If you’ve had a bunch of random yellow and brown patches show up on your grass, know that you’re not alone! This is often the result of lawn burn, which, with the appropriate fertilizer, can easily be prevented.
Within this article, we’ll tell you what happens if you over-fertilize your lawn, as well as how to reverse any damage!
What Is In Lawn Fertilizer?
In order to understand what happens when you over-fertilize your lawn, you first need to understand the components that make up your lawn fertilizer!
Lawn fertilizer is made up of three main parts: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These three are known as macro-nutrients, which is a term used to describe the nutrients that a particular living thing needs in large amounts.
For humans, these are substances such as proteins, vitamins and water, and for grass, the three major macronutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium – which is why they’re included in lawn fertilizer!
Firstly, we’ll discuss what each part does.
Nitrogen
Your grass obtains its green, healthy foliage through nitrogen. Nitrogen is incredibly important when it comes to lawn maintenance. There are two types of nitrogen fertilizer – controlled release (or slow-release) and fast release.
Most lawns require a healthy dose of nitrogen – but don’t use too much, otherwise you may notice quite a thick top growth! This is because the blades of grass have received the nitrogen way faster than the roots have, and are growing at a rate that the roots will not be able to handle.
The roots supply the entire grass system of water, so this can lead to dehydration and controlled-release fertilizer is normally the way to go. Using one pound of nitrogen per every 1000 square feet is the typical amount recommended on fertilizers.
If you’ve noticed that your lawn is paler, has yellow patches, slower general growth and faster weed growth, your lawn might have a nitrogen deficiency, meaning you need to use more nitrogen.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus helps to ensure that your grass has strong roots, makes it thick and helps a lot in the early stages of the development of your lawn.
This is why sometimes it can be hard to grow a lawn from seed – a lack of phosphorus means that your lawn won’t be able to develop properly, especially when it is trying to establish its roots for the first time.
Potassium
Potassium helps to promote healthy plant growth – it is responsible for helping the grass to take in more water and nutrients, as well as allowing it to build thicker cell walls and stay healthy. Potassium helps the grass to use nitrogen effectively, also.
What Happens If You Over-fertilize Your Lawn?
Using too much fertilizer on your lawn can cause a drying effect called fertilizer (or lawn) burn.
If you don’t follow the recommended ratios of fertilizer that your lawn needs, you will quickly find that your lawn is overridden with nutrients, causing build-ups, and, as a result, yellow and brown patches will appear as a result of damage.
This isn’t always because you haven’t followed the guidelines, however – sometimes you can over-fertilize your lawn as a result of doing it too frequently.
Whilst lawn burn can be caused by a fertilizer with an excess amount of nitrogen, it is more commonly caused by an overload of fertilizer in general, as the soluble salts that are also in fertilizer can build up.
This build-up prevents your plant from accessing moisture and can even become toxic to the plant.
What To Do If You Burn Your Lawn With Fertilizer
To turn your burnt lawn green and luscious again, you will need to give it a big old drink of water – a generous one.
This is to both flush it of all of that salt build-up, as well as give it a good drink to help it rehydrate. It’s best to water early in the morning – this way it won’t get sun damage later on in the day.
If all else fails, you can re-dig and reseed all of the areas that have been damaged. Make sure to mow and water it regularly.
What Is The Best Ratio To Use For Lawn Fertilizer?
3:1:3 or 4:1:2 are often the recommended ratios for lawn fertilizer, however, different lawns might call for different amounts depending on their individual needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Fertilize My Lawn When I Mow It?
If you are trying to avoid over-fertilizing, then fertilizing your lawn every time you mow it is not a good idea.
If you’re mowing regularly enough, this will only reward you with increased grass growth, meaning that the roots won’t get enough hydration lawn burn and polluted water.
This can potentially lead to algae growth as a result of all of the build-up. If you believe that your lawn has a deficiency, you can alter the ratio of your fertilizer to treat it.
How Do I Work Out The Amount Of Fertilizer I Need?
Normally, the amount of nitrogen is calculated in pounds per 1000 square feet. As a result, it’s quite confusing when trying to work out how much you need to use.
A simple online search can bring up a bunch of good online fertilizer calculators that can help you with this!
When Should I Fertilize And When Should I Mow?
Mowing your lawn first helps your lawn to take in more of the fertilizer, as it can get to the soil a lot easier rather than having to work through all of that plant matter. Raking the lawn after mowing it is also important.
What Is The Best Type Of Lawn Fertilizer For Springtime?
As soon as your grass looks like it’s ready to be mowed for the first time, it’s probably ready to be fertilized.
Depending on the season, your lawn might need a different ratio of fertilizer in order to help maintain it through the different conditions.
A slow-release fertilizer is probably the best for spring. High potassium fertilizer is the best for fall and winter conditions, but can also be used in spring!
Can I Use Epsom Salt On My Lawn?
You can! Epsom salt can be used as a natural fertilizer during the spring. It promotes growth and helps with seed germination as well as helping your lawn to take in nitrogen and phosphorus!
