When Should I Put Fertilizer On My Lawn In Ontario?
A well-maintained and beautiful lawn is the pride and joy of every homeowner. This is one of the primary spaces that enhance the curb appeal and add value to the entire property. Fertilization plays a key role in keeping your lawn green and dense. Along with regular mowing and watering, make sure to feed your lawn about four times a year to keep it healthy, lush, and thriving. When should I put fertilizer on my lawn? Knowing the right time for fertilization ensures optimal growth and a beautiful yard all year round.
However, keeping the lawn evenly green and healthy is a job in itself that demands your time, attention, effort, and resources. Seniors who are barely managing their daily tasks must hire professionals like Custodia for their lawn fertilizing service. But if you are here to find out when to put fertilizer on your lawn, we have you covered. In this blog post, we have mentioned a proper schedule for feeding your yard and why the time is ideal for the feed. So, let’s dive in.
Best Time to Fertilize Your Lawn
When it comes to feeding your lawn in Ontario after starvation or dormancy, timing is the key. Ideally, every homeowner should fertilize their lawn every 4 – 6 weeks or 4 times a year to maintain a beautiful, lush, and dense lawn. However, for seniors, it can become challenging to carry out the job on their own. For this, hiring lawn maintenance services like Custodia is the best way to ensure regular and on-time fertilization. But is the best time to fertilize the lawn so that it also aligns with seasonal grass growing seasons? Here is the schedule that every professional in Ontario follows:
Early Spring
Early spring (March – April) is the best time to start your lawn fertilization. It is the first growing season after the harsh winter, as the lawn comes out of dormancy when the ground temperature is between 10°C to 18°C (50°F – 65°F). Start by mowing your ground correctly, as it will level the ground so you can assess the soil condition.
It is important to know that Ontario soil is already rich in phosphates. So, you can choose potassium and nitrogen-rich fertilizers for your first round. Both of these nutrients are essential to promote strong root growth, which is the goal for a first round of lawn fertilization and to keep weeds at bay. After applying fertilization, you must water the lawn to kick-start the growing season.
Late Spring
The first round of fertilization ensures that the ground is clear of dandelion, clover, and other types of weeds. So, about 4 to 6 weeks after the primary feeding, you should apply the second fertilization in late spring (May- early June). This will promote the root growth further as the ground gets a little warmer.
Again, your fertilizers will contain all the nutrients, essentially nitrogen, potassium, and even phosphates, to encourage root and grass growth. Finally, water the soil after applying fertilization so the ground is well-nourished.
Late Summer
With all the foot traffic, insects, and drought, summer in Ontario can be harsh on the grass. So, in late summer (June – August), it is recommended to apply your third but light round of fertilization. This is also the best time to feed the grass, especially when you are dealing with insects to kill them and strengthen your grass for continuous growth.
Fall
Finally, fall is the ideal time to recover your grass from all the heat, drought, and summer damage and prepare the lawn for colder days. So, make sure to apply nitrogen-rich feed, as the lawn will store nitrogen for healthy and lush growth the next spring.
6 Benefits to Put Fertilizer On Lawn in Ontario
Many homeowners do not prioritize law fertilization and end up with dead grass, patchy spots, weeds invasion, and disease outbreaks that can negatively impact their lawn health and appearance. So, to prevent that from happening, lawn fertilizing is one of the best lawn care practices seniors must follow. Wondering why? Here are the top benefits of fertilizing lawns in Ontario:
Promotes Strong Grass Growth
If your lawn has bare patches in some areas and green lush grass in others, it is probably because nutrients need to spread equally throughout the lawn. In order to have a healthy lawn, it needs essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. All these nutrients are found in fertilizers that spread the nutrients and minerals equally in all parts of the lawn. They promote even, strong, and healthy grass growth. However, if you do not prefer chemical fertilizers, lawn maintenance services like Custodia offer eco-friendly alternatives that are not harsh on your lawn and are safe for seniors’ health as well.
Improves Soil Health
Soil health plays a crucial role in maintaining the overall health of the lawn. One of the primary issues seniors face when maintaining their lawns is keeping the soil healthy and full of nutrients. This is because lawn plants usually soak up all the nutrients and minerals from the soil, leaving it bland and unhealthy. Though the grass and plants may seem healthy at the start after absorbing nutrients, but they will eventually die due to bland soil. Fortunately, to prevent that from happening, putting fertilizer on the lawn is one of the best ways to improve soil quality, structure, and health. This will also ensure all the plants, bushes, and flowers stay alive and healthy for the longest possible time.
Prepares Grass for Harsh Weather
Winter in Ontario can be harsh, freezing, snowy, and cold, with average temperatures reaching between -15°C to -30°C in January. This means the lawn will go dormant for up to six weeks to protect itself from extreme temperatures. However, if you do not prepare your lawn for the harsh winter cold, the roots of the grass will weaken, resulting in thinning and wilting of grass. So, to prevent that from happening, it is necessary to apply fertilizer on your lawn to strengthen grass roots and ensure proper growth in the spring and summer. Moreover, by applying fertilizer, you are also recovering your lawn from the damage caused by summer heat and drought. This means lawn fertilizing will protect your yard from all kinds of damage caused by harsh weather.
Prevents Diseases and Pests
If left unattended, disease and pests can severely damage your lawn by devouring grass roots, stems, and blades. The lawn pests such as grubs, chinch bugs, billbugs, and more feed on grass, leaving brown and yellow patches all over the yard. In comparison, diseases like brown patch, dollar spot, powdery mildew, rust, and pythium blight are a result of improper fertilization, poor drainage, and poor lawn care practices. However, it is important to know that these diseases and pests are tricky to detect. So, if you have detected them, make sure to call a lawn fertilizing service such as Custodia, as they know how to treat them with treatments and fertilizers in Ontario. Proper fertilization will encourage firm root development and grass growth that will resist these diseases and pests.
Read more about Is The Landlord Responsible For Mowing The Lawn In Ontario?
Controls Weeds
Regular lawn fertilization plays an essential role in controlling weeds and preventing unwanted plants from taking over your yard. In Ontario, where the weather and soil conditions are constantly changing, understanding how lawn fertilization can help you manage weed invasion is essential. Regular fertilization followed up by watering provides soil with all the vital nutrients, minerals, and moisture a lawn needs to grow healthy and beautiful grass. Since weeds can only thrive in dry environments, regular watering and fertilization will eventually establish deeper grass roots and grow stronger grass that will prevent weeds from taking over the lawn. (Read more about What Kills Weeds But Not Grass In Canada?)
Increases Property Value
A property becomes ten times more attractive and valuable if it has a well-maintained and beautiful lawn. This shows how much homeowners have been taking care of their property in all these years. On the contrary, a patchy and dead lawn will earn negative points for your property if you ever decide to put it up for rent or sale. In this regard, lawn fertilization is one of the best ways to maintain the health of your lawn and enhance curb appeal.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Here are a few common mistakes to avoid when feeding your yard:
- Do not over-fertilize, as it can burn and damage the ground completely.
- Do not apply the wrong fertilizer, as it will be ineffective and can even harm the lawn.
- Do not mow too short, as it can damage the grass and cause it to dry.
- Do not overwater the lawn, as it can lead to grass failing to establish deep and strong roots.
- Finally, do not forget to fertilize the lawn and call professionals to get the job done.
Final Words
Feeding the lawn about 4 times a year (every 4-6 weeks) is essential in Ontario. It will help the lawn recover from heat damage, develop deep grassroots, encourage grass growth, and prepare the lawn for colder days. All you need to do is to follow the schedule and achieve a healthy and beautiful lawn.