Fertilizing: How Often and What Types Should I Use?

Like with mowing, it‘s difficult to give a definitive answer when it comes to how often you should fertilize. If you have a time release fertilizer, you can often wait until the fertilizer’s time has run out. Most fertilizers should say how long they last and when the best time to fertilize again is. However, it’s recommended that you fertilize at minimum twice per year, and up to 5 times.

 

Fertilizers all have their own usage time and schedule, depending on the type of grass and time of year, and tend to come combined with other ingredients to help you with your lawn maintenance needs.

 

These ingredients are always listed in that order (sometimes known as NPK). Nitrogen is the most important, as this provides the most nourishment, but it can increase the growth of weeds and encourage excess growth if too much is used too early. Phosphorus and Potassium are also useful for nourishment. It is recommended you choose fertilizers that have a 3:1:2 NPK ratio. 4:1:2 may also be acceptable.

 

You can also choose fast release or controlled release. Fast release helps your grass grow quickly, but may lead to grass burn or too much growth at once. Controlled release does a better job obtaining even grass but is more expensive and takes longer.