American households spend an average of $503 on gardening and landscaping activities. There are, however, strategies you can use to reduce your own cost in this area. One option is to choose the right lawn fertilizer.
Read on to learn how to do this.
Lawn Fertilizer Numbers
To find the best clue for which fertilizer you need to use, look at the lawn fertilizer numbers. These are three numbers that tell you the chemical contents that are in fertilizers. The first number tells you the percentage of nitrogen, the second is phosphorous, and the third is potassium.
Each chemical has a different effect on your lawn. Nitrogen boosts growth, phosphorus encourages root growth, and potassium improves disease resistance and overall plant health. Therefore, you should buy fertilizer with the right chemical combination that matches your goals.
For example, you may want to prepare your plants for a season where they’ll be vulnerable to certain diseases. In this case, you’re going to want a potassium-heavy fertilizer.
In addition, you can perform a soil test to learn which nutrients your soil has and doesn’t have. You can then buy a fertilizer that will make up for this nutritional deficit.
Granular Fertilizer or Liquid Fertilizer
Granular and liquid fertilizers take the form that their names imply. As far as choosing between them, the upsides and downsides depend entirely on your situation.
Liquid fertilizers work faster and are easier to apply. However, they can easily burn the grass, their coverage can be patchy, and their effects don’t last long. If you have time for several quick applications, though, this can be a good strategy for you.
When you buy a granular fertilizer, you most often will get a slow release fertilizer. This means that the effects of the fertilizer will last longer. However, it takes longer to make the grass look beautiful, and the application process is more complicated.
If you want to just apply the fertilizer and forget it, granular is a good option.
Best Season for Fertilizing
It’s best to fertilize in spring and summer. Fertilize your soil around late April first. The second fertilization should take four weeks after that, in mid-to-late May.
After that, fertilize your lawn every six to eight weeks until October. If you have an automatic sprinkler system, fertilize every six weeks.
If this seems too frequent for you, remember that you don’t have to be alone. Contact a lawn care company like RDS Lawn Care to fertilize your lawn during the times when you can’t.
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As a final tip, realize that it will take some time for you to learn to use and choose lawn fertilizer correctly. Be patient and remember that with enough practice and research, you’ll have a healthy green lawn in no time.
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