Why are Fertilizers Needed for Grass or Lawn?
When an individual buys a home, there are many different things that they will be responsible for. Taking care of the lawn around the home properly is one of the very first orders of the day, and is an ongoing process. This is because the lawn can grow too high and cause several different hazards like snakes and other little annoying critters appearing in the wrong places. It is also important to maintain the lawn so that it looks pleasing to anyone who passes by. Either way, it is essential that the owner does not neglect this area of their investment if they want to display the best look possible and reap a bigger profit if they decide to sell.
That said, taking care of the backyard of a home comes with many different challenges. In some cases, the lawn may grow like wild fire or it may not grow at all. To resolve the problem that the owner is experiencing, it is essential that they do their homework in advance. For instance, if the lawn is not growing healthy as it really should, there are a diversity of ways to correct these problems. One of the most common and notable is ensuring the lawn has the nutrients that it needs. This is one of the primary reasons why most people use fertilizers to build up and grow a lawn in their backyard that is healthy, green and thick.
How often should you fertilize your lawn?
As previously mentioned, the lawn needs nutrients to grow properly. However, before the owner begins to provide the lawn with the nutrients that it needs, there are some things that they should know. In specific, the timing for fertilizing the lawn can be vastly different based on the location in which the owner of the home lives and the growing season. For instance, if the person lives in the South, the requirements for fertilizing the grass is usually in the spring and the summer months. On the other hand, if the individual lives in the North, the fertilizer should be used in the fall and spring seasons. Of course, it is also important to feed the grass as often as possible without over feeding it. As a general rule of thumb, however, it is important to note that the more the owner feeds the grass, the more that it will grow. Additionally, the owner will also need to be familiar with other factors about this topic including knowing when the growth cycle is. For it is in these times, that the fertilizer is not only a requirement for that specific time, but a necessity if they want their lawns to flourish.
Safety First – Precautions when using Fertilizing Chemicals
Fertilizing the lawn is a chore that owners have to do every year in order to make sure the grass on the lawn grows as healthy as it possible. Fortunately, there are many different ways to do it since the industry provides a wide variety of different tools and equipment to make these jobs much easier. Before starting the process, people should always make sure that the family is following the appropriate safety precautions. Specifically, as it relates to handling these types of hazardous chemicals on a fairly regular basis. That said, here are some tips and recommendations that can be used to keep the family and their pets safe.
Store the Fertilizer in Cool Dry Places
To keep the family and pets safe from harm, it is important that the homeowner keeps the fertilizer stored in the right place so that no one is accidentally injured or harmed. Fortunately, there are guidelines that professionals in the industry have used and shared over the years, and they should be followed as closely as possible if the owner does not want to experience any negative results in or around their homes. So, one of the most basic guidelines is to store the fertilizer in a cool dry place that is far away from the reach of children and the family’s pets. For instance, some people prefer to keep it in their garage area, which means it is outside of the home at all times. To keep it out of reach of children who enter the garage area, it is very important to place it up high on shelves so that they cannot reach even when they are trying (too far up for them to reach it from a chair). For extra precautions, the garage door should also be locked after each use from anyone who should not have any access to it.
Use Gloves When Handling
Because of all of the hazardous chemicals normally contained inside the fertilizer, it should also be handled safely by putting on gloves before the person begins to start handling it. For instance, because fertilizer contains nitrogen, which can cause mild to severe burns if it is not handled right, especially since the nitrogen is a chemical that should not be touched with the bare hands. However, in the situations or circumstances where someone inadvertently touches these chemicals, they should wash that part of the body with running water immediately. In case the fertilizer affects them anyway, (i.e. burning, redness of the skin) the homeowner should contact their physician right away.
After Application Guidelines
Once the fertilizer has been applied to the lawn, it is important for the homeowner to follow through carefully with certain precautionary measures. Meaning until the lawn has been watered or it rains on the lawn, children and pets should be kept off the grass. To keep the neighbors near these areas safe, it is also best to notify them too to avoid any unnecessary problems.
Read the Instructions Closely
Because each manufacturer knows their products and the risks associated with them, there may be some special guidelines that must be observed for use. So, before the owner of the home begins to use a specific type of lawn care product, it is essential that they read the instructions on the package first. Because some products are organic and others are not, knowing the difference between the two is critical.
