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When to Fertilize Your Lawn in the Fall

soil

Should you fertilize your lawn in the fall? The answer is yes; however, when you start the process is important. You want to ensure that you nourish your lawn before the cooler temperatures set in so that your lawn can make a strong spring comeback.

Next, it’s easy to accidentally over-fertilize your lawn. Luckily there are ways to reverse over-fertilization, and it starts with understanding the signals your lawn sends you that you used too much fertilizer.

Finally, this guide will break down the difference between organic and inorganic fertilizers. Keep reading to learn which type is best for your lawn.

When to Fertilize Your Lawn in the Fall

Even though the leaves change colors and vegetation starts to go dormant in the fall, it is still an active growing time for your grass. It’s important not to skip your fall fertilization because it prepares your lawn to return lush and beautiful in the … Read Full Post »

Can You Use Compost as Soil?

a shovel in compost

Compost, often called “black gold,” adds rich nutrients to your soil that help your garden thrive. However, is it possible to use compost as soil and leave out the soil altogether?

While using compost as soil works in some rare instances, it is not recommended. This quick guide will explain why you shouldn’t use compost as soil and the important differences between compost and potting soil. It will also go over how to use compost correctly with your soil to benefit your garden the most.

Can You Use Compost as Soil? 

Compost is a nutrient-rich material that offers many benefits for your garden. However, should you use compost as soil? While compost and soil may seem interchangeable, they are two separate materials that should be used differently for the best results in your garden.

It is sometimes okay to use compost as soil, but those instances are rare. For example, you can use compost … Read Full Post »

Common Types of Weeds in Grass

weeds in grass

Are unruly weeds taking over your lawn and damaging your grass? They can also cause problems for your plants and become a major annoyance for gardeners.

There are thousands of species of weeds, but some are more common and invasive. Some weeds are simply eyesores, while others, such as poison ivy, can cause harm. The best way to keep them under control is to educate yourself on the most common types of weeds in grass.

Composting your weeds is a great way to get rid of them. Weeds can add valuable nutrients to your compost that will benefit your garden. However, spreading their seeds through your compost is possible, so you must ensure you completely kill off the weeds in the composting process.

Finally, there are types of purple weeds that are deceiving. They may look like beautiful blooms but can become difficult to control. The best way to get rid of weeds … Read Full Post »

Can I Mow and Fertilize on the Same Day?

Lawn mower on green grass

Proper lawn care is a vital part of owning a home. All homeowners want their lawns to look lush and green, and one way to do that is to fertilize them a few times a year properly.

Can I Mow and Fertilize on the Same Day?

Whether or not you should mow and fertilize your lawn on the same day depends on which activity you do first. Professionals typically advise mowing your lawn right before you fertilize it; however, you should not mow your lawn after you fertilize it on the same day.

Mowing your lawn the same day before fertilizing helps the soil absorb more nutrients from the fertilizer. Mowing removes debris that can get in the way and opens up the soil’s pores. Another benefit is that your grass will be at the ideal length right before fertilizing it, so you won’t have to mow it for at least a week.

The yard … Read Full Post »

How Much Fertilizer for My Lawn?

a handful of fertilizer

Knowing how to fertilize your lawn can seem difficult. While it’s easier than most homeowners think, it’s important to get the ratio of fertilizer correct. If you apply too much fertilizer, it will burn your grass and kill your roots. Then, you’ll have to start over from the beginning with grass seedlings. But applying too little fertilizer means your lawn will not get the nutrients it needs to be healthy.

The good news is that there’s an easy formula to determine exactly how much fertilizer you need on your lawn. Working with a lawn care specialist will ensure you never use too little or too much.

After you apply fertilizer, you should stay off your grass for a day or two to give the nutrients a chance to sink into the soil. Walking or running on the lawn too soon can damage the grass and disrupt the fertilization process.

How Much Fertilizer for … Read Full Post »

Should You Fertilize Before or After Mowing?

