Beautiful, green turf does not come without a price, and that price is careful attention to its care, particularly the nutritional and physical needs of grass.

Don’t expect your turf to look lush and green throughout the year if you never feed it, or don’t ever take any steps to control weeds.

This short post will investigate turf fertilization and care, from a high level.

Turf Fertilization (It’s Not Just One Step)

Grass may not bear crops, but you might be surprised at how heavily most grasses feed. Being a “leafy” plant, the main nutrient required for healthy grass growth, especially in the spring and summer, is nitrogen.

Grass can require as much as ¾ of a pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet (if not more). One of the most important times to feed your lawn is through May and June, when grass will be heavily feeding and growing. Providing adequate, nitrogen-heavy fertilizer during this time will help ensure healthy growth through the summer.

Through a growing season (not just at the start), 1000 square feet of grass can require a total of between 1 and 4 pounds (or a little more or less) depending on the health of the preexisting grass, as well as the nutrient density and chemical composition of the soil.

Therefore it is often necessary to supplement early summer or late spring feeding with turf fertilization in the late summer as well as in the fall.

Turf fertilization is often administered late in the fall or early in the winter to supply a small reserve of carbohydrates and other nutrients come spring, at a time when grass is at one of its most vulnerable stages. This fertilization serves as a holdover and gives plants something to assist their aggressive early spring growth.

Critically, nutritionally proper and seasonally appropriate turf fertilization helps ensure a healthy lawn and one that not only looks lush, green and full (thereby limiting erosion) but which is less suspect to pests and diseases.

All in all, turf fertilization is one of the most important elements of healthy grass care.

Supplementing Fertilization with Weed (and Pest) Control

Weed and pest control are also necessary to a healthy lawn, just as turf fertilization is. Weeds such as crabgrass and dandelions are particularly aggressive and can choke out your turf if steps are not taken to prevent their proliferation.

Many turf care specialists will apply a weed killer or control agent like Prodiamine early in the season to help stem the growth of crabgrass before it even starts. Specialists also commonly apply weed control agents throughout the summer, spot treating areas where weeds have begun to grow.

Grubs are also a common pest that afflict lawns and turf. These larval beetles live under the surface of the soil and feed on the roots of grass, preventing proper water and nutrient absorption, and in extreme cases, completely killing the turf.

Many turf fertilization specialists also take care to treat against grubs with an approved grub-control agent that either prevents grub eggs from hatching or kills the larvae.

Together with turf fertilization, proper pest control helps ensure a healthy, full, lush turf, not just through the summer, but in all seasons.

For More Information on Turf Fertilization Services

For those of you reading this in Michigan (specifically around Saginaw), if any of you are tasked with turf maintenance (or just would appreciate a healthier lawn) get in touch with Garpiel Group. They specialize in turf fertilization, pest control, and overall turf and lawn care, and can work with you to develop a schedule that works for your needs. Contact them today to learn more or prepare for the spring, which is right around the corner.

For more information about Hardscaping and Landscape Enhancement Please visit: Garpiel Group LLC.