Why Should I Have My Lawn Fertilized?

Nutrient Supplement

• Grass needs nutrients to grow. The most important are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Fertilizers differ in their concentrations by weight of these three elements. Testing your lawn is the first step in choosing the right fertilizer for your lawn grass. If your soil is not high in nitrogen, apply a fertilizer with a high concentration of nitrogen.

Disease Resistance

• A well-fertilized lawn is more resistant to lawn diseases than are nonfertilized grasses. A deficiency of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus or other nutrient is a breeding ground for fungi and bacteria that cause lawn grass diseases. An overabundance of one or more of these nutrients also leads to increased susceptibility of disease. Carefully monitor the nutrient concentration and design a fertilization schedule maintaining a healthy amount of the needed nutrients.

Cosmetic Benefits

• For some homeowners, the most important benefit of fertilization is the vibrant, green look it gives lawn grasses when properly used. Nutritional content in the soil is the most important factor determining the color grass takes when it grows. The more fertilizer applied to a lawn, the more that lawn takes on a darker and denser green color. This fertilization practice requires more frequent mowing and watering.

Hardiness

• Fertilizer is a useful tool in building hardy lawns that are more resistant to seasonal changes. Building hardiness in a lawn depends largely on the climate. Climates with a long growing season require more frequent fertilization to ensure winter hardiness than those with a shorter season. Similarly, climates with wetter rainy seasons see faster grass growth and require more fertilization than those that see less annual rainfall. Designing a fertilization schedule with a view toward the individual climatic factors in your area gives your lawn grass a better chance of growing back healthy after winter.