\nand handsome. But it can also create environmental concerns if not used\nresponsibly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never apply any type of fertilizer close to rivers, streams, wetlands, lakes, and ponds. \u201cStay at least 6 to 8 feet away from water<\/a> when applying fertilizer,\u201d says Family Handyman<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you are done fertilizing your lawn, sweep up whatever fertilizer remains on your driveway or street. Rain will wash fertilizer that is left on hard surfaces into water features, canals, and storm sewers. Nobody wants that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Never
Never apply any type of fertilizer close to rivers, streams, wetlands, lakes, and ponds. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why not go organic?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Organic fertilizers are becoming more popular. That\u2019s because they are more environment-friendly. Organics will help nourish your lawn by encouraging microbial life. This improves the quality of the soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organic lawn fertilizers are safer to use and will not harm\nyour lawn. Yes, they are more expensive and they work a bit slower. You\u2019ll need\nto be patient. The payoff is worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fertilizing your lawn can help you get the luxurious, verdant grass you want. But it’s important to ready the ground and stick to a well-researched, intelligent fertilizing schedule.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try to remain consistent from season to season. With careful attention and a little work, you\u2019ll be rewarded with a lawn for which you can be truly proud.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a right way to do everything. When it comes to lawn fertilizer, the right way consists of a simple, straightforward set of guidelines anyone can master.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13557,"featured_media":10335,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"Master lawn fertilizing with our simple, straightforward guide. Get a greener, healthier yard using proven techniques anyone can follow today.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"both","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":301,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[{"url":"","title":"","desc":"","thumbnail":"","duration":"","rating":"","view_count":"","tag":""}],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[],"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sma_last_campaign_date":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,19,99,182],"tags":[277,278,279,280,254,253],"class_list":["post-10333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colourful-gardens","category-compost-and-soils","category-lawn-care","category-tips-and-tricks","tag-fertilizer","tag-grass","tag-lawn","tag-lawncare","tag-soil-care","tag-soil-health"],"modified_by":"Rose","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13557"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10333"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10333\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10335"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theownerbuildernetwork.co\/gardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}