Should You Fertilize Your Lawn In Summer?

There are many schools of thought when it comes to fertilizers and lawn care. Should you fertilize in summer, fall or spring? The problem with most arguments is that they fail to take into account a lawn’s needs and the types of fertilizers available.

In general terms, fertilizing in summer is not a good idea. Your soil should have all the nutrients required for your lawn before summer starts. In fact, most fertilizers burn grass during the heat of summer. However, that is standard fertilizer. Now that we are in August, we need to think about our lawn’s future requirements.

As summer ends and fall arrives, most lawns, particularly those in the north, go through a transition period where upward growth slows, and root development and sideways growth increases. To accommodate this, your lawn needs smaller amounts of fertilizer more frequently. The best option then is a slow release fertilizer, especially an organic type.

This should be applied in late summer, and mid August is the time start in order to be completed by mid-September – after that it will be too late. Your lawn is building itself up ready for the chill of winter. Of course, once winter is over, the reverse is required.

In spring, once the winter chills have disappeared, your lawn needs feeding, and initially it will be a gross feeder. In spring then you need to provide your lawn with a complete fertilizer that it can feed from immediately. It should also have a slow release component that will then continue to provide nutrition until the end of spring.

When it comes to fertilizers, your lawn has different requirements that require different types of fertilizer. Yes, you can start to feed your lawn now, but make sure it is a slow release fertilizer. If you have given your lawn a summer feed, and you notice brown patches, there is a good chance you have burnt your lawn. Flush it well with water for a couple of days then use a grass seeding tool to prepare the area. Oversow with grass seed that is suitable for late summer or winter and water it in well. Your lawn will bounce back bright and healthy.