Can i fertilize my lawn in march

Therefore, delay seeding until later in April. Fifth, apply a starter fertilizer that contains Tupersan. Tupersan will help prevent crabgrass invasion. Sixth, protect the seedbed with a straw mulch. Apply 1 bale of weed-free straw per 1, square feet. The straw will help prevent erosion and maintain proper moisture to the germinating seed.

Finally, keep the seedbed moist with frequent light irrigation. Weed control in the spring is a lawn care practice that should be considered carefully. If your lawn has a good dense stand of turfgrass, weed control may not be needed.

However, if the lawn has a history of a crabgrass infestation, appropriate control measures are warranted. For best control of crabgrass, apply a preemergence herbicide just prior to crabgrass germination. This normally occurs when soil temperatures near 60oF. Do not try to control dandelions in the early spring. These weeds are translocating their carbohydrates upward to the leaves at this time.

Herbicide applications will burn off the shoots but may not kill the root system. Power raking is a mechanical method of thatch control. Power raking can damage the turf and preemergence crabgrass herbicides should be applied after raking and thatch removal.

On the other hand, core aerating the lawn will help the thatch to naturally decompose. For the third feeding, use an organic material, such as manure, instead of a traditional lawn fertilizer. And remember that fall feeding is critical, too. The roots are going down into the soil and they need fertilizer," Turnbull says.

Contrary to what some people think, the more you water your lawn, the more fertilizer it needs. Without a sprinkler system, you can wait an additional two weeks between feedings. Also, be sure to carefully read the fertilizer label to learn whether you should water the lawn before or after applying the fertilizer. Granulated fertilizers need moisture to break down, and some fertilizers require you to soak the lawn prior to application. When you're ready to pour fertilizer into the spreader, park it on the driveway or patio.

If you can't, at least put a tarp under it. This will keep any spilled granules from accumulating in one spot on the lawn, where they can burn and kill the grass. And make sure your hopper is shut before filling up the spreader," Turnbull says. A broadcast spreader is a better choice than a drop spreader for homeowners. Broadcast spreaders are easier to use, and since they disperse fertilizer a wider distance, there's less chance you'll end up with stripes in your yard caused by not properly overlapping the rows.

To fertilize small yards, use a handheld broadcast spreader , which has a hand crank. These compact spreaders are particularly useful for fertilizing narrow side yards, and grassy areas along fence lines, around trees, and behind garages and sheds. Regardless of what type of spreader you use, be sure to walk at a consistent, steady pace as you apply the fertilizer. Failing to do so will cause the fertilizer to be spread too thin in some spots and too thick in others.

Every fertilizer label will list the application rate, but Turnbull recommends that you don't follow it. Start by applying fertilizer around the perimeter of the yard first, and then fill in the middle, working in one direction. Then, spread it again, moving in a perpendicular direction. This crisscrossing pattern ensures much better coverage and helps prevent over-applying the fertilizer. I always recommend erring on the side of too little.

Since you're applying the fertilizer at half the recommended rate, it won't spread out very far, so you don't need to estimate how much spacing to keep between rows. And be sure to check the weather forecast prior to fertilizing. As well, a large cross section of grasses are considered transitional, which means that they can be grown successfully in the central portion of the country, a region that is typically too warm for cool-season grasses and too cool for warm-season grasses.

Your lawn fertilizer schedule will depend on the type of grass you have, but remember that it takes constant commitment to any routine to guarantee year-after-year success.

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