If you enjoy working in your yard, you are not alone. Americans, on average, spend around five hundred dollars on caring for their lawns.
One of the trickiest, and yet most important, parts of lawn care is lawn fertilizer. Knowing when your lawn needs to be fertilized is one thing, but knowing how to apply lawn fertilizer by hand is another.
There is an art to lawn care and only those who are truly proficient succeed.
Read on for a lawn fertilizer guide and tips for applying lawn fertilizer by hand.
What is Lawn Fertilizer
Adding fertilizer to your lawn can help add color and lushness to your grass. It can also help to put a stop to weeds that make your lawn look uncared for. Fertilizers also help prevent diseases that can creep up on lawns.
Lawn fertilizers are made up of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. Nitrogen is the most important chemical of these three nutrients, as it gives grass its green color.
A lawn professional can help you determine the right fertilizer for your lawn, with the right balance of these three chemicals.
When to Fertilize
Knowing when to fertilize your lawn is very important because if you fertilize at the wrong time, you may do damage to your lawn.
You want the weather to be cool and dry when you fertilize. And you want to fertilize twice a year; three times at most. This means, depending on your climate, you will typically be fertilizing in spring, summer, and early fall.
It is best to consult with a professional in your area to determine when it is best to fertilize in your area. A professional can also help you put together a fertilization schedule to keep your lawn on track for its needs.
How to Apply Lawn Fertilizer by Hand
When you decide to apply lawn fertilizer by hand, you want to make sure you do things properly. You want to fertilize your lawn when it is damp, potentially after a light rain or early in the morning when dew is present. Make certain you wear gloves and that you have the correct fertilizer for your lawn.
To fertilize by hand, begin in one corner of your yard and walk backward toward the other corner of your yard while spreading fertilizer evenly in front of you.
Now, go back in the opposite direction. Be sure not to overlap the fertilizer as you go back and forth across your lawn.
When you finish the hand fertilization process, you want to water your lawn thoroughly. This helps your grass to soak up the fertilizer.
Are You Ready to Fertilize by Hand?
Now that you know the basics of what fertilizer is and why you should use it, you can get started improving your lawn.
You know how to apply lawn fertilizer by hand and should feel confident creating a lawn that is the envy of every house on the block.
If you would like some extra help with lawn care or would like to take your lawn to the next level, meeting with a lawn professional can help.
Contact us today for your free consultation!