Keeping the Lawn Fertilized and Watered Properly

How often your lawn needs fertilization depends on how you mow it. If you set your mower to 2-1/2 to 3 inches high, mow weekly, and let the grass clippings fall to the ground, you only need to add extra fertilizer in the spring and fall. The grass clippings provide food for earthworms, which aerate the soil, leave their castings, and prevent thatch build-up. As the clippings decompose, they add their high nitrogen content to the soil, about half of what your lawn needs for the year. If you bag your clippings, your lawn should be fertilized roughly every 60 days, starting about a month before the lawn starts growing.

There are a number of companies that make organic lawn fertilizers. By using organic products, you create a friendly environment for earthworms and other beneficial soil dwellers. The foundation of a great lawn is good soil. Attracting earthworms helps to keep the soil well-aerated and friable so that water and roots can penetrate easily. You can water less frequently if your grass has strong, deep roots that can reach the water that penetrates deeper than weed roots can usually reach.

An established lawn only needs about an 1-1/2 inches of water a week. Water lightly in the early spring. Being slightly drought-stressed encourages grass roots to grow deeper. Thereafter, once or twice a week, water deeply early in the day, after the dew dries, to prevent disease problems and minimize water loss due to evaporation. If you can afford it, an underground sprinkler system is the simplest way to get adequate, targeted moisture to your lawn. If you use overhead sprinklers, use a timer so you don't end up over watering some areas.