It is possible to keep your sod green and lush year-round. To ensure you are fertilizing your landscape correctly, follow the advice listed below. Doing so will mean healthy, long-lasting sod that highlights your home or commercial property.
- Use fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides sparingly
- Fertilize only when the grass is actively growing
- Never apply fertilizers before it rains
- Always follow the fertilizer label directions on the bag
- Use slow-release fertilizer
- Sweep up any fertilizer that gets on paved areas
- Never fertilize within 10 feet of any waterbody
Your county might have area-specific ordinances; check out Pasco county’s fertilizing ordinance and guidelines here.
Remember:
More is not always better. Spreading fertilizer liberally over an area might be a great idea, but before you go overboard, make sure you know what you are doing. Over-fertilizing yields problems just as under-fertilizing does. Maintain the delicate balance by only fertilizing when it is necessary, which is usually in the spring and the fall.
Remember that sod requires fertilizer for different reasons, depending on the time of year. In the spring, fertilizer should break down slowly to steadily encourage growth. In the fall, the fertilizer is meant for growing roots and should be spread accordingly.
Buy locally. Many local fertilizer companies specialize in blends that directly target local sod and its requirements. This fertilizer is tailor-made for specific needs. Purchase a bag of fertilizer at your big box hardware store, and there is no telling whether it will be right for your lawn and its challenges.