Having a healthy lawn takes more than regular mowing, weed whacking, and watering. The key to a beautiful lawn lies beneath the surface and healing your grass from the ground up. One of the key elements of this process is lawn fertilization. Many people get intimidated by lawn fertilization, but by the end of this blog post, you will be equipped to take your lawn to the next level. 

What is Lawn Fertilization? 

When it comes to lawn health there are three nutrients that play a huge role: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. Lawn fertilization is the use of materials or mixtures that introduce these plant nutrients to your lawn to promote lush, green grass. If you visit your local hardware store you may notice that there are dozens of fertilizer options out there; how do you choose which is best for your lawn? 

Choosing Your Lawn Fertilizer

The amount of lawn fertilizer options can be overwhelming, let’s take a look at some of our favorite options for different lawn types and issues. As we discussed previously, lawn fertilizers utilize three main nutrients: Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium. Each of these nutrients benefit different parts of your lawn, which means there are fertilizers that use all three nutrients, just two, or even one. There are also multiple styles of fertilizers that are applied in different ways and treat your lawn for varying time periods.

Nitrogen Fertilizers

Lawn fertilizers that are Nitrogen-heavy promote leafy green growth and are used when your lawn needs a boost in color. If your lawn is yellow or brown, you may want to consider a Nitrogen-based fertilizer. 

Phosphorus Fertilizers

Phosphorus is a key nutrient in root development and seed growth. Phosphorus-based fertilizers are perfect for newly seeded lawns, or for lawns that need stronger roots. 

Potassium Fertilizers

Potassium-rich fertilizers will help prevent disease in your lawn and help it retain water. These fertilizers are crucial in getting your lawn through droughts and other environmental challenges. 

Liquid Fertilizers

Liquid fertilizers are mixed with water and applied to your lawn through sprayers or irrigation systems. Liquid fertilizers are absorbed into the lawn quickly, making them great for quick fixes in the middle of the season. 

Granular Fertilizers

Granular fertilizers are solid particles that are applied to your lawn using a spreader. The pellets will gradually release nutrients into your lawn over time, making them a great option for all-season coverage. 

How to Apply Fertilizer

Next, let’s take a look at how to apply different types of fertilizers and some best practices to get the most out of your lawn treatment. 

Applying Granular Fertilizers

Granular fertilizers should be applied using a broadcast spreader that will evenly distribute the pellets or particles throughout your lawn. To apply, load up your broadcast spreader with fertilizer and walk in straight lines across your lawn starting at the perimeter. Slightly overlap your lines to avoid gaps in coverage. 

Applying Liquid Fertilizers

Liquid fertilizers are mixed with water and spread using a liquid sprayer. Your liquid fertilizer will come with instructions that will tell you what your water-to-fertilizer ratio will be. To apply liquid fertilizer, walk along your lawn and spray evenly throughout. Make sure to keep your nozzle moving to avoid oversaturation in one area.

Fertilization Best Practices

Applying fertilizer to your lawn isn’t the end of the fertilization process. After you apply your fertilizer, we recommend lightly watering your lawn to help dissolve granules and activate the nutrients. Also, each fertilizer will come with an application period listed in the instructions. Typically, you want to apply your fertilizer during the growing season so the nutrients can do their best work. Some fertilizers are applied once a year, and others are applied throughout the growing season. Be sure to refer to the instructions so you get the most out of the product. 

Purchasing Used Lawn Equipment

At Plain Direct, our Lawn and Garden category is filled with products to help you as you work to get your lawn in tip-top shape. Browse lawn mowers, sprayers, spreaders, and other lawn and garden products from local sellers today!

If you are looking to sell used lawn equipment, list your products today on Plain Direct. Creating a listing is as easy as creating an account.