Hyderabadghar/Home Maintenance/Proper Lawn Care

Fertilizing

There are three major considerations in selecting a lawn fertilizer:

The analysis. This indicates the percentage (by weight) of the three major nutrients in a fertilizer: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The analysis is printed on the front of every fertilizer package. For example: 4-1-2.
4 - First number is nitrogen (N).
Nitrogen makes grass plants grow and become greener.
1 - Second number is phosphorus (P).
Phosphorus stimulates root and seedling development.
2 - Third number is potassium (K).
Potassium promotes disease and drought tolerance.

The nitrogen release rate. How fast the nitrogen is released determines how fast the grass will “green up,” how much it will grow, and how long the results will last. Lawn grasses require a steady, controlled feeding to produce a thick, green lawn. Controlled-release fertilizers deliver just enough quick-release nitrogen to produce a fast greening, while the balance is released gradually by microbial action in the soil over a period of approximately eight weeks. As a result, there is a constant supply of nitrogen for the grass plants.

Granule content. Make sure the fertilizers you choose are made of an even mixture of granule particles, so your lawn will get the proper mixture of nutrients.

Before you begin
Determine the square footage of lawn to b

Lawn:	250 ft. X 150 ft.	= 37,500 sq. ft.
House:	80 ft. X 36 ft.	= 2,880 sq. ft.
Driveway:	12 ft. X 50 ft.	= 600 sq. ft.
Total		= 34,020 sq. ft.

e fertilized. Fertilizers, weed-killers, and other soil amendments are typically sold by the amount necessary to cover a certain square footage. A bag of fertilizer, for example, may be recommended to cover 5,000 square feet. You can determine this figure by multiplying the length of your lawn by its width. Then, subtract the square footage of the house, driveway, and areas not to be fertilized.

Lawn:	250 ft. X 150 ft.	= 37,500 sq. ft.
House:	80 ft. X 36 ft.	= 2,880 sq. ft.
Driveway:	12 ft. X 50 ft.	= 600 sq. ft.
Total		= 34,020 sq. ft.

34,020 divided by 5,000 sq. ft. per bag equals 6.8 or roughly seven bags of fertilizer. If you know how much acreage you have, it may be easier to remember this: one acre equals 43,560 sq. ft. Identify your grass as a cool or warm season grass. You may already know this, particularly if you planted the grass yourself. Or, you may be able to determine what type of grass you are likely to have by your geographic area. A large section of the U.S. can be considered "transitional," which means that both warm and cool season grasses may grow in the area. If you live in this area, a clue to your grass type is the fact that warm season grasses will turn brown after the first frost. Cool season grasses, however, will generally stay green all year long in the cool and transitional zones. They will not, however, survive the summers in the warm season zone.

Fertilizing landscape plants
In the forest, soils are rich in humus and decayed leaf and twig material that is recycled as nutrients. However, landscapes surrounding homes are typically planted in soils low in nutrients and organic matter because the nutrient-rich soils were removed or disturbed during construction. When we choose ornamental plants that can't grow in poor soil conditions, they require additional nutrients to survive. Fertilizers provide the nutrients to help these plants grow and adapt to the site.

Fertilizing makes your landscape stronger and healthier. It helps older landscapes maintain their health and vigor against the stresses caused by disease, insects, winter damage, and dry weather.

What is fertilizer? The main components of fertilizer are nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.
Nitrogen stimulates the production of chlorophyll, which results in desirable dark green leaf color.
Nitrogen also boosts the growth of shoots, leaves and roots.
Phosphorous is good for rooting, flowers and fruit; and also plays a big role in overall growth.
Potassium increases plant vigor and stress resistance, helping it withstand adverse weather, insect and disease damage.
Minor nutrients such as iron and manganese are also added when needed to help produce greener, healthier leaves.

Timing is everything. Fertilizer is usually applied in spring and fall, when root growth is more active. Both spring and fall applications are important, especially for younger plants. Areas with long growing seasons and/or sandy soils may benefit from additional fertilizing.

How should fertilizer be applied? Fertilizing landscape plants can be tricky, primarily because of the equipment necessary. You can use liquid fertilizer or dry, granular fertilizer. Depending on the type of soil, plant, and climate, fertilizer can be applied to the surface of the soil or it can be injected into the ground. Generally, fertilizer should be applied under the spread of the branches (the drip-line), but not too close to the trunk of trees.

Liquid fertilizer. Liquid fertilizer is either injected into the root zone within the soil, or applied as a drench to the soil surface above the root zone. For ornamental trees growing in grassy areas, liquid fertilizer should be injected below the turfgrass root zone but within reach of the tree roots to avoid over-stimulating or burning the turfgrass.

Dry fertilizer. Non-turf areas, such as landscape plant beds, ground covers, and natural wooded areas, are better suited to using a dry, granular fertilizer. Use a walk-behind push or handheld crank rotary spreader. Avoid spreading fertilizer by hand because it is difficult to distribute it evenly and consistently.
Since every landscape has different fertilizing needs, request an analysis and estimate for tree and shrub care from the experts at TruGreen.