Stick to the Schedule! How to Know When to Fertilize Your Lawn

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Lawn care is no joke. You have to ensure you’re watering often (but not too often!), mowing correctly, applying your liquid lawn fertilizer on time, etc. You know that fertilizing lawns is one of the most important things to be doing, but nobody ever taught you when is the right time to do it! Fear not – we’re here with the lawn solutions you’re looking for.

 

Before you start fertilizing lawns…

Before you jump into fertilizing lawns (whether your own, for your grandmother, or for a business), the most important thing to note is what type of grass you're dealing with: warm-season or cool-season grass.

If you’re not sure, once again, we have a lawn solution for you. Here's a map that can help guide you in the right direction.

 

Some general “fertilizing lawn” facts

If you’re not sure when or how often you should be fertilizing lawns and you want to know the basics, generally adding fertilizer once or twice a year is perfect. It is vital to do this during the season that your grass is growing the most. Typically, across the board, this is in the 60-80 degree weather range. When selecting a fertilizer, the best lawn solution is to ensure it has all the right macronutrients you need for lawn care.

 

Types of warm-season grass

Bahia grass

Bahia grass is incredible in that it thrives in the heat, meaning you don’t have to worry about it in a drought. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t come with its own set of problems, though. Bahia grass has coarse, point blades (so it’s not the most comfortable to walk on), and lawns of bahia grass are known for weed infestations.

Bermudagrass

Bermuda grass is strong and durable. It can handle the heat, drought, and foot traffic; however, it is very sensitive to cold temperatures. There might be a lack of growth when the temperature drops, but once it heats back up again, Bermuda grass lawns grow rapidly.

Centipede grass

Centipede grass is the opposite of Bermuda grass in that it grows very slowly. Some people might find that frustrating, but it’s countered by the fact that you never have to worry about your lawn dying! It lasts through every single dormant season.

Zoysia grass

Zoysia grass is the first to turn green and the last to go brown. It can survive through hot and cold weather, but it is still definitely a warm-season grass. The biggest thing to note if you have Zoysia grass is that you need to rake for thatch regularly.

 

Your warm-season grass schedule

January

Happy New Year, warm-season grass owners! Make sure you’re preparing for lawn care by implementing the earliest lawn solutions you can. This includes cleaning and sharpening your lawn tools, edging your grass, and taking soil samples. Preparing for things such as fertilizing, mowing, and aerating is just as important as doing them.

February

Love is in the air…and weeds are in the grass – yuck! Apply your herbicides and spot-treat by pulling any weeds you might see. In the spirit of cleaning, check your lawn for debris, twigs, and stones before spring rolls in so your lawn will be easier to manage when the time comes.

March

If you have the luck of the Irish, your grass will start growing around this time. Mow that lawn! It's crucial to cut slightly lower than usual the first few times. Ensure your soil pH is balanced and get rid of any unwanted moss that might have made its way to your lawn in the cooler, damper months.

April

Seed, seed, and over seed, if needed! As the temperature heats up, your warm-season grass will enter active growth due to soil temperatures also rising, meaning if you need to plant, lawn solutions point to now being the time to do it. Continue to mow, but now at normal heights.

May

Aerating and dethatching your lawn reduces compaction, improves drainage, and reduces lawn disease risks.

June

Fertilizing lawns is what it’s all about in June for warm-season grasses. Every 4-8 weeks in the summer, be sure to be fertilizing lawns with either a liquid or solid lawn food. At Simple Lawn Solutions, we recommend our liquid lawn fertilizer because, in every drop, you get a perfect balance of nutrients.

July

When July rolls around, warm-season grasses should be cut about 1 to 1 ½ inches above standard recommended heights. This is because taller blades shade the soil, trapping water, and fighting off weeds.

August

Now that we’ve come to the end of summer, mow your lawn only as needed rather than on a fixed schedule. Be sure to keep fertilizing lawns to increase energy stores for winter. Your final feeding should be scheduled for about 6-8 weeks prior to the first expected frost.

September

Hello, autumn! Now that fall has hit in the south, rain is bound to increase. This means you should slow down your watering so as not to drown your lawn. Spray pre-emergent herbicides before cool-season weeds germinate, and over seed when your warm-season grass begins losing its color.

October

Before the trick-or-treaters make their way to your lawn, make your final cuts! Mow until the grass stops growing, and ensure the last few times are slightly lower than normal. Make any soil corrections before winter hits.

