Fertilizing a Florida lawn can be complex and requires more than mowing, weeding, and overseeding. Creating a lush, emerald green lawn with healthy grass blades should include a well-routined fertilizer schedule that considers the weather patterns like climate changes, expected rainfall, storm seasons, and more.
Fertilizer application can make or break the beauty and health of your lawn. Homeowners must maintain a fertilization schedule that will support a healthy, lush lawn. Keep reading to learn the major steps in fertilization.
Timing is Crucial
Fertilizer is a key part of any lawn care strategy because it provides newly germinated grass or grass seeds with much-needed nutrients. Introducing fertilizer at the right times will put your lawn into “beast mode” and can help prevent weed issues throughout the growing season.
Let’s take a look at the best times to execute your lawn fertilization schedule:
Early Spring – Your lawn wakes up from its long dormancy hungry for lawn food! It has used up all the nutrients from last season’s final application. Consider fertilizing between February and April, as you see grass green up at nighttime temperatures of 60-70 degrees.
Late Spring – By now, your lawn has used all of its nutrients and needs an energy boost. Between April and June is the best time to fertilize, about 6 to 8 weeks after early spring application.
Summer (Consider mosquito control, as damp lawns attract these pests.) – Lawns take a beating in the summer months thanks to foot traffic, heat, droughts, and pests. Between June and August, about 6 to 8 weeks after the late spring application.
Early to Late Fall – Your lawn needs enough nutrients to recover from summer and prepare for winter dormancy. Between August and November, right before winter hits, is a good time to fertilize.
Soil Test Your Turf
The topsoil under any lawn usually dictates the nutritional needs of the covering turf. As grass reacts to the acidity or alkalinity of the dirt as well as, sand, clay, and organic material, knowing the composition of the substrate will help determine how to effectively fertilize. Performing a soil test at least once should illuminate the basic feeding requirements for your lawn.
Know the Species of Grass
With or without a soil test as a guide, you can get a good idea of what your lawn needs to thrive by knowing its species. The most common warm-season grasses in Florida include St. Augustine, Zoysia, Bahia, Bermuda, and Centipede.
What to Be Aware of in Your Lawn
Diseases
Unfortunately, our lawns can sometimes contract a disease no matter how much proper lawn care you give it. Generally, a lawn is “sick” when you notice brown patches where your grass won’t grow correctly. Lawn diseases are triggered by fungi that only a trained, professional lawn expert can accurately diagnose and help nurse your lawn back to health.
Pests
Maintaining a lawn involves more than just mowing, killing weeds, watering, fertilizing, etc. There is a wide range of insects and other pests that will invade your lawn and call it home. If lawn pests are left untreated, they can do some serious damage. Look out for the following:
- Ticks
- Fleas
- Roaches
- Ants
- Chinch bug
- Tropical Sod webworm
- Armyworms
- Mole Crickets
Weed Control
Weed control is typically a large part of proper lawn care because weeds are considered unwanted plants. Proper identification and some understanding of how and why weeds are growing on a lawn are important when selecting the best suppression strategy.
Having regularly scheduled lawn care can give you a thick, healthy lawn, giving less space for weeds to grow. Some common weeds to be treated and eliminated are Broadleaf weeds and Sedge weeds. Broadleaf weeds are the most common types of weed and are easy to spot as their leaves have net-like veins and usually have flowers. Common examples included clover, dandelion and plantains. Sedge weeds are flower-looking weeds that are usually triangular with spikes. Yellow nut, purple nut, and watergrass are the most common types of sedge weeds.
You don’t have to envy your neighbor with the most beautiful lawn, you can be that neighbor with the most beautiful lawn with the help of our Brock lawn experts! We work closely with our customers to develop personalized lawn fertilization plans that ensure your lawn receives the nutrition it needs to grow. We use a combination of high-quality liquid fertilizer and controlled-release lawn fertilizers (depending on your lawns need) that are designed to stimulate turf growth.
We have well-trained, licensed technicians and an exceptional program that will tend to your yard for the entire year. Our lawn program is designed with 6 timely applications to provide the proper balance of nutrients that your lawn needs. Having regularly scheduled lawn care will allow these nutrients to provide you with a strong, healthy growing lawn. Take your lawn back and enjoy your yard again with Brock Lawn and Pest Control!
As a locally owned and operated lawn care company, we proudly serve Florida’s Gulf Coast and northern counties with offices in Panama City, Fort Walton and Panama City Beach.
Have a lawn emergency? We provide same day services! Contact our team today.
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