Fertilizer is a key ingredient for maintaining a lush and healthy lawn. Grass depends on nutrients like potassium, nitrate, and phosphorous to grow and thrive. If you are hiring a lawn fertilizer service, here are four things to consider before making a decision:
1. Determine Your Lawn’s Specific Needs
Assess your lawn’s specific needs before hiring a lawn fertilizer service to get customized fertilization. These factors include grass type, soil type, and underlying issues like pests and diseases.
If you have a lush green lawn, experts can apply more nitrogen and less potassium because roots are already established. A new lawn needs more potassium to enhance root development and disease resistance. If you have a stressed lawn, potassium can help reduce the stress, while nitrogen boosts growth. A licensed commercial applicator determines the right nitrogen, potassium, and nitrate ratio, depending on your lawn’s needs.
2. Know the Type of Fertilizer Used
Your lawn can benefit from different types of fertilizer with unique compositions and characteristics. Quick-release granular fertilizer offers an immediate boost of nutrients to grass but is prone to leaching. Slow-release granular fertilizer has a special coating to control the release of nutrients for sustained growth.
Organic fertilizers are made of natural materials like composted animal manure, blood meal, and bone meal. They improve soil structure and microbial activity at a slower rate. Synthetic fertilizers made from chemical compounds promote rapid growth but are prone to runoff. If you want a quick boost to your lawn, you can opt for liquid fertilizer, but it requires multiple applications. Specialty fertilizers feature weed, fungi, and insect-killing chemicals.
3. Determine the Timing of the Fertilizer Application
One of the best times to fertilize your grass is during new growth to prepare your lawn for the growing season. Applying fertilizer during the hot season can strengthen the grass and prevent burns from direct sunlight. During the cold season, your lawn needs the right fertilizer to boost root growth and withstand freezing temperatures.
Certified commercial applicators apply fertilizer at the right time, avoiding extreme heat or drought seasons that damage the grass. They can study the soil structure, soil temperature, and chemical makeup to help leverage nutrients for your lawn.
4. Work With Experienced Experts
Look for a lawn care provider with a good reputation and a high level of experience. Licensed commercial applicators tend to use fertilizers with fewer chemicals to grow and maintain your lawn. These experts also monitor your grass and report their findings on each visit.
If your grass has weeds, qualified lawn care professionals use bio-herbicides to eliminate undesirable vegetation. You can choose from various lawn fertilization programs that suit your grass needs. These experts can use mineral-based granules and organic fertilizers to help you attain a green and sustainable lawn. They use powered, ride-on equipment to calibrate and deliver fertilizer evenly.
Schedule Your Lawn Fertilizer Service
Your lawn’s needs influence the type of fertilizer to be applied. If you want a healthy lawn, work with state-certified lawn care professionals who know the science and timing of proper fertilizer application. A lush lawn also requires constant monitoring to determine whether the fertilizers are working. Schedule your lawn fertilizer service for a green and abundant lawn.
