Lawn Care Guide

Quick Tips

When it comes to lawn care many of us are keenly aware of general gardening rules i.e. watering during morning and evening hours, seasonal seeding times and general trimming techniques. The following are some tips from the experts on how to make your lawn the envy of the block without breaking your back in the process.

Fertilizers

What are those 3 numbers?

The three numbers on a commercial fertilizer bag, often referred to as NPK, represent the percentage of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Nitrogen is an integral part of chlorophyll which gives plants a rich green color. Phosphorus is essential in photosynthesis in production of oils, sugars, and starches, it promotes blooming and root growth. Potassium aids in the production of proteins, thus improving the quality of the fruit and reducing diseases.

What formula is the best?

Most fertilizers are formulated for a specific plant or season. Nurseries and hardware stores carry a variety of fertilizers designed for flowers, vegetables, trees, house plants, and lawns. Within the lawn section, they may carry fertilizers designed to promote spring growth, control weeds, provide summer greening, and strengthen roots in anticipation of winter. They may also carry a general fertilizer with a balanced formula that can be used anywhere. While buying products designed for your specific needs is the best way for your plants to thrive, remember most plants will grow adequately without any fertilizer at all.

Cheap or Expensive Lawn Fertilizers?

When comparing an economy to a premium brand, chances are the difference it is in way the fertilizer is manufactured. Mixing 3 different ingredients is the easiest way to achieve the correct NPK numbers. The result is a product with round granules for nitrogen, dark grains for phosphorus and small crystals for potassium. More expensive products are manufactured so each granule contains the right percentage of ingredients. When you look at a product with homogenous granules they are all the same shape and colors. When you spread a homogenous fertilizer you know the nutrients will be evenly distributed across your lawn or garden. More expensive products may also contain granules that are coated to release nutrients over time for sustained feeding. The benefit of an expensive brand over an economy fertilizer is really a subjective question. The expensive brands may provide the best results in a side-by-side comparison. But either one will be dramatically better than not fertilizing at all.

Is Organic the Answer?

The main ingredients for non-organic fertilizers are mined and produced chemically. For that reason there is a push for organically derived fertilizers. However, organics have their drawbacks and concerns. One popular brand is made from sewer slug and contains chemicals that pose a risk if used on food crops. In general organic fertilizers do not have high concentrations of primary nutrients. You can see this by comparing their NPK numbers to other products. In a side-by-side comparison chemical fertilizers may win, but both will give you better results than not fertilizing at all.

A Note on Herbicides and Pesticides

Although weeds are most noticeable during the spring growing season they are actually a year round problem. Tackle this problem by using a “pre-emergent” or pre-germination treatment during the cold months, which should lead to a much smaller need for post-germination weed control.

Follow manufacturer’s instructions, doubling the dosage will kill everything in your lawn and garden including your plants. Try to get the jump on weeds at the first sign, waiting until warm weather will lead to excessive use of product.

Educate yourself on the hazards of using herbicides, human health hazards are posed by the use of theses products. Also in some cases it has been shown that these products even if used according to instruction will kill wildlife and pollute the environment.