Contrary to what you might think, fertilizing your lawn is a year-round job. The common practice of shocking your grass awake in the early spring with a high dose of fertilizer and then ignoring it for the rest of the growing season isn’t the best way to keep it green, healthy and growing. You must be deliberate about how you fertilize, incorporating various techniques such as aeration, irrigation and preparation for the winter months. If you in the Brick, NJ area, you can work with a lawn care service that provides fertilizer in Ocean County NJ.
One of the most important components of a fertilizer program is the four-step program, which combines fertilizers with weed, crabgrass and insect control during the spring to give your lawn a healthy start in the growing season. A fall application of fertilizer helps put back nutrients into the lawn that were lost during the summer heat and prepares it for its winter dormant period. Some lawn care services use six or even eight-step programs that are designed to control weeds with late fall applications to keep the grass as healthy as possible until it’s ready to rest during the cold months.
Most homeowners understand that irrigation is necessary during long hot spells and dry periods, but if you want your grass to thrive during difficult summer conditions you’ll need to give it plenty of water throughout the growing season. Different grasses need varying amounts of water, but generally your lawn requires at least one inch of water per week to keep it green and growing. You can’t always count on that coming naturally from rain, so an irrigation system is an excellent backup plan. A lawn care company can install an irrigation system that will meet your home’s landscape needs.
Aeration is an often overlooked lawn care job that gives the grass roots room to move and expand. A compacted lawn, especially in high-traffic areas, won’t thrive no matter how much water and fertilizer you give it. Core aeration, the recommended method, pulls plugs of soil out of the lawn which then allow air, water and fertilizer to penetrate the area. Aeration also give valuable earthworms a place to live and help your lawn thrive. A lawn service that offers fertilizer can assess the needs of your lawn and provide the required care.