Why You Should Fertilize Your Lawn
What Is In Fertilizers
The soil in your lawn contains nutrients that are vital to the sustained and continued health of your turf. However, the naturally occurring nutrients found in the soil typically are not enough to achieve the kind of thickness and vibrant color that most home and property owners desire; this is where fertilization treatments come into play.
Fertilizers contain the exact same nutrients that are in your lawn’s soil, and some types of fertilizers even contain a number of micronutrients to give your lawn an additional boost. When your soil is unable to give your lawn everything it needs to flourish, fertilizers will pick up the slack. The three main ingredients found in fertilizers, which are the same major nutrients in the natural soil, are as follows:
Nitrogen
Plants absorb more nitrogen than any other nutrient. Nitrogen is the most important element in fertilizers, as it is the primary source of your lawn’s growth and color. Nitrogen aids in the production of proteins, which help develop strong plant tissue in the grass, and chlorophyll, which produces the dark green color we all want to see in our lawns. Chlorophyll is also an important factor in photosynthesis, which is the process by which grass uses sunlight to synthesize food. Without proper levels of nitrogen, your lawn would begin to starve and turn yellow, causing unsightly patches of dying and discolored grass on your lawn.
Phosphorus
The second active ingredient you will find in fertilizers is phosphorus. This element is important to your lawn’s ability to store and use energy, and it promotes healthy root and stem development. Without healthy levels of phosphorus, any nourishment your turf may be able to obtain via photosynthesis could be wasted, and your lawn’s root system will suffer as a result. Weak roots due to phosphorus-deficient lawns will make your turf susceptible to grubs and pests, weeds, and other issues.
Potassium
The final of the three active ingredients in fertilizers is potassium, which has a primary function of making your lawn resistant to drought stress and disease. Potassium works to strengthen the individual grass blades by absorbing nutrient-rich moisture in the soil, which creates stronger grass that is better equipped to handle extreme temperatures, fungal infections, pest invasions, and more. Without potassium, your grass would begin to wilt and show other signs of damage.
Benefits Of Fertilizing Your Lawn
There are a number of factors that may be preventing your turf from getting enough natural nutrition. Unfortunately, all lawns will eventually become nutrient-deficient without additional fertilization efforts. Repeated rainfall and irrigation will wash out and carry away those water-soluble nutrients that your lawn so desperately needs, not to mention the damage from invasive weeds and lawn pests that also hinder your lawn’s ability to absorb nutrients. Below are just a few of the benefits that you and your lawn can receive from fertilizer treatments.
Improved Grass Growth
You can expect your lawn to become greener, fuller, and stronger when you utilize a nutrient-dense fertilizer. If you want to achieve the lush lawn you have always envisioned in your yard, fertilizers must be applied.
Quick Results
Seeding, watering, and waiting to see grass growth can take a very long time, and results are often underwhelming without the use of fertilizers. The ingredients in fertilizers work to give your lawn the fullest grass coverage as quickly as possible.
Constant Nutrition
Introducing fertilizers to your lawn alleviates any worries about nutrients in the soil getting washed away. Fertilizers replace all of the natural nutrients that dissipate over time, and regular applications ensure that your lawn is always nourished.
Weed Control
While weed preventers should be applied in conjunction with fertilizers, the stronger roots created by fertilizers alone can help control weeds. Fertilizers make the roots of your lawn strong enough to overpower harmful weeds.
Pest Control
Strong roots and grass created by fertilizers are able to withstand greater amounts of damage caused by grubs and pests. Properly fertilized lawns may even welcome beneficial bugs and organisms that can feed on lawn pests and improve your soil.
Save Time & Money
Your grass will grow more quickly with fertilizers, which means you can start enjoying a full lawn much sooner than you would be able to without the use of fertilizers. Also, fertilizers can help save your lawn now before much more extensive and costly measures are needed.
Benefits Of Our Fertilizer Program
Most fertilization service providers begin applying treatments in early fall. Lawns that are beginning to re-emerge for the first time after winter often need some additional help. At Elite Lawn Care, we understand the importance of applying the right fertilizer at the right time. We mostly utilize slow-release, granular fertilizers to ensure that your lawn sees results that last the entire growing season. Our premium turf health program runs from March through October, and season-appropriate fertilization treatments are strategically applied for optimized results.
Spring Treatments
Spring fertilizers are used and designed to quickly create a green lawn with healthy roots. We apply spring fertilizers twice to get your lawn started off on the right foot, which is important to sustaining your turf’s health throughout the year.
Summer Treatments
Summer treatments will also be applied twice, and the fertilizers used during these applications are tailored to withstand the summer heat. Low levels of nitrogen in these fertilizers reduce the risk of turf burn and excess water consumption.
Fall Treatments
Fall is the time to prepare your lawn for the harmful effects of winter. Our premium schedule includes one application of a fertilizer that is designed to promote seed development and help your lawn get as healthy as possible before the cold months arrive.
Aftercare For Your Lawn
While fertilizing your lawn is one of the most important and beneficial lawn care services, certain other tasks may need to be completed in order to see great results. As the nutrients in soil/fertilizers are water-soluble, it is crucial to practice proper irrigation methods after fertilizer has been applied. Watering your lawn consistently will help the nutrition in fertilizers get absorbed into the root system of your lawn.
Our premium turf health package includes core aeration in fall, which will also help optimize the effects of our fertilizers. Core aeration allows your lawn to easily absorb water and nutrients, which means fertilizers can quickly get to work. Watering and aerating your lawn are just a couple of the ways we plan to enhance your lawn fertilization results. For more information on our fertilization treatment plans, or to sign up for treatments today, call Elite Lawn Care at 815.880.7333.
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