What You Need to Know About Using Fertilizer

General lawn maintenance tips are great when you’re a dedicated do-it-yourself type, but even the most enthusiastic gardener may lose patience when it comes to determining the right type of fertilizer to use for your new lawn. That’s because the answer is hardly conclusive—it just depends.

Based on your area and your lawn condition, you may have mineral deficiencies in your soil that need to be addressed before setting your lawn down. If you have specific mineral deficiencies, that will determine the type of fertilizer you should ultimately purchase. A soil test can give you an idea of the current deficiencies in your soil.

While it’s a challenge to give maintenance tips regarding one type of fertilizer over another, here is a list of three macronutrients that should be in any fertilizer blend you purchase:

1. Nitrogen

Nitrogen is an essential element for green plant growth, but too little or too much nitrogen can be damaging. Although natural processes provide some nitrogen, supplementation is usually required.

2. Phosphorus

When you’re planting a new lawn, early root growth is important to get your turf connected with the soil. Phosphorus is an essential element that stimulates early root growth, so you’ll want to make sure your soil is rich with it before laying down your turf.

3. Potassium

To make sure your lawn is ready to fight diseases and various types of environmental stresses—you’ll want to make friends with potassium. This essential element is vital for certain physiological processes of plant growth.

Aside from the type of fertilizer you use, fertilizing your lawn is best done in the spring and the fall. Your lawn wakes up from hibernation in early spring and is hungry! In the fall, your lawn is recovering from the heat and prepping for the winter.

At Modern Turf, our maintenance tips are always tailored to your specific soil conditions. Contact one of our specialists to find out more about our soil test analysis service.