Five Fail-Free Fertilizing Don’ts

As the weather warms up people want to spend time outside enjoying the outdoors on their lawn. Many people attempt to groom their lawn to the perfect green carpet by fertilizing. Oftentimes, people make mistakes with fertilizing that actually hurt their lawn. If you’re looking to maximize your fertilizing efforts, here are some things to avoid in the process:

DON’T fertilize without doing a soil test: It is always smart to do a soil test before you begin fertilizing. Applying the wrong fertilizer for your lawn’s needs can do more harm than good. The soil test measures the nutrient status and pH of the soil. Home Depot.com states that most grasses perform best when the pH level is within 6.0 and 6.5. Once you have tested the soil using a simple soil tester, you can determine what type of fertilizer your lawn needs.

DON’T forget to aerate your lawn first: According to LandscapingAnswers.com, it is extremely important to aerate your lawn before you spread fertilizer. Aerating is the process of removing small bits of soil from your lawn to help break up compact soil. Once aerated, there will increased airflow within the soil and will allow the fertilizer to reach the grassroots better. There are several different tools for aeration. Find which one works best for you here.

DON’T over fertilize: Applying too much fertilizer can burn the lawn, so can fertilizing too frequently. Most lawns need to be fertilized consistently once or twice a year. Figuring out the right balance for your lawn can be tricky so if you’re not sure how much fertilizer you will need, use this fertilizer calculating tool from Better Homes and Gardens.

DON’T mix fertilizer with weed or pest killer: Don’t use a poison unless you know you really have a problem. If you do, never mix it with fertilizer, says the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association. When you mix the poison and fertilizer it is easy to apply too little or too much of the mixture. If you apply too little poison you increase the chance of breeding poison resistant pests. Always be sure to apply the fertilizer and poison separately. It may be harder but the extra step will pay off.

DON’T skimp on using a good fertilizer: If you’re taking the time to fertilize your lawn, opt for a high quality product. LandscapinAnswers.com suggests using a fertilizer that releases nutrients over time. Using this fertilizer gives a continuous release of nutrients to your lawn.

Fertilizing on your own can be tricky but with these Don’ts in mind, you are on your way to a lush lawn! If you’re feeling unsure of how to care for your lawn, contacting experts like the pros at Ehlinger can be the best choice.

The Importance of Weed Control

weed
wēd/
noun: weed; plural noun: weeds 

1. 
a wild plant growing where it is not wanted and in competition with cultivated plants. 

There are two keywords in that definition: “not wanted”. Weeds are major nuisances and there really is no convenient or easy way to [permanently] get rid of them; however, it’s very important that you try, and here’s why:


1. They rob your soil and your plants of important nutrients, water, and sunshine, which can reduce the survival and growth of plants.

2. Some weeds release chemicals from their roots that are harmful to surrounding plants.

3. They can directly reduce profits by hindering harvest operations and lower crop and plant quality.

4. They may harbor insects and diseases and produce seed or rootstocks, which infest the field/garden and future crops and plants.

5. Weeds can be poisonous, distasteful, and physically harmful.

6. They provide hiding places for insects and serve as a source of vegetable diseases.

7. And finally, they can kill a gardener and farmer’s enthusiasm. 

If weeds are an ongoing problem for you, please contact us. Our treatment and maintenance programs have proven to reduce weeds.

Learn about our 5 Step Fertilizer Care Program here: http://bit.ly/1fu1p9x