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Lawn Care and the Use of Fertilizer
By Ray Zimmerman
Although many individuals have been taking care of their lawns for years, the majority of these folks don’t really understand the important part that fertilizers play in the overall picture. My personal knowledge is somewhat limited since I live in Louisiana, about thirty miles from the Gulf of Mexico. Needless to say, the following information will be based on my personal experiences and knowledge of fertilizers while living in a hot and humid climate. Everyone wants a lawn that is green and beautiful to compliment their home. Hopefully, this article will provide you with knowledge facts about fertilizers and how to use them effectively. Fertilizer Basics When you fertilize your lawn, you are providing your lawn with a balanced mixture of nutrients that will help your lawn to grown to its full potential. When you consider buying a bag of fertilizer, you should know exactly what you are purchasing and why. Most bags of fertilizer have three numbers (i.e. 10-8-6) printed on the bag to let you know exactly what the fertilizer is comprised of. In this example the "10" represents 10% Nitrogen (N), the "8" represents 8% Phosphorus (P) and the "6" represents 6% Potassium (K). These numbers express the percentage, by weight, that the bag contains of each element. For example, if a bag of fertilizer weighs 20 pounds the amount of nitrogen would be 2 pounds at 10%, the amount of phosphorus would be 1.6 pounds at 8% and the amount of potassium would be 1.2 pounds at 6%. Nitrogen is the most important element in any fertilizer. This element is responsible for a dense lawn with a beautiful green color. Unless you fertilize your lawn at regular intervals, your lawn will most likely have a deficiency of nitrogen; which will result in slow growth and a yellow-green lawn. When buying a bag of fertilizer, you will find that some fertilizers will be water soluble which means that your grass will be able to absorb the nitrogen more quickly. Fertilizers that are water insoluble will provide nitrogen to the grass at a slower rate which means that the fertilizer will have a longer-lasting effect on your lawn. Water insoluble fertilizers will be the most expensive of the two. You will find that some fertilizers contain both water soluble and water insoluble nitrogen. How to Apply Fertilizer to Your Lawn When applying fertilizer, always follow the printed instructions that are found on the bag of fertilizer. You will find the settings that you should set your spreader to on most of the bags of fertilizer being sold today. If this information is not available, you will simply have to do the what you can and hope for the best. For the majority of us, that’s not very practical. The wrong amount of fertilizer can affect the growth of your lawn and if you use too much, it can even damage your lawn. To keep it simple, only buy fertilizer that provides adequate information on the bag. There are basically two types of spreaders that you can utilize. One is the drop-type spreader which drops the fertilizer on the grass while being pushed by hand or pulled with a riding lawnmower. If you are using this type of spreader, you should spread the fertilizer in two different directions which are at right angles to one another. This will provide you with a more uniform coverage. The other type of spreader is a called a rotary-type spreader which is sometimes referred to as a broadcast or cyclone spreader. These spreaders are available in models that can be pushed by hand or pulled behind a riding lawnmower. The rotary-type spreader actually throws the fertilizer out of the spreader while it’s moving. The actual area that’s being covered is based on the speed at which the spreader is pushed at. This type of spreader will generally provide you with more even coverage than a drop-type spreader. How Often Should You Fertilize Your Lawn It has been documented that it is important to fertilize your lawn on a regular basis to maintain a beautiful lawn. Some experts claim that your should fertilize every 4-6 weeks depending on your particular location and the type of soil that you have. You should fertilize your lawn at the first sign of green grass in the spring. Earlier applications of fertilizer may help to produce a greener lawn quicker, but might also lead to some grass diseases that might possibly occur during the next few months. The application of nitrogen fertilizers will not burn your grass during the summer if applied when the grass is dry and then thoroughly watered immediately after the application. It’s considerably important to fertilize your lawn in the fall to protect your lawn during the winter months. The fall application will help to extend the green color of your lawn into the winter and will help your grass to regain its green color in the spring. Make sure that you use a fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium every 3-4 years during the fall. Lawns that have very sandy soils should be fertilized about every four weeks with a little less fertilizer. Over the year, the total amount of fertilizer that should be used is approximately the same as a lawn that is comprised of non-sandy soil. It is better to use a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer which will increase the times between applications. This is especially helpful in the hotter climates because it will help to keep your grass from burning during the hot summer months and it will require less watering to keep your lawn looking its best. A Tip About Grass Clippings It has been proven that grass clippings are a valuable source of nutrients for your lawn. Whenever grass clippings are removed, you will need to use approximately one-third more nitrogen fertilizer to maintain that lush, green lawn that you so desire. Why spend the extra money on fertilizers when you can reduce your overall cost by simply not removing your grass clippings. If your grass clippings leave a residue on your lawn after being cut, you will need to mow your lawn a little more frequently. Those grass-clippings are valuable to the nourishment of your lawn. Don’t throw them away! In Conclusion... If you are not currently fertilizing your lawn at regular intervals, chances are you don’t have one of the great-looking lawns in your area. Regardless of your location, you can determine what is the perfect fertilizer that should be used for your particular lawn and how to properly apply it by simply contacting a local lawn care service in your area.
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Contributor's Note
A beautiful lawn takes time to create. It doesn’t happen overnight. The degree of beauty will be determined by the amount of knowledge that you have in regards to fertilizing, watering and mowing your lawn.
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Lawn Care Academy
  
Rotary-Type Spreader That is Pushed...
Drop-Type Spreader That is Pushed...
Rotary-Type Spreader That is Pulled...
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This intel was contributed by crawfish
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May, 2012
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