Fertilizing your lawn after the seeds germinate and sprout through the soil gives it a boost in nutrients. The nutrients often give your lawn a growth spurt. Timing is everything when it comes to lawn fertilizing, so here is what you should know about fertilizers.

How Do Lawn Fertilizers Work?

Lawn fertilizers are nutrition for your lawn. These products add a combination of potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus to the soil that the seedlings absorb through the roots. Potassium helps your grass resist periods of little moisture and defend against diseases. Nitrogen encourages healthy blade growth to capture sunlight. Phosphorus stimulates a healthy root system. The key to effective fertilization is an appropriate release of these nutrients into the soil. Too much or too fast, and you burn the grass. Too little or too slow, and your grass starves. The conditions of the soil need to be ideal to release the nutrients and help the roots absorb the right amounts.

What Is the Best Month for Fertilizing Your Lawn?

Mid-April is typically the best time to fertilize your lawn. Plant your grass seeds in early spring to give the roots time to develop. By mid-April, you should be seeing the first new blades of grass emerging from the ground. After the first application, you can repeat the process about every six to eight weeks. Granules are the best type of fertilizer for non-professionals because you can monitor how much is being dispersed. With spray-on fertilizers, it is much more difficult to know if you are applying the right amount consistently across the lawn.

What Are the Best Weather Conditions for Fertilizing Your Lawn?

Because climate conditions are unpredictable from year to year, you should also pay attention to weather patterns before you fertilize. Mid-April may be ideal one year, yet too cold the next year. Here are some general weather and soil conditions that define when it is the best time to fertilize your lawn:

• Soil temperature should be at least 55° F consistently (the grass will also be growing from the soil)
• Outdoor temperatures should be between 80°F and 95°F or slightly cooler
• Soil moisture is congruent with the type of fertilizer -some require dry soil while others require moist soil
• Wait until after thunderstorms and rain – the excess water washes away the fertilizer
• Don’t fertilize during droughts or periods of limited watering regulations

There are always benefits to using mulch for your lawn. With different types to choose from, it is helpful to have a thorough understanding of each one. In general, mulch is used to avoid having weeds grow in your garden. It also makes it easier to remove any weeds that are already present. Each type of mulch has its own benefit.

Shredded Hardwood Bark

According to Almanac.com, a common type of mulch is bark, made of shredded hardwood. If having an organic garden is your priority, choose dark-colored hardwood bark, as it doesn't contain artificial ingredients. By using this type of bark, you are also supporting the recycling of paper and lumber.

The benefits of using shredded hardwood bark include keeping your soil as fertile as possible. It will also effectively hold in water and keep the roots of your plants hydrated.

Tried-and-True Straw Mulch

One of the types of mulch that has been used for the longest is simply straw. They are particularly beneficial for vegetable gardens. The benefits of using them include their ability to retain moisture. In addition to controlling the weed population in your garden, it also puts nitrogen in the soil. The color of straw means that it controls the temperature of your soil and prevents your plants from becoming overheated in the sun.

Free Compost Mulch

One of the most appealing parts of using compost as mulch is that you can obtain it for free. Making your own is easy to do and enables you to have an organic garden. It will improve the quality of your soil by providing it with more nutrients than it would have gotten otherwise.

Animal compost is commonly used by farmers, to keep their gardens healthy. The best way to make this type of compost is to spend months preparing the manure. This should be done after the manure is exposed to 130 to 140 Fahrenheit temperatures for at least a seven day period.

Pumice Rock

To bring some beauty to your garden as well, Pumice Rock makes for a beneficial mulch. Its lightweight and natural color mean that it keeps your soil moist and helps it thrive. The roots of your plants will have room to grow. Including Pumice Rock in your garden means that your mulch will remain intact, as this material does not break down over time. As a result, your garden won't attract insects or cause molds or fungi to grow in it.

Leaves As Mulch

While leaves may not be the most eye catching of mulches, there are benefits to using it in your garden. Leaves are so beneficial as mulch because they have so much nutrients in them. This includes phosphorus, carbon, and potassium. They also feed earthworms and lighten the weight of the soil used.

Conclusion

These are just a few of the different types of mulch. There are many options, some of which are organic and others of which are not. No matter which one you use, your garden will be better off for it.