A little background information on the lawn goes a long way in making sure that the lawn gets what it needs, when it needs it. A simple soil test along with a pH test can help the homeowner to determine what the yard is lacking. This can help the homeowner get the right fertilizer for the yard and apply it properly.

The best results will be achieved by adding only what the lawn actually needs instead of adding unnecessary chemicals. On the average, a low nitrogen fertilizer is preferred when feeding any lawn. Use a slow release formula to avoid the fertilizer burning patches in the lawn and getting an even feed across the whole yard.

To achieve the healthiest lawn, it is recommended that fertilizer be applied four times per year. Those residing in the northern states should apply fertilizer at least one time in each of the spring and fall. The longer growing season in the southern states makes it necessary for southern lawns to be fertilized two times each during the spring and fall.

Try to keep the fertilizer on the lawn and off the driveway. If a spill should occur, clean up immediately with either a broom or a shop vac. The chemicals in fertilizer can cause stains on either concrete or pavement along with contaminating water supplies should they be washed into a storm drain and should be handled with care.

Use a spreader to ensure even application of the fertilizer. Spreaders come in different versions, including hand-held and pushable, and they can be purchased online or at a garden center. The last point to note is to avoid applying fertilizer within 24 hours of anticipated rain and avoid heavy watering for 24 hours after application. The lawn fertilizing steps above provide the path to a beautiful lawn without wasted time and effort.

Tree and shrub fertilization is especially important in urban and suburban areas of the country where soils have been altered due to construction. These urban soils tend to be heavily compacted, poorly aerated, poorly drained, and low in organic matter. Even where soils have not been affected, fertilization may be needed as part of a maintenance program to increase plant vigor or to improve root or top growth.

Trees and shrubs in residential and commercial landscape plantings are frequently fertilized to keep them healthy and attractive. Over-fertilization is prevalent, causing excessive growth, especially on young nursery stock. Trees growing in lawn areas usually receive some nutrients when the grass is fertilized. This is usually sufficient to maintain most trees in fertile soil. However, fertilization may be desirable on altered soils where unconsolidated fill material has been added or the topsoil has been removed. Managed urban areas where fallen leaves are taken off may also require a fertilization regime to enrich soil and replenish nutrients.

Fertilizer is no stand-in for environmental factors, such as sunlight and water, which must be in balance if a tree or shrub is to grow into its full potential. Trees and shrubs that are healthy and growing robustly are less susceptible to attack by insects and diseases. An application of fertilizer may, in some instances, improve the plant’s resistance to further infestations of certain pests. For example, maple trees will recover from mild cases of Verticillium wilt following applications of nitrogen fertilizer.

Fertilizer Objectives

How and when to fertilize landscape trees and shrubs depend on:

Maintenance objectives (stimulate new vs. maintain existing growth)

Tree and shrub ages (generally more for younger and less for older plants)

Plant stress levels

When to Fertilize

The top time to fertilize trees extends from late fall, after the leaves have fallen, through the winter and into early spring before vigorous new growth occurs. Fertilizer applied in the fall has a longer time period to penetrate the soil enabling the roots to more efficiently absorb it. The fertilizer is taken up by the roots during the winter and is available to the plant for growth in the spring.

Trees that are fast growing should be fertilized yearly. Well-established, mature trees usually require fertilizer once every three to four years.

Fertilizing Newly Planted Trees

Freshly planted trees typically do not need fertilizer during the 1st growing season. Almost all transplanted trees produced in the nursery have elevated levels of nutrients that last through the 1st growing season. Exuberant fertilization during the first year could harm the tree and cut back its rate of development. After the 1st year, nitrogen can be utilized in a roughly 3ft area around each tree. This will assure a satisfactory supply for continued development. Don’t apply fertilizer within 12 inches of the stem of the tree since fertilizer can burn and injure young stem tissue.

Applying fertilizer on your yard is not an onerous task. Fertilizer is readily available in many of local retail outlets, like plant nurseries, hardware stores, thrift department stores and the like. The local experts in these stores and the labels on the packages can help you calculate the amount you need to buy for the square footage of your yard, so you can be sure to have enough and yet not too much. A push spreader can disseminate the fertilizing granules, and then it is just a question of watering it in and you are done. 

Another consideration you should make is to do a few things to make your fertilizer more efficient so the grasses are able to draw upon the nutrients in their environment. Aerating the soil once a year is one of those things. Aeration is punching holes into the soil by aerating equipment or spiked shoes so that water and air can get into the soil, and so that the soil is made softer for worms and roots of the grass. 

Another task that increase fertilizer efficiency is to rake your yard. Raking removes detritus that lying upon the soil beneath your grass blades. This kind of clutter, in addition to sticks and leaves lying on top of the grass, will inhibit the growth and spread of your grasses. If you do your raking before your application of fertilizer, you can open up the soil so that the granules dissolve and soak into the soil more easily upon watering. Raking can amplify the effectiveness of your fertilizer greatly. 

Every effort you make to prepare your yard for fertilizer by making the ground clean and uncluttered, will increase the efficacy of your time and money spent on the fertilizer. Another tip is to level out uneven bits of ground with topsoil and add good grass seed to the the barren places before you apply your fertilizer. Lastly, you will need to have your yard on a schedule of regular waterings for your grass to come in and stay full and lush.