Lawn care encompasses a lot of different areas, from mowing to aerating. Some are more difficult than others. For instance, fertilizing requires you to pay attention to the chemical balance in your soil, which is why so many people hire professionals to do this part for them. You can get it included as part of full-service lawn maintenance in Reno, NV, or you can get it by itself. Either way, it’s an important part of lawn care for a few reasons.
Why You Should Fertilize
The bottom line is that fertilizer provides nutrients for the soil. Some people would rather wait and hope that the soil gets those ingredients naturally over time so that they don’t have to get lawn maintenance. Unfortunately, this won’t happen as consistently as you would like, and you can be left with a bare or patchy lawn for the rest of the year. You need fertilizer to encourage healthy grass growth by using all three of its main ingredients. Phosphorus protects the grass seeds and encourages root growth, nitrogen helps the grass stalks to grow green and strong, and potassium helps the grass to resist disease and the elements. These ingredients come in different ratios for different types of soil and lawn care professionals can help you figure out how much of which ingredients your grass should be getting and how often.
When You Should Fertilize
When you get your full service lawn maintenance in Reno, NV, you should fertilize in the fall, about 2-3 weeks before the ground freezes. If you fertilize too close to the winter, your grass doesn’t have time to get strong and healthy before it gets cold. If you fertilize in the summer, however, your fertilizer won’t be as effective as the fall. Autumn has more morning dew than spring, and that dew can help moisturize the ground so that it can absorb the fertilizer. For the same reason, you should fertilize in the morning or evening, not in the middle of the day. You can also make the most out of your experience by fertilizing after you’ve mowed as long as it isn’t expected to rain soon.