The summer months are approaching quickly here in Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver, Washington. During this period, your lawn may start to show signs of stress. There are many reasons that can cause your lawn to lose its luster. A lot of those causes center around a lack of proper nutrients in the soil. For this reason, it is important to understand the importance of why and when to fertilize your lawn. Please keep in mind, that every lawn is different and has different needs, so this should be used as an introduction to fertilization and not a definitive source of information.
Why Fertilize?
Applying fertilizer to your lawn is one of the most important (and easiest) ways to ensure your lawn stays happy, healthy, and looking green and lush year round. Over time, the nutrients in your soil break down and dissipate, leaving your lawn lacking in certain vital nutrients. This lack of nutrients causes your lawn to brown, dry out, or even die off. Therefore, applying fertilizer to your lawn will help to replace those nutrients that are lacking. In order to ascertain what type of fertilizer is best for your lawn, we advise you to do a soil test. There are a plethora of fertilizers and a soil test will help to establish which fertilizer is right for your lawn. Furthermore, proper watering is also extremely important.
When do I Fertilize?
Early Spring
During early spring, your lawn is coming out of the winter dormancy; the period of time during winter where your lawn is hibernating and not focusing on new growth. During the dormant period, your lawn lives off the nutrients it has stored throughout the growing season. Therefore, by the time spring begins, your lawn can often be lacking some vital nutrients. Hence, it is a good idea to apply a good amount of fertilizer to your lawn as soon as spring begins. If you are concerned about weeds in your lawn, it may be a good idea to use a fertilizer that contains a preemergent, as this will help to kill off weeds before they are even allowed to germinate and spread.
Late Spring
Since your lawn is working extra hard during this time, it is a good idea to fertilize your lawn again in late spring. Fertilizing at this time ensures your lawn will have the nutrients it needs in order to survive the warm months of summer.
Fall
Fertilizing your lawn again in mid to late fall is highly recommended. Fertilizing the lawn at this point helps to ensure that your lawn has the built up stores of nutrients to survive the cold winter months. Fertilizing in late fall will also ensure a healthy start for your lawn when spring rolls around again.
Depending on the size and shape of your lawn, fertilizing can range from simple to time-consuming. If you’d like your lawn fertilized right, by professionals who have years of experience, give us a call today at (360)567-6399, contact us here, or fill out our FREE estimate request form.