Lawn Maintenance

Fertilizing

When selecting a fertilizer please consider the major considerations whether you are using a Scotts® , Lesco® or any store bought variety. The first consideration is the percentage, by weight, of the three major nutrients - Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium. These three ingredients are printed on the front of every consumer application grade of fertilizer. However these percentages of ingredients only informs the consumer about the chemical makeup and not the performance that one receives from the proper application of the product. Therefore consumers should be alert to the following percentages, symbols and what each one specifically does in order to make an informed choice.

  • N - Indicates percentage of Nitrogen which makes the grass grow and become green.

  • P - Indicates percentage of Phosphorous which stimulates roots and seedling growth.

  • K - Indicates percentage of Potassium which promotes disease and drought resistance.

The next consideration is the Nitrogen release rate. The rate that the nitrogen is released into the turf area not only determines how fast the grass will green up but also how quickly it will grow which effects the amount of clippings produced during the next mowing, the rate that the fertilizer is wasted by natural leaching and runoff, and last but most important to the residential consumer how long does this application last. Residential lawns require a slow release fertilizer that provides a steady feeding in order to achieve the much desired thick green lawn that becomes the envy of the neighborhood.

The third factor to consider is the granule content, or make up, of the fertilizer. Since most fertilizers contain the three basic ingredients ( namely Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium ) in separate granules which are of different shape and sizes these granules can separate during storage, shipping and handling causing the contents to separate within the package resulting in an uneven distribution of the product on the lawn area resulting in a less than desirable result.

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