That’s great when you have a beautiful garden and lawn, but how to take care of them properly is a significant problem! “How much fertilizer for lawn?”, is one of the questions which go on and on in your mind every day?
Now, you can throw your worries away because all detailed, clear and understandable information is included in this article! Here is what you need!
Different Type Of Lawn Fertilizers
First of all, you need to know about the fertilizers you use. How many types of fertilizers do you know?
There are many ways to classify them, in this article, Gardening101 will classify fertilizers into two groups: inorganic fertilizers and organic fertilizers.
Inorganic Fertilizers
Inorganic fertilizers are also called as chemical fertilizers. They include fertilizers such as nitrogen fertilizers, phosphorus fertilizers, potassium fertilizers, compound fertilizers, etc.
From these main fertilizer groups, people will produce different types of fertilizer depending on the percentage of nitrogen or other ingredients.
Inorganic fertilizers provide the mineral salts and nutrients necessary for soil to contribute to the growth of plants.
Organic Fertilizers
Organic fertilizers or natural fertilizers derived from plant residues, agricultural byproducts, cattle wastes, organic wastes from living, peat, etc.
This group of fertilizer is divided into two types: traditional organic fertilizers and industrial organic fertilizers, depending on the method of fertilizer production.
Organic fertilizers increase the porosity and water holding capacity of the soil. It will also change the chemical properties of the land to increase nutrient fixation and create conditions for microorganisms to grow.
Moreover, fertilizers are also classified based on the time of dispersion. With that method, we will have slow-release fertilizer and fast-release fertilizer.
How to choose suitable fertilizers to apply?
It is contingent on your lawns and gardens. You have to determine which type of grass or plant that you grow and what they lack, soil situation, etc.. Anyway, the combination of organic and inorganic fertilizers is a great choice.
How Much Fertilizers For Lawn Is Enough?
Now, If you have already chosen the suitable lawn manures, we will guide you through calculating the proper amount of fertilizer applications.
Step 1: Calculate Your Lawn Size
Firstly, you should define the size of your entire lawn as accurately as possible. If your garden is square, rectangular, or triangle-shaped, it’s easy to measure. But what if it isn’t?
If your home lawn has a shape that is difficult to identify or is occupied by another home, warehouse, or tree, we have two solutions for you.
The first way is breaking your garden into easy-to-calculate shapes to define the acreage of your lawn like triangles, rectangles, etc.
Another way for gardens or lawns occupied by the house or other trees is to calculate the entire plot, then subtract the acreage of the house, warehouse, etc.
Step 2: Determine The Percentage Of Nitrogen In Your Fertilizer
The most important factor when calculating the amount of fertilizer is determining the amount of nitrogen in the product.
Each type of grass needs a different amount of nitrogen and fertilizer contains different nitrogen amounts that you can identify through the manufacturer’s information provided on fertilizer bags.
The amount of actual nitrogen in fertilizer can range between 1% and 46% depending on the type.
Step 3: Calculate Pounds Of Fertilizer Based On The Amount Of Nitrogen
This is a relatively confusing step, so we will give a specific example for you to visualize
Example
The type of fertilizer you choose has a nitrogen content of 40% per pound of manure. The manufacturer recommends that you provide 1 pound of nitrogen per 1000 sq. ft. So you will need 2.5 pounds of fertilizer for 1 pound of nitrogen.
Step 4: Figure Out The Total Amount Of Fertilizer To Apply To Your Entire Lawn
And the last step is straightforward. You should estimate the total amount of fertilizer you need based on the size of your entire lawn.
For example, your lawn size is 6500 sq. ft. , fertilizer contains 20% of nitrogen in each pound, and 2.5 pounds of fertilizer for 1 pound of nitrogen ( 1 pound of nitrogen is suitable for 1000 sq. ft) is the recommendation based on manufacture. So the total amount is:
2.5 x 6.5 = 16.25 pounds
Based on this result, you need 16.25 pounds of fertilizer which contain 20% nitrogen in 1 pound.
Common Fertilizing Mistakes
As a home gardener, have you ever make any lawn care mistakes? The following are four common fertilizing mistakes that people usually make. And if you haven’t, try to avoid them!
Choose Unsuitable Fertilizers
The nutrient needs of different plant and grass types are not the same. Many people believe that just one fertilizer can be used for many crops, this is a misconception.
Sometimes gardeners don’t fully understand the nutrients their lawn needs. They focus only on the nitrogen content that is advertised as extremely essential for plants.
It’s the truth, but sometimes what you need to do is increase the acidity in the soil or reduce the amount of phosphorus instead of providing more nitrogen.
Because of the unclear judgment about the necessary nutrients, the gardeners can’t determine the suitable type of fertilizer for their grasses.
Overfertilizing
According to many agriculture and natural resources researches, the nutrient content for each crop is specified, and experts recommend that we should provide them in enough amount.
Overfertilizing will quickly make your lawn has a phenomenon of fertilizer burn because excess nutrients and mineral salts will cause the grass to become dehydrated and wither.
For that reason, consider fertilizing with proper application rates to avoid lawn fertilizer burn.
Soil And Water Testing
In lawn care process, because of carelessness, people usually lack of soil and water testing steps.
Poor soil and water quality will also cause grass growth. For example, if your soil is contaminated with acidic alum, you need to use substances to reduce the amount of acidic alum.
Another good example is nutrient-poor soils, which you need to provide more nitrogen, phosphorus, and other essential nutrients.
Therefore, soil and water conditions also directly affect the application of fertilizers.
Wrong Application Time
If you use organic fertilizer and you want to fertilize before planting, you should use slow-release fertilizers.
The appropriate time for fertilizing is two to three weeks before planting to give fertilizer time to disperse in the soil and water.
If you want to fertilize during planting, consult with experience or the seller.
Conclusion
In conclusion, remember to choose the right and adequate amount of fertilizer for your grasses so that they can grow properly and avoid unfortunate consequences.
Do you know “How much fertilizer for lawn is enough?” We hope that our article will help you be a skillful gardener! See you next time!