Reviews for the 5 Best Fertilizers for the Backyard
#1 – Milorganite 0636 Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer
Milorganite 62036-MW Organic Fertilizer is on the list as being one of the most trusted names in the lawn care industry. In fact, it is not uncommon for this fertilizer to not only be used in the back yard of a home, but also in professional setting like golf courses and zoological foundations. This is because this lawn care product has earned its trust in the industry. Even though this product is made specifically for lawn grass, it is still versatile enough to be used in other areas of the lawn including in the trees, flowers, and the shrubbery.
This product has been Formulated with heat-treated microbes and contains both nitrogen (5%) and phosphorus (2%), along with.3 percent potassium. It’s also made with other essential ingredients that provide a wide range of nutrients like manganese, copper, sulfur, and zinc. This fertilizer is also safe to be used around kids and pets and can be applied to the lawn anytime its growing season, in any climate.
#2 – Miracle-Gro 1001832 Lawn Food
Miracle-Gro Lawn Food can be described in a number of different ways. First of all, it is a fertilizer that is easy to use, and its affordable so homeowners do not have to pay a high price to purchase it. Also, because the ingredients are so concentrated, the homeowner may only need to feed their lawn no more than once or twice each season. In fact, all the owner need is at least 1 – 5 pound box that will cover an area of 4000 square feet. This fertilizer is made specifically for those who do not like all of the unnecessary hassles of fertilizing the lawn, but they still want an exceptionally great looking backyard to entertain their family and friends in.
#3 – Scotts Turf Builder All Season Lawn Fertilizer
Another industry favorite is Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Food. In fact, many professionals in the lawn care field may deem this product as one of the best known lawn fertilizers in the world. This is because most homeowners will find that their grass will simply thrive on all of the ingredients in this formula. Made with nitrogen and potassium, the owner can purchase about 12 pounds to feed a lawn that covers about 5000 square feet. The recommended feeding time frame with this product is about 6 to 8 weeks during that areas growing season.
In comparison to other well-known brands, this fertilizer has a high priority position on the top of the list of the least expensive fertilizers in the industry. Additionally, most professionals and homeowners prefer this type of fertilizer as their number one choice because it helps to holds water inside the soil. Meaning this fertilizer has been designed to keep the grass hydrated for much longer periods of time. Due to its popularity as one of the best fertilizers, this product can be found virtually anywhere. Even though Scotts Turf Builder Lawn food is not organic or made of all natural fertilizer products, it is still made with kid and pet friendly ingredients. Many homeowners prefer this fertilizer because it protects the lawn against various kinds of future problems, helps with building strong and deep roots, improves the lawn’s capability to absorb the nutrients and water that is needed. It can be used on any type of grass and in any season. Another great benefit that many homeowners love is everyone is able to re-enter the lawn again without having to wait for a rain storm or the lawn to be watered after its application.
#4 – Safer Brand 9333 Ringer Lawn Fertilizer
Here’s another great fertilizer that people may or may not know about and that is the fertilizer called Safer Brand 9333 Ringer Lawn fertilizer. This fertilizer gives the owner of the home the biggest value for their bucks. The ingredients contained in this product comes from a diversity of sources including nitrogen from feather meal, while it also uses bone meal in order to release the nutrients slowly in the soil. Soybean is used to keep the concentration even because it used as a filler. With this slow release formula, owners will enjoy thick grass growth as it also chokes out all of the weeds naturally. The amount supplied in a 25-pound bag is enough to cover the space of 5000 square feet. Because it is based on an organic formula, it is safe for both kids and pets. One of the best features about this product is it works well when other fertilizers don’t.
#5 – Espoma ELF20 20-Pound Organic All Season Lawn Food
The maker of this fertilizer has been in business for approximately 90 years, and has a solid reputation for manufacturing the highest quality products. Second to none, Espoma ELF20 20-Pound Organic All Season Lawn Food, is on the list of the top favored fertilizers in the industry. Even though this brand is a little more expensive, it is considered to be well worth the investment, especially since it has been made to rival with any of the top rated products on the market today. Buyers who want organic formulas to feed their grass will be happy to know that it is safe for kids, pets and anyone who enters the property after it has been applied to the back yard. The amount needed to feed a 1000 square foot lawn is about 3.3 pounds. It is also recommended that the lawn be fed at least 4 times a year during the geographical location’s growing season.
Summing Up
Taking care of the backyard of a home can be a challenging experience. However if the owner of the home does their research well in advance, they can identify the top fertilizers that many in the lawn care industry are recommending today. Fortunately, there are a products online that people can review to see which ones will provide the best treatment for the grass and yield the best results.