Fertilizing the Lawn

Fertilizing the lawn is tricky business because different grasses require different fertilizer.  Be cautious of the weed and feed fertilizers that may kill your grass and leave the weed alone.  Care and consideration should be given to the choice of fertilizer and talking to a professional may be advisable.

We have St. Augustine grass, tough and rough, that require much water to green up and we fertilize it spring and fall.  In our case, we are using only fertilizer--no weed killer.  We are using fertilizer containing 30% nitrogen and 3% potash totaling 33% and the remaining 64% is "inert material".  It is strongly recommended that the lawn be fertilized on a calm day or the wind will blow the nutrients away and leave the inert material on the ground.

Nitrogen is the primary element found in most fertilizer.  Basically, it is used to make the grass grow green; however, too much nitrogen will make the grass grow too quickly and creating work for you.  It will become top heavy and the root system will not be able to support such vigorous growth causing stress for the plant and you as well.

Nitrogen is not a food.  Grass and plants make their own food (in the form of sugar) through the process of photosynthesis.  The various lawn nutrients, including nitrogen, support photosynthesis.

Now, let's go to work.  First, we cut the lawn using a rather low setting.  Then we measure with a 100 foot tape measure and mark the lawn with pegs.

For 1,000 square feet, we use 3.5 lbs of fertilizer (30-0-3) and we spread it with a hand held spreader that covers a 12 foot wide swath.  After the fertilization is complete, we water the lawn.  This process will be repeated this fall:  acquire fertilizer, cut the lawn and measure it, stake it out, apply fertilizer, and water.

Enjoy a green and healthy lawn, visit my humble blog and leave a message but only your foot prints on the beach.  Thank you.