When spring and summer comes around, you’ll want your lawn looking nice and green for those lazy, idyllic barbeques and your kids and pets to play in. Part of keeping your lawn lush and healthy is knowing when to fertilize it. Many people might not be able to tell when they need to fertilize a lawn. To help you out, we’ve listed 4 signs that can let you know that your lawn needs fertilization.
Spotting Nitrogen Deficiencies
When your grass is nitrogen-deficient, it means that your lawn needs fertilization. Some signs that reveal a nitrogen deficiency include:
- Slow grass growth
- Low grass density
- Grass that is yellowish or yellow-green
If you notice your grass displaying these traits, it’s time to get the fertilizer out. You want to look for fertilizer that is high in nitrogen for best results.
Fairy Rings
While the name of this phenomenon is beautiful, spotting it means that your lawn is in dire need of fertilizer. Fairy rings refer to grass patches with light-colored or dead grass in the center, or mushrooms on the outer rings of those patches. This latter trait points to fungus issues, which are quite common with lawns growing on soil rich in organic matter. If this sounds like your lawn, we recommend that you manually aerate the soil before patting down nitrogen-rich fertilizer onto it. Ensure that you keep the affected areas moist for several days afterwards.
Rust
Rust on the grass also points to fungal issues. Yellow or reddish-brown patches or bumps on older grass blades signals grass that will soon die. Prevent rust from growing on your lawn by performing basic lawn care duties and using fertilizers rich in nitrogen when you see your lawn getting dry. Once you have treated the area, keep it regularly irritated and routinely mowed. This helps prevent the build-up of rust.
Phosphorous Deficiency
If you notice that your grass is dull or has taken on an odd bluish-green shade, it probably has a phosphorus deficiency in the early stages. Left untreated, the edges of your grass blades will turn purplish, then deepen into red. This also signals that your grass is in need of phosphorus.
Keeping Your Lawn Healthy
The 4 signs that we have listed above all signal that your lawn needs fertilization. Regular lawn care can help prevent the signs that we’ve listed; as in many cases, prevention is better than cure. Keeping your lawn regularly maintained can help ward away various deficiencies. However, we understand that daily life can be busy, and that lawns can unfortunately suffer from neglect when things pile up at home or in the workplace. We offer fertilization and weed control services to help you out if you’ve left your lawn alone for a while and notice that it needs some upkeep. With 9 applications throughout the year and tailored for our Texas climate, this program helps you keep your lawn at its healthiest and happiest so that you can enjoy it when spring and summer comes.
