Whether you’re looking to establish a strong, healthy lawn or maintain one, lawn fertilizer plays a key role in helping you achieve a healthy lawn. If you’re unfamiliar with lawn fertilizer and its many benefits, don’t worry! We’ve compiled a small list of commonly asked questions and answers many people have asked us in Texas, so you can have all the information necessary to keep your turf healthy with lawn fertilizer. In this blog, you’ll learn why you need to fertilize your lawn, what nutrients can be found in your fertilizer, how to keep your pets safe after each treatment, and how often fertilizer treatments should be applied to your lawn!

Why do I need to fertilize my lawn?

One of the most common questions people ask when it comes to lawn fertilizer is why they should bother fertilizing their lawn at all. They may think watering their grass may be enough to keep it lush and green. Well, grass tends to need more than just water to do well. Fertilizer is jam-packed with nutrients to help your grass thrive throughout the year. Lawns deficient in nutrients are susceptible to different diseases and insect infestations, which can cause serious damage to your grass. Supplying your lawn with nutrient-rich fertilizer will help it resist these issues while promoting lush, green growth!

What nutrients are in lawn fertilizer?

Lawn fertilizer contains many nutrients to help your grass thrive, but three essential nutrients outclass the rest: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Each one of these nutrients serves a specific purpose that benefits your grass. Nitrogen helps promote green grass and encourages rapid growth. Phosphorus helps your grass develop deeper and stronger roots while assisting with photosynthesis—a vital process in plant development. Potassium, meanwhile, boosts your turf's resistance to insects and diseases while helping your turf endure stressful environmental conditions like hot and cold weather.

How do I keep my pet safe after a fertilizer treatment?

A common concern with lawn fertilizer is how to keep pets safe after a fertilization treatment. Well, the answer is quite simple. All you have to do is wait for the fertilizer to dry or get watered into your lawn. If you used a liquid fertilizer treatment, you just need to wait for the treatment to dry, which can take a few hours or even an entire day, depending on factors such as the weather. If you used a granular treatment, you'll need to water it into your lawn and then wait for it to dry. For a granular treatment, you should wait about 24 hours before letting your pets use your lawn again.

Always check with your lawn care provider for pet safety information since each treatment can be different!

How often should fertilizer treatments be applied to my lawn?

Fertilizer treatments should be applied more than once annually to keep your grass healthy. It’s best to reapply fertilizer throughout the year so your turf can tackle the different hurdles each season, such as rising temperatures or certain diseases that appear at specific times.

Ideally, you want to start by aiming for an application in the spring to help your lawn recover from winter and prepare it for summer. You then want to schedule another fertilizer treatment in the summer to give your lawn the boost it needs to survive the summer heat. Finally, you want to schedule another treatment in the fall to help your lawn recover from the summer stress and prepare it for the winter season.

Call us to sign up for our lawn fertilization program!

When you sign up for our lawn fertilization program, you can keep your lawn healthy and green year-round! At Salcido Lawn, our organic fertilizers will provide your lawn with a constant supply of nutrients to keep your grass nourished throughout the year. We’ll visit your property six times throughout the year, beginning in January and ending in November, so your grass will always have the nutrients it needs to thrive. We service commercial, HOA, and residential properties in the Tyler, TX area, including nearby areas like Whitehouse and Flint. Call us today at (903) 502-0669 to sign up for our lawn fertilization program.