Every homeowner has looked out the window and daydreamt about having a picture-perfect backyard with a beautiful, green lawn. Then again, you need to take care of it for that to happen.
Starting off is easy. All you have to do is pick the right seeds and put them in the soil. But the maintenance might prove a little harder than you thought. Choosing the right fertilizer and using the right amount, taking care of your lawn as it grows, and facing terrible threats like weeds – that’s when things get tough.
At that point, you begin to wonder, should I just risk it, plant some seeds, and see what happens if I don’t use fertilizer? Well, before you take a losing bet, read below and find out why fertilizer is a must – and how can you deal with weeds too!
Why should I fertilize my lawn?
It’s necessary
Everyone knows fertilizer is important. You probably know that too. The fertilizer will strengthen your backyard’s soil like no other thing – and in exchange, your lawn will grow better than before.
If using fertilizer improves your soil, would no fertilizer give you average results? Well, not really. More often than not, the soil does not have enough nutrients to survive on its own. Other times, pests and leeches steal nutrients away. Your lawn might not survive without fertilizer.
No fertilizer means having an unhealthy lawn in your backyard. It’s like a person with a poor diet. He will not grow to its full potential that way.
It’s cost-effective
If fertilizer is so important, there’s probably so much demand the price is sky high, right? Well, not really. A beautiful garden is at every person’s reach! The right choice of fertilizer is probably cheaper than letting your lawn die and having to start over.
There’s more than enough fertilizer for everyone to have an incredible-looking backyard – you included!
It’ll make your lawn grow faster and stronger
The easiest way to understand how big of a difference fertilizer makes is by looking at the backyards around your block. You’ll probably guess which ones are using fertilizer by how their lawn looks.
That is not to say fertilizer is your magic one-cure-fix-all, but it’s close enough. It’s like using steroids – legal steroids! – your lawn is bound to boom with it.
What should you think about when fertilizing?
What should you use?
That’s a tough question, isn’t it? Most people think there’s one type of fertilizer and that’s what we should all use. Well, it’s not exactly that way. Most bags of fertilizer will have three letters on it and a number next to each one: N, P, P – Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. Simply put, the first is for healthy growth, the second for roots and stems, and the third one makes your garden resistant to drought and disease.
For a strong, green lawn, you’d want a high nitrogen concentration in your fertilizer – but not so much that the other two components are overlooked.
How should you do it?
There are two ways you can go at it: liquid or granular fertilizer. Each one is good for something and bad for something else. Let’s see each one:
Liquid fertilizer: It acts faster, cheaper, and easier to use. It’d be perfect if it wasn’t for its unique drawback – if you use too much of it, you might end up burning your soil. You also need to apply it more times than granular which might make it possible you’ll use too much without knowing.
Granular fertilizer: It needs to be used fewer times and it’s safer than its liquid counterpart. On the other hand, it takes a little bit longer to act and it’s a little bit more expensive. Regardless of its drawbacks, it’s the go-to choice for most homeowners.
Is there such a thing as too much fertilizer?
Absolutely! Even though fertilizer is necessary, you need to be careful when it comes to quantity. You don’t want to “drown” your soil and burn your lawn with excess fertilizer.
You can use too much or too little fertilizer with varying results – but when the quantity is just right, things will go great. Then again, you might get close to that but a professional will take care of it just right.
This seems like too much work, is there an alternative?
Of course, there is one! Dealing with the entire fertilizing process seems like too much? Are you afraid to pick the wrong fertilizer or overdo it, killing your beautiful lawn in the process? Then do not worry!
We can help you. We are experts in all things lawn-related and we are more than happy to help you.
Enough about fertilizer, what else am I missing?
The green enemy
As long as your backyard looks green, you are happy, right? Well, not really. There’s something you have to watch out for. Weeds. They are terrible for your lawn and will quickly take over your entire back yard if you let them.
Weeds cause billions of dollars’ worth of damage around the world. They can and will grow faster than anything else and steal away your soil’s nutrients. It’s a problem you want to deal with quickly.
How to deal with weeds
There are three things you can do when it comes to a weed infestation.
First, deal with the ones you see – and do so from the root.
Second, when you cannot remove them entirely, cut off their head – that will make them weak enough to buy you some time.
Third, make sure you are not helping them grow – water and fertilize around your lawn and plants only, never around weeds.
Can you help me with my weeds problem?
Of course, we can! We know how to get rid of your weed problem once and for all – and take care of your lawn in the process!
We are more than happy to take care of it all for you – weeds, fertilizer, and everything else you need!
If you have any questions or doubts, don’t hesitate to contact us. We are happy to help!
Looking for more tips and tricks?
Check out the Redfin article Spring Yard Prep: Experts Weigh in on Getting Your Yard Summer-Ready