Fertilization is an essential step to take in order to maintain a high quality lawn. In many parts of the southeastern united states, like Raleigh, NC, homeowners have either cool season or warm season grasses. Unfortunately, many homeowners may not realize what type of grass they have or what the best lawn fertilization treatment is for their unique lawn.
Proper lawn fertilization promotes new leaf and root growth. It can also help your lawn recover in high foot traffic areas or areas that have been damaged by pests. Since this region sees quite a bit of sun and heat, it is important to fertilize our lawns in order to replace lost nutrients.
Although it may sound counter intuitive, good lawn fertilization will also help to reduce and control weeds. How? Fertilizer promotes a thicker, more dense lawn prohibiting weeds from coming in. Bare spots in the lawn are the most vulnerable areas of the lawn for weed growth. However, fertilization should not replace a high quality weed control treatment, which targets specific types of weed growth.
Spring is the time to practice lawn fertilization on our cool season grasses. This includes grass varieties like fescue, ryegrass and bluegrass. Often times, these grasses can be blended together in a mix. A qualified lawn care professional can help you identify your grass type. Cool season grasses should not be fertilized during the summer. This encourages rapid growth, which can be damaging for the root system.
Warm season grasses, like bermuda and zoysia varieties should not be fertilized in the early spring. Instead, these grasses thrive better when fertilization is done during late spring through summer months. Now is the time to be thinking about scheduling your pre-emergent weed control for warm season grasses.
Lawn fertilization can be tricky and is best left up to trained professionals who are not only familiar with your lawn’s particular grass variety, but also what kind of fertilizer to use, and how to properly distribute the fertilizer throughout your lawn.
If you do decide to go at it on your own, NC Coorperative Extension can be a great resource. Keep in mind, in order to spread an even layer, you should be continually moving while the spreader is open. If too much fertilizer is spread in one area, the grass is likely to burn, leaving you with a spotted lawn.
