Best Fertilizer For A Thicker Lawn

Grass Fertilizer FAQ 

If you’re interested in purchasing a grass fertilizer for your lawn, there are some important things to bear in mind.

Read our FAQs to discover them and learn the best way in which to fertilize your lawn so it can be healthier and look beautiful with less effort. 

When should you fertilize your lawn?

Generally, the consensus when it comes to the best time of year in which to fertilize your lawn is during the springtime. Many people will add fertilizer to their lawns at this time of year, and then top up on it during the growing season.

However, a good tip to bear in mind is not to apply fertilizer too early on in the season. For best results, apply it later in the season just as you can see that the grass in your lawn is starting to grow. This is when it will really benefit from having a boost of nutrients in the form of fertilizer.

Although springtime is a good time to fertilize your lawn, as we’ve seen in our product reviews there are many fertilizers on the market that you can apply to your grass at any time of the year. This makes using them conveniently.

A good tip if you’re choosing not to apply fertilizer to your lawn during the spring, or you’ve forgotten this year, is to do so during the fall – specifically during September. This is the best time to give your lawn a boost of nutrients in the form of fertilizer because the grass is recovering after a hot summer and will be coming out of dormancy.

It will therefore benefit from the nutrients in fertilizer that will boost its growth process. 

What if it rains after I fertilize my lawn?

If you’ve applied fertilizer to your lawn and it rained heavily afterward, unfortunately, this will usually wash away the product. You might have to reapply it when the conditions are better.

However, if you’re experiencing light rain in your area, this isn’t a cause for concern. It can actually be beneficial for your grass because it will wash the fertilizer so that it runs off the blades of grass and penetrates the soil. 

A bit of rain is useful to have before and after fertilizing your lawn. It keeps the soil moist and the grass healthy, both of which make your lawn much more receptive to receiving nutrients from the fertilizer you’re going to apply to it. This can increase the effectiveness of the fertilizer you’re using. 

Is it OK to put fertilizer on wet grass?

As we’ve seen in our reviews, there are some quality lawn fertilizers on the market that you can conveniently apply to both dry and wet lawns. But don’t think this is a special feature as you can actually apply fertilizer to your lawn when it’s wet!

In fact, this can be a good thing, as we’ve outlined in the previous question because it can enhance the fertilizer’s effectiveness. However, although it should go without saying, you should never apply fertilizer to a waterlogged lawn as this will cause the fertilizer to run off or produce puddles instead of penetrate the soil. It will therefore go to waste.

It’s also worth checking the type of fertilizer you’re using. Whether it’s a granular or liquid form of fertilizer, make sure that it’s supposed to be diluted before use as this will make applying it to wet grass much more appropriate.

If you’re using a foliar fertilizer, however, this should never be applied to wet grass. This is because this type of fertilizer can become less effective if applied to grass when it’s wet. It simply won’t stick to the grass blades properly.

You should wait a minimum of 24 hours after it’s rained or you’ve watered your garden before you apply the foliar fertilizer. Then, make sure you wait an additional 24 hours before you water your grass again. These habits will ensure that the grass has received the fertilizer and can start reaping its benefits. 

Should you fertilize before or after cutting the lawn?

If you want to apply fertilizer to your lawn, make sure you do this after mowing it. This is because it will give the grass a few days to absorb the nutrients in the fertilizer.  After you’ve mowed the lawn, this exposes the soil so that the fertilizer can reach it more easily. 

When mowing the grass, make sure you leave a small number of grass clippings on the lawn instead of removing them. These clippings are filled with nitrogen that will enter the grass and give it an extra boost of nutrition.

What about mowing your grass after you’ve fertilized it? You should take the type of fertilizer you’re using into consideration so that you mow your grass at the right time.

If you’ve used a liquid fertilizer on your lawn, you should wait for between two and four hours, or until the grass is dry, before you mow your grass.

On the other hand, if you’ve used granular fertilizer you should wait for between 24 and 48 hours before you mow your grass again. This is because you need to give the fertilizer a chance to penetrate the soil.

When the grass is fully dry and all the fertilizer granules have properly dissolved into the soil, you can have the go ahead when using your lawnmower. 

Conclusion

If you want a healthier, greener lawn you need to ensure you buy a quality fertilizer. This will inject your lawn with nitrogen and other nutrients it needs to be healthier and look its best.

In this article, we’ve featured five of the best fertilizers on the market that will give you a thicker, greener lawn. We’ve also looked at some common questions you might have about fertilizers, such as when is the best time to use them on your lawn and if you should mow your lawn before applying them. 

Resources:

• SFGate.com