How to fertilize the lawn

Fertilization is a key ingredient to the success of a beautiful lawn. One of the worst ways to do this is to apply an enormous amount in the spring, then nothing else for the rest of the year, this is a feast or famine approach. It is better to feed regularly throughout the entire year. Fall is a great time if using a winterizer fertilizer, when doing this look at the last number. It needs to be a high number, which indicates the Potassium. Potassium is for strength and produces a very cold tolerant, drought tolerant turf that will do well during the cold time of year. Ralph believes that in the fall a fertilizer with a roughly equal ratio of Nitrogen and Potassium, something like a 19-0-19 is needed. The Nitrogen is responsible for the green color, the leaf growth and the Potassium is responsible for insect and disease control and heat tolerance. The Potassium will help the plant structure, giving it a stronger leaf and drought and cold tolerance. In the spring a similar fertilizer combination can be used. Possibly a little more Nitrogen should be utilized to give the grass a kick and get it to green a little quicker. Again soil testing is important to determine your soil needs.