There’s no question that lawn fertilizer is incredibly important when it comes to the growth and success of your Louisville lawn. But we often find that homeowners misunderstand what fertilizer does (and doesn’t) do.
In fact, there are quite a few lawn fertilizer myths out there that we think it’s important to debunk.
At Limbwalker, we care about helping homeowners get proper information so that they can make the best possible decisions for their lawns. We know that’s hard to do without all of the facts. That’s why, in this article, we’re discussing what you should know about fertilizer on the lawn.
People will sometimes ask us, does grass need fertilizer? Like, does it really need it to survive?
While your grass will survive without fertilizer, it certainly is not going to look its best. Chances are, whether you’re a current client of Limbwalker or not, if you’re spending time reading articles on this blog, you’re probably someone who cares about their lawn.
So, while it’s true that failing to fertilize your lawn won’t mean it will die, it is absolutely going to perform subpar.
This is because the soil is frequently depleted of the nutrients that your lawn needs to perform its best. When you fertilize your lawn, you’re adding those nutrients back in.
So, do you need to fertilize your lawn? Yes, if you care about lush, green, and healthy turf.
.jpg?width=5168&height=2912&name=Lawn-care-customer-cornhole%20(1).jpg)
As we mentioned above, lawn fertilizer supplies your plants with the nutrients that it needs to survive. But that does not mean that it is food for your grass plants. Actually, all plants (including turfgrass) make their own food through a process called photosynthesis. You might remember learning about this in biology.
Fertilizer simply assists lawns in the natural processes that lead to improved health. But it is not actually “food” for your lawn.
This would be a harmless myth except for the fact that “feeding” a lawn sometimes implies that when a lawn isn’t healthy it’s not “eating enough.” Applying more fertilizer to an unhealthy lawn is not necessarily the right solution and can actually cause you more harm than good, depending on what’s really going on.
Piggybacking off this myth is the idea that the more fertilizer you put down, the better your lawn will be. In reality, too much fertilizer can cause lawn burn or possibly aggravate lawn diseases.
It’s so important that you are working with a lawn care professional who knows how to properly apply lawn fertilizer at the proper rate.
It’s also important that we clarify what lawn fertilizer can and can’t do. While it will help your grass to grow thicker over time, grass fertilizer is not going to be an instant fix for bare spots!
While some species of grass do grow as clumps and start to knit together over time, there’s only so much that fertilizer is going to do if your lawn has bare patches (particularly if they’re baseball-size or larger).
The true solution to bare spots is power seeding.
Power seeding, which has also been called “slice seeding” or “slit seeding,” is the process of using a machine to cut rows into the soil and plant seeds. It’s a service used by golf courses to achieve some of the thickest, healthiest turfs around.
This is going to be the most effective way to fill in those bare spots with new grass. Then, once you have grass growing in those areas, you can add fertilizer to aid with the growth process.
In general, there is a myth that all lawn care companies are using the same lawn care products. But this isn’t the case at all.
There are varying degrees of quality when it comes to lawn fertilizer and you want to make sure that you are working with a company that is investing in high-quality results. Better products yield better results!
In fact, this is one of the reasons why some companies charge a little bit more for their lawn care programs. You’re paying a little bit extra money but you are getting significantly better results.
The same is true when weighing DIY fertilization or working with a pro.
While it’s true that you can buy fertilizer at your local big box store, it’s not going to be the same high-quality product that a professional is using.
Along with that, when you’re paying to have a pro apply fertilizer on the lawn, you are also paying for their knowledge and experience that they’re applying it properly. This can make a big difference when it comes to your results.
Another myth that we sometimes hear is that a yellowing lawn always needs more fertilizer. Sometimes lack of fertilization is the issue. But that’s not the only reason that lawns can turn faded green or yellow.
Soil pH is one potential culprit. When a lawn starts to yellow, it might be that the soil pH is too low.
Another reason that lawns can turn yellow is drought stress. If a lawn is not receiving enough water it can eventually start to turn yellow (then brown). Of course, to complicate matters, lawns that are overwatered can also sometimes turn yellow! And, yellowing can occur from insect and disease problems, too.
The point is, as much as people often want to go out and use lawn fertilizer as a “quick fix,” a proper diagnosis is really key.
There are certain problems that fertilizer will worsen, so you want to make sure you know what’s actually going on before trying to use it.
We absolutely love that you’re asking questions like, Does grass need fertilizer?
It shows that you want to be an informed consumer and that you care about achieving the best results for your lawn.
But rather than even having to worry about any of this, you can simply hand those worries over to a pro who can take care of everything for you.
The truth is, there’s more involved in lawn fertilization than people tend to realize. You have to know things like how often to fertilize, when to fertilize, and the rate of application.
If you want to get the most possible value out of fertilization, it just makes sense to leave this in the hands of a pro. It’s also important to keep in mind that even though fertilization is a vital service, it’s only one piece of the total lawn care puzzle. There are other equally important services like weed control and pest control that are also key.
The beauty of partnering with a lawn care professional is that you can hand over all of these tasks and let them take care of them for you. In fact, a pro will know exactly what your lawn needs (and when it needs it), so that none of the burdens fall on you in figuring it all out.
In the end, that should give you peace of mind. Instead of worrying about lawn fertilizer myths, you can simply get back to enjoying your lawn.
Are you ready to have a thick and healthy lawn that’s getting everything it needs at your Louisville, KY home? Get in touch with us to get a quote for our lawn care programs, which include three lawn care pricing options.
