Those letters stand for the nutrients nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Too much fertilizer on hot days can cause fertilizer burn. As you can see, there’s no need to apply two or three products to cover all of your lawn’s needs—and that’s a good thing, because who’s got time to waste when you’re trying to win the Turf Wars? Then, you need to wait 6 to 8 weeks before fertilizing again. 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. You can use a hand-held spreader, like the Scotts® Whirl™ Hand-Powered Spreader, for a small lawn or a broadcast spreader for a larger lawn. Use straight, slightly overlapping lines to ensure good coverage. What happens if it rains or snows soon after I apply fertilizer? If you’re into tag football, family gatherings, and anything involving bare feet, you’ll definitely want to get in the habit of properly fertilizing your lawn. The first application of fertilizer should be made after the second or third mowing. Clumpy fertilizer hasn't lost its effectiveness. What temperature is too cold to fertilize lawn? This simple guide tells you all you need to know. Ask an Expert is made up of groups and individual experts. Even though cool-season grasses stay green, avoid fertilizing during the heat of midsummer. Over-fertilizing at any time, especially with newly seeded lawns, can actually damage your grass — and that is no way to win the Yard of the Month award. Calculating the Amount. Visit How to Choose Lawn Products and Spreaders for more info and specific lawn food recommendations. Whether you are just starting out, maintaining or troubleshooting, you'll find advice and answers here for all your lawn care needs. Your best bet is to fertilize your newly seeded or overseeded lawn with Scotts® Turf Builder® Starter® Food for New Grass directly after seeding. Fertilize warm season grasses when the grass begins to turn green at the beginning of spring. In the absence of soil test information, apply a fertilizer with a 3-1-2 or 2-1-1 ratio at a rate equivalent to 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. Fertilizers consist mainly of naturally occurring compounds. Be sure that it also contains 2% phosphorus or less in accordance with Florida State Law. So, for example, if you fertilize on Thursday and water or have rain on Friday, then on Saturday, you can let everyone release all of their pent-up energy out in the yard. The burn is caused when the salt form of synthetic fertilizer dries out on top of the grass and soil. It is wise to be wary of fertilizing your lawn during hot weather. Ready to get cracking? As a rule of thumb, it is better to apply to little fertilizer than too much. Fertilize cool-season … Is there a best time of day to apply fertilizer? A light rain or snow after you apply the fertilizer won't hurt, but a downpour the next day could wash the fertilizer away. The primary growing period for cool-season grasses is during the spring and fall, when average temperatures are between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. In humid conditions, however, it absorbs moisture from the air and forms clumps. That’s right, both the weeds and the garden plants bite the dust. The Ways You Can Over Fertilize. When feeding your plants in the summer, cut back to about 20% of how much fertilizer you would usually provide during spring or fall. Guess what happens when you use those in your garden? This depends upon whether you have cool-season grass or warm-season grass. It’s important to know how various products affect your lawn. The highest number for lawn fertilizers will usually be the “N”—after all, growing green grass is the ultimate goal, right? 1. Sure, you can dump a whole lot of fertilizer on at once and achieve over fertilization in a snap, but there are some other, sneakier ways it can happen too. Just download the My Lawn App to help you keep track. How do I know which spreader setting to use? Fertilize cool season grasses after the heat of the summer is over, since their growing season gets under way in early fall. Step 1 Fertilize your lawn on a day where temperatures remain below 85 degrees Fahrenheit and conditions are slightly overcast. For more information, check out How to Aerate & Dethatch Your Lawn. Does Scotts offer a money back guarantee on fertilizer? There are several easy ways to help you figure out the right spreader setting. Late afternoon or early evening (when there’s still light, of course) is the best time of day to apply lawn fertilizer. If a lawn receives too much nitrogen, a great amount of stress may occur and will typically result in a fertilizer burn. This depends upon whether you have cool-season grass or warm-season grass . Do I need to mow, rake, or aerate my lawn before or after fertilizing it? We believe in our products and want you to have that same confidence. Water your lawn a few days before fertilizing so your soil is ready to accept the fertilizer. Use your lawn mower for weed management if you missed you… As for the deepest winter months, there’s no benefit to feeding your lawn at that time of the year in most areas of the country, as the grass is dormant from the cold weather. Harold Deines, Greenville. When is it too hot or too cold to apply fertilizer to my lawn? My Lawn App by Scotts helps simplify your lawn care. Insects. Looking for some answers when it comes to feeding your lawn? The numbers you see on the bag (32-0-4, for example) let you know the percentage of the N, P, and K (by weight) that’s in the bag. Nitrogen is needed for green leafy top growth, but if too much is applied or if it's applied on a hot summer day without watering it in, the lawn may be damaged. Applying fertilizer too late can leave the grass less able to combat cold weather, and feeding it too early can cause the rapid growth of cool-season weeds; a nightmare for a warm-season lawn. What do the letters on the fertilizer bag mean? Next, you’ll need to determine if you have other needs, like insect or weed control, because many Scotts® products address multiple issues at once. The best time is when temperatures remain below 85 degrees Fahrenheit with overcast conditions, using a slow-release formula. Absolutely. © 2002-2020 The Scotts Company LLC. This one’s easy — fertilize four times a year, in early spring, late spring, summer, and fall. When it's hot and dry outside, reduce additional stress on your lawn by minimizing foot traffic. After you’ve figured out the right food to give your lawn, it’s essential to figure out how much fertilizer to apply and carry out that application in a careful, even manner. If the lawn appears vigorous and healthy at that time, delay the first application until May. In the South, Scotts® Turf Builder® Southern Triple Action is the product to turn to for weeding, feeding, and all-important fire ant control. We’re here to help. And because most Scotts® Lawn Food products have Scotts® All-In-One Particles®, they give your lawn an even distribution of nutrients every time you apply it—helping your grass avoid the feast-or-famine, green-to-brown rollercoaster every couple of weeks that you’d experience with poor quality fertilizers. Unlike established lawns, new grass benefits from extra phosphorus, an essential plant nutrient that supports strong, deep roots. How do I kill or prevent weeds while fertilizing my lawn? How to Treat an Over-fertilized Lawn. https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/michigan_fresh_summer_lawn_care. Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Fertilizer. Fertilize the lawn again just after the hottest part of the summer is over. Extra fertilizer in the heat can burn the lawn and the extra flush of growth may have difficulties in the summer heat. 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. This will ensure that your grass is neither too dry nor too wet and that it has enough moisture to protect it from the midday heat. First, determine whether you live in the northern or southern half of the country. They’ll stand much less of a chance in a lawn that is well-fed. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t potentially dangerous chemicals. Extra fertilizer in the heat can burn the lawn and the extra flush of growth may have difficulties in the summer heat. For more information, check out When to Feed for a Greener Lawn. A fertilizer burn is an unsightly discoloration or death of the grass. ... Too hot for fertilizer? A good rule of thumb here is to allow 24 hours after rainfall or irrigation has watered in the fertilizer before letting kids or pets play on the lawn. If it has just rained, it is best to wait until things dry out to apply fertilizer to your lawn. If you (or a client) have used too much fertilizer, then there are some steps which you can take to promote the grass to return to health. 3. If you have a newly seeded, sodded, or plugged lawn, you’ll want to use Scotts® Turf Builder® Starter® Food for New Grass right after seeding or laying sod. That’s how you get lush grass blades that can take a beating from heat, sun, and all the foot traffic you can throw at it, and still look like a glorious green carpet. The best time to fertilize your lawn is when the grass is actively growing, and for cool-season grasses, that’s when temperatures are 60 to 70 degrees F. Have a hard time remembering? Following the directions on the bag, pour the fertilizer into your spreader and adjust the spreader settings. Look for a fertilizer with at least some slow-release nitrogen, which releases the nitrogen to the grass over an extended period of time. To apply the proper amount of fertilizer to a turf area, use a broadcast or drop spreader. Return any unused product to the bag and store it properly (again, check the bag for instructions). Growth naturally slows down in very hot weather, and applying fertilizer at that time can actually weaken the lawn. Simply send us evidence of purchase and we will mail you a refund check promptly. And finally, choosing the right fertilizer depends upon the time of year you are applying it, as grass has different needs during each season. Insect damage can look like an irrigation issue but adding additional water will do nothing … Lawn fertilizer keeps best under cool, dry conditions. Another reason to avoid using lawn fertilizer in the garden is that many lawn fertilizers also contain ingredients meant to kill weeds. For more details, take a moment to read this article on How to Use Lawn Fertilizer. The optimal growing period for warm-season grasses is late spring and summer, when temperatures average 80 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. If you live there, you'll see both warm- … When is it too hot to apply granular fertilizer to a bluegrass/fescue established lawn ?I do have an irrigation system but with the high temperatures being projected for the next several days, I don’t want to do damage to the turf . 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