The beauty of your home starts from your lawn. If you intend to keep a beautiful property, then you must take care of your yard. There are several means to care for your lawn, like regularly cutting it to keeping anyone from walking across it.
However, this piece will focus on ensuring that you fertilize your lawn correctly. Below is an easy guide to follow;
- Timing is everything. The best time to feed your grass is in the Spring. The soil temperature will have reached 55 degrees Fahrenheit, and the grass shoots will have begun to grow. So, ensure you don't apply fertilizer on your lawn before spring if you want success. That means the first feeding should around mid to late April.
- Take notice of the numbers. When you buy fertilizer, it comes with three numbers on the label. These numerals indicate the percentage of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, which are the primary nutrients that your lawn needs. For instance, a fertilizer with the numerals 20-5-10 is a good mix for spring. It contains 20 percent nitrogen, 5 percent phosphate and 10 percent potassium. The rest of the bag usually includes filler materials that help ensure an even application.
- Use a slow-release fertilizer. When buying any fertilizer, check that it is a slow-release fertilizer or ask the seller before you buy it. Slow-release fertilizers break down their nutrients over a long period. With slow-release fertilizers, your application can be every six to eight weeks. What you should target is getting your lawn as green as possible without growing it fast, so you don't have to mow the grass as often.
- Use granules. Applying the fertilizer uniformly to every part of the lawn is essential but difficult to achieve. But when you use pellets, which are simple to apply using a spreader, you can be sure you will have a uniformly spayed lawn.
- Don’t forget to water. Water your lawn. The only thing you should be careful to do is to find out if you should water the grass before or after applying the fertilizer. The information will be on the fertilizer bag.
- Don’t over apply. Applying fertilizer relative to your lawn is essential. You don't need much, ensure you use just enough fertilizer.
- Sweep up excess fertilizer. If there is excess fertilizer on the ground where you poured it into the spreader, don't leave it to be swept away by rain or wind. Sweep up the granules and keep it out of reach of children and pets.
About the Author
Ann Hayward
Born in Philadelphia and raised in the suburbs, Ann Hayward got her Pennsylvania real estate license at age 18 even before going to college. This second-generation real estate professional followed in the footsteps of her father and two uncles, inheriting their passion for the business. Licensed in DC, Maryland and Virginia, Ann is accomplished in her career, with numerous designations including SFR, SRES, PSA, WHC, and multiunit Housing Development Finance Professional (HDFP) from the National Development Council. She specializes in Prince Georges and Montgomery Counties, Northern Virginia and Washington, DC, all jurisdictions where Ann has lived and knows very well. In addition to her professional expertise, she owns and manages personal investment property, understands and has been involved in the renovation/remodeling process, and has great resources which she shares with clients. When you hire Ann to represent you, she will make your buying or selling experience an enjoyable, rewarding one. Her compassion, sensitivity to her clients’ needs, eye for detail, and ability to see the big picture when guiding you through a purchase or sale are unique assets that will ensure your success. A diverse and relevant background also gives Ann a distinct edge. For 30 years, she worked in fast-paced, high-pressure television and theatrical production, attaining the highest achievement – DGA membership as a Director, and as an award-winning staff and freelance writer. Her keen audio visual skills and design sense benefit sellers in marketing their properties, and are invaluable in helping buyers see the potential of space. A true renaissance woman, Ann was also an income tax professional and office manager for H&R Block, so she thoroughly understands the tax and financial implications of acquiring and selling real estate. Her superior organizational skills are further evidenced as owner of a downsizing/professional organizing business, Managed For You, which allows her to connect with everyone from millennials to boomers and seniors, whether for small space planning or assisting with major decluttering and transitioning. Ann holds an AB in American History from Simmons College, Boston, plus attended Robert Wagner Graduate School of Public Administration where she was a candidate for Doctorate. She additionally studied Film Direction at the American Film Institute in LA, and was a Stanford University post-graduate Professional Journalism Fellow. Personally, Ann is an avid if not very good golfer, and the co-founder of a nonprofit 501c3 organization offering educational guidance, tutoring and counseling for youngsters from elementary school through college admission. She sits on the board of trustees of a nonprofit educational film production corporation as well. (202) 494-6252 [email protected]