Spring Lawn Maintenance: Fertilize & Amend The Soil

A little regular maintenance—including the appropriate fertilizer and soil amendments—will keep your lawn healthy and green. In the previous instructions of our five-part series on Spring Lawn Maintenance, you learned how to prepare your soil to grow healthy grass. In this second installment, you’ll learn how to give your lawn the nutrients it needs.

Testing Lawn Soil

Most lawns need extra nutrients, such as fertilizers and soil conditioners, to keep them healthy. For thicker lawns, you also will want to apply more lawn seed and fertilizer throughout the lawn.

The easiest way to learn what your lawn needs to grow healthy is to first perform a soil test.

You can purchase soil test kits at Lowe’s or send a soil sample to a nearby university extension service. A soil test can give you a detailed analysis of pH, phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), other minerals and organic matter in the sampled soil. Follow the manufacturer’s directions on the test kit.

TIP: You can test the soil nearly any time during the year as it typically doesn't change.
The pH test measures the balance between acidic and alkaline soil. Water has a pH of 7.0. pH numbers higher than 7.0 are alkaline and lower are acidic. Most grass seeds prefer a pH in the range of 6.0 to 6.8, slightly acidic. If the soil for your lawn is not the lawn seed’s recommended pH range, you can amend the soil to bring it into pH balance for optimum growth.
If the test shows that lawn soil is highly acidic, you’ll need to add lime or gypsum. Gypsum is also great for use in soils with high clay content.
TIP: A Lowe’s associate can assist you in selecting the optimum amount of lime or gypsum for your lawn soil and seed as well as offer instructions on proper application. Bags of soil amendments also offer suggestions on how much to apply for optimum results.
Add the amendments after applying the fertilizer.

Fertilizing The Soil

Once the soil has been pH balanced, fertilizer should be applied to ensure optimum health of grass and and growth of the new seed.

01 Select a lawn starter or lawn maintenance fertilizer. Lawn maintenance fertilizers are best for established lawns that are in relatively
good condition. Some fertilizers are recommended for both applications, suggesting
different spread rates depending on the application.

02 Refer to the lawn fertilizer directions on the package for application instructions.
TIP: It’s best to fertilize four times per year. Consider using major holidays as reminders: St. Patrick’s Day, Mother’s Day, Independence Day and Halloween.

03 Set the lawn spreader’s drop rate as suggested by the fertilizer and spreader manufacturers.
Drop spreaders have an adjustable bin that drops the fertilizer between the two wheels as you push it.

04 Spread the fertilizer in the pattern recommended by the fertilizer manufacturer. Most suggest a criss-cross pattern that ensures even coverage.

CAUTION: DO NOT use a weed and feed fertilizer or crabgrass preventer on a starting or overseeded lawn. If you have used a weed and feed product recently, check the package to determine how much time must pass, typically 4-6 weeks, before you plant new seed.

05 Add lime or gypsum if needed.

06 Use a rake to work them into the soil.

07 When done, clean up any fertilizer that falls on driveways, patios or sidewalks.

08 Clean all tools and shoes with a hose. To avoid chemical runoff, don’t clean them near water sources or sensitive plants.

You’re now ready to seed the lawn, described in the next video and printable instructions in the Spring Lawn Maintenance series, available at Lowes.com/Videos.

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