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Colorado Springs is known for its majestic mountain views, outdoor lifestyle and warm plentiful sunshine. With the proper lawn care, it can also be a place of healthy, green beautiful lawns. This process starts with proper fertilizer. Here are a few essential fertilizing tips to promote a healthy lawn in Colorado Springs.
Watering is Not Enough
Watering and mowing alone will not make a healthy lawn. It must be fertilized. We recommend fertilizing five times annually at six week intervals. There are 16 different mineral elements necessary for the proper growth of all lawns. The three elements that are of most importance and used in greatest quantities by your lawn are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Nitrogen Is Important for a Healthy Lawn
Nitrogen is by far the element needed most by your lawn. It promotes root and blade growth and is responsible for the healthy green color of the grass. Without enough nitrogen, your lawn will grow slowly and become yellowish. With too much, a lawn will grow too rapidly causing thatch build-up that can lead to disease problems. Nitrogen is also the element used up the quickest, and it is only sufficient to supply enough nutrients for about 30 to 45 days.
Phosphorus for Healthy Lawns
Phosphorus is less important than nitrogen but is still necessary for the proper development of a lawn. Phosphorus helps the early formation and growth of roots. This is why starter fertilizers have a higher percentage of phosphorus. Established lawns need very little phosphorus because it is not flushed from the soil as readily as nitrogen.
The Complete Fertilizer
A complete fertilizer is one that contains all three of these major elements. A fertilizer bag will have a set of three numbers, for example, 18-6-12, printed on it. This series of numbers represents the percentage, by weight, of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contained in the bag. A 50 lb. bag of fertilizer with a “Guaranteed Analysis” of 18-6-12 will have 18% or 9 pounds of nitrogen, 6% or 3 pounds of phosphorus, and 12% or 6 pounds of potassium.
Get the Ratios Right
On established lawns, The Lawnsmith recommends the use of a fertilizer with a ratio of 3:1:3 applied at a rate of about one pound of actual nitrogen per 1000 square feet of lawn per application. From the example above, a 50 pound bag with an analysis of 18-6-12 will cover approximately 9000 square feet (9 lbs. of nitrogen x 1000 sq. ft. = 9000 sq. ft.).
Fertilizer Comes Before Water
When fertilizing your lawn, start before you water. Using either a broadcast or drop spreader, apply one-half of the recommended amount in one direction then spread the remaining half at right angles to the first.
Conclusion
When using fertilizers, or any other chemicals on your lawn, follow the directions closely or you could do more harm than good. Over fertilization not only accelerates growth but can burn your grass. Contact the Lawnsmith for quality fertilizer applications and lawn care. Watch your lawn thrive in beautiful Colorado Springs.