Green wheelbarrow spreading fertilizer

When you get a little rain it seems like the perfect time to get your lawn growing. But, there are a few things you need to consider before going all out on your landscaping, especially when deciding if it’s better to fertilize before or after mowing. 

Before you fertilize your lawn, understand that you will need to wait 24 hours until you water. That gives the fertilizer time to settle into the lawn before you give it a solid soaking. If you aren’t getting much rain and still want to fertilize your lawn, give it a good soaking one or two days before you plan to fertilize. Then, lightly water again after the fertilizer settles. It’s possible to do all this yourself, but hiring a professional can be much easier. An expert knows exactly how much fertilizer to add to your lawn and how much to water after application. 

If you choose … Read Full Post »

What Do the Numbers on Fertilizer Mean?

a person holding fertilizer

Figuring out fertilization on your own without the support of a lawn care specialist can be challenging for homeowners. Fertilizers at a home and garden store include a list of numbers that homeowners may be unfamiliar with.

If all this feels a bit too overwhelming, consider reaching out to a lawn care expert. A specialist knows how to fertilize your lawn best and can put in place a lawn care schedule.

What is the N-P-K Ratio, and What Do The Numbers on Fertilizer Mean?

Many homes in the United States do not have soil that is healthy enough to sustain the perfect lawn or garden. For this reason, homeowners usually need to add nutrients to their yards.

Using natural or synthetic (chemical) fertilizer increases the nutrient count of your yard. Fertilizer works with bacteria and fungi in the soil to create an ideal environment for your plants to grow. Natural fertilizers are more effective … Read Full Post »

How To Make Compost

compost mixed into soil

Are you a homeowner interested in making your own compost? Composting is an easy process to start and maintain, regardless of your size requirements.

It’s also one of the easiest and best first steps for garden fertilization, and healthy lawncare.

Despite what you may have heard, home composting is not complicated, it’s not messy and it doesn’t smell bad when you do it right.

In fact, learning how to compost the right way is super simple. Once you get started, it’s a great, environmentally-friendly way to repurpose food scraps and a variety of other organic materials into a superfood for your plants and gardens.

Types of Composting

First things first, let’s take a look at the various types of composting. The three most popular and widely used methods are cold composting, hot composting and vermicomposting.

Cold Composting

Composting in its most basic form is “cold” composting. This involves collecting plant waste from your lawns or gardens and … Read Full Post »

What Is Compost Used For?

a shovel in a pile of compost

Today, knowledge about the at-home composting process is spreading, thanks to the internet and how-to articles and videos. Composting has never been more accessible for homeowners all across the United States.

Composting can help you reduce your household waste while fertilizing the soil in your lawn. As long as you have a yard, you can compost, regardless of whether you live out in the country or in a suburb.

Keep reading to discover what compost is used for, the differences between compost and loam and the best compost for a vegetable garden.

Composting Basics for Your Yard

At-home compost is a valuable resource for your lawn maintenance. Compost is used to nourish your lawn or garden with crucial nutrients.

Composting is often more popular in rural areas where people grow their own food. Farmers have always understood the importance of using compost. But you don’t have to have a large garden to benefit from composting.

What … Read Full Post »

How To Fertilize Your Lawn

a homeowner fertilizing their lawn

Every homeowner wants lush, green grass in their yard. This means grass that is thick, healthy and free of weeds. Knowing how to fertilize your lawn is an important part of regular lawn maintenance. But it can be tricky knowing the right products to use and steps to follow. When should you fertilize? How often? What’s the right nutrient mix for your soil? Let’s explore these questions and more as we learn the right way to fertilize your lawn.

The first step in fertilizing your lawn is to determine the right mixture of nutrients for your grass. Warm-season grasses, like St. Augustine, bermuda and zoysia, need different fertilizer blends than cool-season grasses, like Kentucky bluegrass or rye.

Most yards in southern states have warm-season grasses. These grasses grow best in warmer weather, when it’s at least 75 degrees outside. Warm-season grasses go brown and dormant in the fall if they are not … Read Full Post »