How Often Should You Fertilize the Average Home Lawn?

Hardy Grasses With Clippings

• If your lawn is made up of grasses that grow vigorously, such as Kentucky bluegrass and ryegrass types, you should fertilize it about three to four times a year. Fertilize the lawn between May and June, in August and in the middle of October if you usually leave the clippings on the grass after you mow. A pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet should be a sufficient application for this type of lawn.

Hardy Grasses Without Clippings

• Fertilize your lawn in May to June, in August, in September and in the middle of October -- four times instead of three times a year -- if you typically remove the grass clippings from your high-maintenance lawn following mowing. Apply a pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet every time you fertilize. Allowing grass clippings to stay on the lawn essentially reduces your lawn's need for fertilizer by a pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet each year.

Easygoing Grasses

• When taking care of a lawn filled with grasses such as hard fescue or red fescue, fertilizing the lawn does not need to occur as often. If you leave your mowed grass clippings on the lawn, simply fertilize the lawn once a year -- in September. However, if you always remove the clippings after mowing, give the lawn fertilizer in both August and in mid-October. Again, give your lawn a pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet each time you apply the fertilizer.

Other Considerations

• When determining how often to fertilize the average lawn, consider when the grass is actively growing. If you have a cool-season species of grass, note that spring and fall are the best times to fertilize.

  In addition, realize that even though 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of fertilizer generally is the recommend amount to apply to your grass, this might be excessive for heavy soils in dry conditions and inadequate for sandy soils when rainfall is heavy. This is because heavy soils such as clay tend to hold in too much water, and sandy soils tend to release too much water.