The Secret to Green Grass: How Often Your Utah Lawn Needs Fertilizer

Did you know that gardening can benefit your heart, boost hand strength, and reduce stress? Let’s not forget that lawn work is physical activity, which means it can also help burn calories.

However, failing to get green grass can work against you and make you stressed out. That can happen if you underfeed or forget to fertilize your lawn.

Don’t worry, as we’re here to tell you how to get green grass through proper fertilization. So, keep reading to discover when and how often to feed your lawn.

Early Spring

The folks at Holmes Lawn & Pest say lawn fertilization is the first step toward green grass. Thus, it’s vital to fertilize and treat your lawn soil first thing after its winter rest. Doing so replenishes the nutrients it lost (or failed to acquire) during the snowy season.

Early spring is also the best time to get lawn pest control services. After all, critters like grubs become active during this season, too. Chinch bugs, active from spring to summer, are also devasting to Utah lawns.

Late Spring

Feeding your lawn in late spring helps set your turf up for the hot summer months. For instance, it helps ensure your grass has adequate carbohydrate reserves. Having enough energy supply, in turn, aids in warding off summer stresses, such as drought and heat.

Slow-release fertilizer, which releases nutrients gradually, is ideal for late spring feeding. If you follow this schedule, you don’t have to fertilize early in the summer. The best lawn services in Utah can help you select the right product to apply during this time.

Mid-Summer

Tall Fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass are some of the best grasses for Utah lawns during summer. One reason is that they’re heat-tolerant, although the former is more resistant.

However, their heat tolerance also means they thrive in summer, so they need more food. So, if you’re growing either, it’s best to fertilize your lawn at least once in mid-summer.

Early Fall

Applying fertilizer in early fall lets your grass take in nutrients before dormancy. That helps your turf build more robust root systems in time for winter. Those stronger roots can then help jumpstart their growth cycle in spring.

Late Fall

Late fall fertilization may help prolong the green color of cool-season grasses. It can also improve spring growth by aiding in the germination of new seeds. Moreover, it may help boost root growth if your early fall feed isn’t sufficient.

Early Winter

If you miss late fall fertilization, you can still feed your lawn in early winter. However, it’s best to do this before the soil freezes; otherwise, it’s likely to go to waste. Worse, the fertilizer may run off and contaminate streams and lakes.

Get Green Grass With These Tips

As you can see, getting green grass requires applying fertilizer six times a year. That’s twice in the spring, once in the summer, twice in fall, and then one last time before snow covers the soil.

That may sound tedious, but if you keep at it, you can help your lawn stay healthy throughout most of the year. You can also hire experts if you don’t have time but want to keep your outdoor space green and lush.

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