November

Evaluate if you need to continue to fertilize, and spot treat as you see weeds pop up. One of the most significant lawn solutions at this time of year is to rake and remove fallen leaves unless you decide to mulch them. If you leave the leaves be, you risk disease and trap airflow.

December

Living in the south, you most likely won’t have snow (lucky you!). Because of that, you can still water your lawn. It’s imperative that you do so!

 

Types of cool-season grass

Fine fescue

Fine fescue is a cool-season grass that is thick and textured. Its blades are very upright, rarely sway, and tend to clump together. Fine fescue is a medium to dark green grass that doesn’t fair well when too many people walk on it too much. That causes soil compaction, calling in the liquid lawn aerators.

Kentucky bluegrass

Nope, we’re not talking about bluegrass, the music genre! Kentucky bluegrass is somewhat of an oxymoron grass as it grows in cooler seasons but thrives in direct sunlight. It gets its name from its color, as the dark green can sometimes appear dark blue.

Perennial ryegrass

Perennial ryegrass usually grows quickly during cooler months. The ends of the blades are pretty sharp. A special property of perennial ryegrass is that it grows thinner, meaning there is less of a chance for fungus to kill it. Something very important about perennial ryegrass is that you should water it more often than you think you should.

Traditional tall fescue

Traditional tall fescue is much coarser than fine fescue, and its blades have a point similar to perennial ryegrass. As you can guess, this grass is tall. Its blades retain water better because of this, but traditional tall fescue is prone to brown patches.

Turf-type tall fescue

This grass is a legendary type of grass! It can withstand heat, survive droughts, and thrive in the shade, making it its own type of lawn solution! Turf-type tall fescue is actually short (what do you know!), and it is dark green and sharp.

 

Your cool-season grass schedule

January

And now, happy New Year to you, cool-season grass owners! Unlike the warm-season grass people, you’ll need to break out the de-icing salts this month. Be careful, though, as salt buildup can damage the soil. In addition, prepare your lawn tools and avoid too much foot traffic on frozen grass.

February

This month, our biggest lawn solution for you is to flush salt-impacted or pet-stressed (yes, we mean where your dog was walking and doing their business all winter) areas with water as soon as the soil thaws enough. This reduces potential damage.

March

Just because it’s the first month of springtime doesn’t mean it’s time to start fertilizing lawns. As northerners know, spring weather often begins much later than the first official day of spring. In March, you should simply rake your lawn to remove any debris and dead grass.

April

By now, you should notice the first signs of growth in your lawn. Start mowing! When you do, keep the grass a little shorter than usual. Repair any bare lawn spots that you might see, and seed before summer gets here.

May

Spring is officially in full-force, meaning you can mow at normally recommended heights. If you want improved soil and added nutrients, the lawn solution for you is to leave lawn clippings on the grass. Spot treat your weeds and start fertilizing lawns.

June

Because your grass is more apt to cooler seasons, it’s important to provide your lawn with 1 inch of water per week (including rainfall) once summer hits. Raise your mowing heights to 3-4 inches to shade roots and encourage heat resilience.

July

Continue watering and mowing thoroughly, but never remove more than 1/3 of the blade in a single mowing.

August

August is an important month in the life of cool-season grasses. As your grass approaches its primary growing season, your soil needs to breathe. 

August is all about over seeding to prevent thinning lawns. Ideally, this is done about 45 days prior to your area’s first frost.

September

Fertilizing lawns with cool-season grasses in September is extremely important. Your grass should be fed about 6 weeks before the first anticipated frost. You should also gradually lower your mower blades to regular mowing heights at this point.

October

What’s spookier than a suffocated lawn? We’re not sure of anything! That’s why your October lawn solution should be to mulch or collect fallen leaves! If you don’t, un-raked leaves can become very heavy, suffocating your beloved grass.

November

If you’re in an area where your lawn is still growing, then continue to mow until it stops. Your final mowing should be just a little bit lower than normal so that snow mold risks are reduced. In addition, keep watering if need be. Grasses should enter winter hydrated.

December

Leave your lawn be this month. Try to limit any foot traffic so that snow isn’t compacting the ground. Clean and store your tools until it’s time to do it all over again!

 

Navigating a lawn care schedule, particularly a fertilizing schedule, can be challenging. That is why we’re here to help! Follow these guidelines, and make adjustments as you see fit to create your own lawn solutions! Remember, each type of grass most likely needs something different than another type, so don’t get too hung up on following each step exactly.

Want to learn more about lawn care? Is fertilizing lawns still too overwhelming? Feel free to reach out! We love chatting with our customers and figuring out the best product or method for their lawn.

 

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