Fertilizer tips and techniques

Some common fertilizer terms and tips for growing a great lawn.

 

Gardening, just like other forms of cultivated leisure, always offers a secret or two to the experienced practitioner. Not to worry, though; these secrets can be revealed to a persistent and curious novice. So in honor of The DaVinci Code, consider this article to be the Sir Leigh Teabing of fertilizer, only much less conspiratorial.

The language of fertilizer

To understand the secrets of fertilizer you first must know its language.

NPK

The acronym NPK comes from the table of elements' symbols for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium/potash, the three macronutrients commonly found in fertilizer. A fertilizer with all three of these chemicals is known as a complete fertilizer.

Each chemical in fertilizer serves a particular purpose. Nitrogen primarily feeds the green and leafy above-ground parts of plants. Lawn fertilizer often contains larger amounts of nitrogen than general purpose fertilizer. Phosphorus is necessary for strong roots. Potassium makes grass hardier, helps flowers to germinate, and makes homegrown fruits and vegetables taste better.

Fertilizer ratio

TThe fertilizer ratio represents the proportion of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in fertilizer. These percentages are represented by a series of three numbers. A balanced fertilizer contains an equal percentage of each chemical, and would feature a number such as 10-10-10.

Sometimes soil tests indicate that one chemical is needed more than another. In such cases, the fertilizer ratio might be 4:1:2, or 20percent nitrogen, 5percent phosphorus, and 10percent potassium. Some common lawn fertilizer ratios are 3:1:1, 4:1:1, and 4:1:2. Fertilizer that contains a higher proportion of nitrogen than other elements is called nitrogen fertilizer.

Specialty fertilizers used for particular plants or soil imbalances can be referred to as incomplete fertilizer or high analysis fertilizer. An incomplete fertilizer will be missing one or two of the NPK macronutrients, while a high analysis fertilizer is one that contains an active nutrient with content above 30percent.

Weed and feed

A weed and feed fertilizer contains both fertilizer and herbicide. Why it's called weed and feed rather than feed and weed is one of those inexplicable fertilizer mysteries.

Lawn fertilizer tips and techniques

Having a green and flourishing lawn is always a badge of honor in neighborhoods, so we turn our attention to lawn fertilizer tips and techniques that will make your neighbors sick with envy. After all, jealousy, as Shakespeare's Othello tells us, is a "green-eyed monster."

Time is a critical element for lawn fertilization success. Apply lawn fertilizer about four times year round, including once in late autumn or early winter, and again in late spring after the year's first growth spurt. Remember that over-fertilizing will not only burn the lawn but also encourages imbalanced growth. Luscious grass above-ground can sometimes signal weaker root growth that will afflict a lawn later in the year.

Time is also critical to how lawn fertilizer works. A soluble "fast release" lawn fertilizer may produce a burst of greenery, but slow release lawn fertilizer promotes long-term health. Light and frequent lawn fertilizer applications are better than heavy dousing.

Though it's more expensive, try to find compound lawn fertilizer that features 50percent slow release nitrogen and 50 percent soluble nitrogen. This will give you the best of both worlds.

As for lawn fertilizer application techniques, you're going to want to use a spreader. A rotary spreader will be faster, but if you're serious about having a uniformly growing, precisely fed lawn and are willing to invest the time, a drop spreader is more of a precision tool than a rotary spreader. Sowing lawn fertilizer with a drop spreader will help you avoid unsightly streaks and patches.