Table of Contents
The very best time to fertilize your lawn is in the spring, when the soil temperature—not the air temperature—reaches 55º Fahrenheit. You’ll know when the soil warms up to 55º because the lilacs will begin to blossom and the grass will start growing. Or, buy a soil thermometer and check the temperature at any time.
Do I fertilize my lawn before or after rain?
Ideally, you should aim to fertilize about two days after rain or watering, and when the next heavy rainfall is at least two days away. It can be helpful to have some rain before and after fertilizing. Rain a couple of days before fertilizing keeps your yard moist and the turf healthy, receptive to the nutrients.
Should I fertilize in the morning or evening?
The late afternoon or early evening is the best time of day to fertilize your lawn. With that said, you should never fertilize if there is direct hot sunlight on your lawn. This can lead to burning.
What if it rains after I fertilize my lawn?
The answer not very cut and dry, but here is the bottom line: The vast majority of the time, rain after a fertilizer application is not a problem at all. Water helps “activate” your fertilizer. It helps move the granules deep into the thatch where it starts to break down so that it can be soaked into the root system.
Is it OK to put fertilizer on wet grass?
Can I apply fertilizer to a wet lawn? Most Scotts® fertilizers can be applied to either a wet or dry lawn. If you’re applying a weed-and-feed product like Scotts® Turf Builder® Weed & Feed, though, you may need to apply to wet grass to help the particles adhere to the weeds for best results.
HOW LONG CAN fertilizer sit on lawn before watering?
At Master Lawn, we typically say to wait 24 hours before watering your lawn after fertilizing. But it is important to make sure that it does receive a good watering session soon after that 24 hour waiting period. Watering helps the fertilizer to activate and to break down and begin feeding nutrients to the lawn.
Is it OK to fertilize lawn before rain?
It’s fine to spread your fertilizer before it rains as long as it’s more mild or light conditions. Like we said before, moisture is important for the fertilization process, so using chemical fertilizer on overly dry grass is likely to burn out your grass rather than make it grow and flourish.
When should I fertilize lawn in spring?
The best time for that first application is late spring, just as the green grass is beginning to grow eagerly. In early spring, the grass is putting energy into root development. If you apply fertilizer too early, it will divert the plant’s energy into leaf development too soon.
What is the proper way to fertilize lawn?
Start by applying fertilizer around the perimeter of the yard first, and then fill in the middle, working in one direction. Then, spread it again, moving in a perpendicular direction. This crisscrossing pattern ensures much better coverage and helps prevent over-applying the fertilizer.
How much is too much rain for fertilizer?
Typically, you should fertilize when no rainfall is expected for two days. If rainfall is expected to be light, though, you might have options. You need to add ¼ to ½ inch of water to your lawn in the 24 hours immediately following fertilizer application.
Can you walk on grass after fertilizing?
Allow 24-48 hours, depending on the label, after applying most synthetic fertilizers before any pets, kids or pregnant women walk on the lawn. Those recommended 24 hours are usually the time it takes to make sure it’s dry and the fertilizer has gone down to the roots and away from pet fur or children’s skin.
Should I fertilize before or after watering?
Fertilizer and Water A day or two before applying fertilizer, water your lawn thoroughly. After grass dries, apply fertilizer. Then lightly water again. This second watering is vitally important, because it washes fertilizer off grass blades and into soil.
Can you apply fertilizer after rain?
Don’t wait too long after a heavy rainfall to apply fertilizer. When the top two inches of soil have dried, the benefit of good distribution of the fertilizer in the root-zone area may be reduced. It is for such reasons that we suggest soil moisture should be at good levels just before a fertilizer application.
How soon can I mow after fertilizing?
After a fertilizing treatment you need to wait only 24 hours to mow the lawn.
What temperature is too cold to fertilize lawn?
As a general rule, you should not fertilize your lawn when it is dormant. Lawn grass can go dormant when it’s too cold, or too hot. At the cool end of the spectrum, you want to be sure that your air temperatures are consistently 60 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer.
What happens if you don’t water in granular fertilizer?
Watering after fertilizing washes the fertilizer off of the grass blades and into the soil, where it can get to work nourishing your lawn. It’s also important because if fertilizer sits too long without being watered in, it can burn the grass.
Can I fertilize my lawn in December?
This is something we do not want in the winter as the harsher temperatures can damage new growth. Fertiliser should not be applied when the lawn is frozen or there is a drought as it will only be wasted – the soil will not absorb it properly.
How do I know if my lawn needs fertilizer?
Look for yellow specifically, not dark brown. If your lawn is brown, you may have another problem, such as a fungus. Improperly fertilized grass typically looks uniformly yellow, but it may have some stripes or large patches of discoloration caused by uneven fertilizer application.
When should I put Turf Builder on my lawn?
Apply Scott’s Turf Builder when the grass is damp, such as after a rain or during the morning dew. Turf Builder works best when the temperature is between 65 and 90 degrees. Apply it when the weeds have already sprouted in your lawn, in the spring until the fall.
