What months should you fertilize your lawn?

Ideally, the ground should be around 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on where you live, March to April is the best time to fertilize your lawn. It's also best if your yard is watered a few days before you want to apply the fertilizer, whether that's from rain or a sprinkler.

When should you not fertilize your lawn?

Don't apply fertilizer right after a rainstorm.

If a rainstorm has recently soaked your lawn and saturated the soil, wait a day or two before fertilizing the grass. This will allow the ground to dry out some so you don't create runoff—and wasted fertilizer—when you water in the fertilizer.

How late in the season can you fertilize your lawn?

The best time to apply your last fertilizer application is between August 15 and October 1. Ideally, your last lawn feeding should take place six to eight weeks before the average first frost in your area.

How many times a year should you fertilize your lawn?

How often should you fertilize your grass? Typically, you should only need to fertilize your grass an average of two times a year (and avoid over-fertilization). However, this all depends on the type of fertilizer you use (some last longer than others).

How cold is too cold to fertilize lawn?

Temperatures below 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit are too cold to fertilize your lawn. At these temperatures, your lawn enters a dormant state to protect itself from the cold. If you fertilize your lawn below these temperatures, you'll feed the weeds instead, and the root growth of your lawn will be stunted.

WHEN and HOW to FERTILIZE your lawn

Can I fertilize in December?

Your lawns root system is active until the soil freezes, which in most cases is in mid to late December. Again, fertilizing in early to mid November allows your plants roots to continue to receive nutrients and prepare for the winter.

Should I fertilize my lawn in February?

Timing: Apply early spring lawn fertilizer once between February and April, when your grass is starting to green up and begin to actively grow (around the time your lawn first needs to be mowed).

How can I make my grass thicker and greener?

What if it rains after I fertilize my lawn?

Rain After Fertilizer -- Granular Applications

If you have a lawn care professional apply granular fertilizer or granular insecticide to your lawn, there's no need to panic if it starts raining afterward. Granular fertilizer and insecticide applications need to be watered in. This activates the product.

Do I fertilize my lawn before or after rain?

It is best to wait a day or so after a rain before applying fertilizer. At this time, any pools of water will be gone, but the ground will still have moisture in it. Do not apply fertilizer on grass blades that are still wet. Check the forecast and make sure some sunshine is in order.

Can I fertilize my lawn in December?

Don't fertilize too early!

During the winter months, grass is likely dormant if you haven't been irrigating. When you fertilize too early in spring—meaning it's still winter— you're providing nutrients before the grass has broken dormancy. It won't be able to immediately take advantage of the nutrients you provided.

Can you fertilize in November?

This is the time of year when grass plants recover from disease, heat, drought, and other summer stresses and starts to prepare for the dormant period ahead.

Is may too late to fertilize my lawn?

Wait until the late spring (late May or early June) just before the heat of summer begins and after the grass is thriving before you fertilize the lawn. Feeding your lawn at this point prepares the grass for summer.

How do I know if my lawn needs fertilizer?

Should I mow before I fertilize?

Ideally, you'll want to mow and rake before fertilizing, so that excess lawn waste is removed and the fertilizer will have an easier time reaching the soil. Aerating your soil before fertilizing can also help; the best times to aerate are when your grass is actively growing, such as in spring or early fall.

Is it OK to fertilize wet grass?

Yes, you can apply fertilizer to wet grass and this may even improve the effectiveness of the fertilizer. That is, provided that the grass is not waterlogged and that you are using granular or liquid fertilizers that are meant to be diluted. Foliar fertilizer should never be applied to wet grass.

When Should I aerate my lawn?

You want to aerate the lawn when your grass is in its peak growing period so it can recover quickly—think early spring or fall for cool-season grasses, and late spring through early summer for warm-season grasses. If you have high-traffic areas or heavy clay soil, you will want to aerate every year.

Can you seed and fertilize at the same time?

When seeding a lawn, you should never apply the fertilizer and seed together. This can cause an uneven distribution of the materials resulting in patchy areas or seedlings burned by excess fertilizer. It is best to spread the fertilizer just prior to planting the seed.

When should you put nitrogen on your lawn?

Leading scientists recommend applying nitrogen fertilizers in the spring and fall for cool season grasses like Kentucky Bluegrass, Fescue and Ryegrass, and throughout the summer for warm season grasses like St. Augustine and Bermuda, since this is when the grass plant is actively growing.

What fertilizer makes grass dark green?

The number one way to increase the green color in your lawn is with Nitrogen. Nitrogen is one of the big three macronutrients needed in the greatest quantities for healthy turf. It promotes top growth in the lawn by pushing the production of chlorophyll in the plant.

Why does grass turn yellow?

Nutrient Deficiencies

Nitrogen and iron are two of the most common deficiencies that cause yellow spots on your lawn. Nitrogen deficiencies cause leaves to turn yellow-green or yellow and your lawn will have stunted growth. Large collections of clover are also common in nitrogen-deficient lawns.

Does frequent mowing thicken grass?

Mowing actually helps make your grass grow thicker because the tip of each blade contains hormones that suppress horizontal growth. When you cut the lawn, you remove these tips allowing the grass to spread and grow thicker near the roots.

What should I put on my lawn in March?

Can I fertilize my lawn in winter?

There are benefits to fertilising your lawn during winter, but it isn't the same fertiliser that you would use during the months of the year where your lawn is actively growing. Once soil temperatures drop below 14 degrees Celsius your grass will start to slow down and go semi-dormant for the cool months ahead.

What should I put on my grass in February?

January/ February

Start your lawn off right by giving a light dose of fertilizer including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. In addition, early spring is the time to do your first application of pre-emergent herbicide.