Growing brand new grass in your lawn demands significant attention and care to get you well-established grass. Fertilizers in this regard help your grass seeds to germinate & thrive equally. As if the roots grow deep inside, the soil will fetch you a healthy grass base that will look stunning. Thereby we have developed an article to help you decide what fertilizer to use when planting grass seed?
Fertilizers boost seed or newly sprouted grass with concentrated nutrients. There is no hard and fast rule to fertilize grass seed, but if you spread grass at the right time it can prove to be quite helpful in the speedy growth of your grass. The nutrients accessible in fertilizer additionally come in fluctuating rates that can be more valuable for various phases of development. Picking a type of fertilizer that is too profoundly focused can consume your grass! This article will discuss all fertilizers suitable for your grass seed and how and when to use them. Let’s dive into it!
Why Do You Need To Fertilize New Grass Seed?
Fertilizers contain fundamental supplements that can further develop soils wellbeing in your space. The essential supplements packed in fertilizers are potassium (K), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P). Solid soil is more impervious to weeds, bugs, parasites, disintegration, spillover, and sketchy grass. Soil that comes up short on the fundamental supplements can be a troublesome developing medium. Thereby one should always choose the best type as an excessive amount, or wrong fertilizer can have a far-reaching impact on the soil’s overall growth ratio.
When the ground is soaked with the supplements in fertilizer, it can wind up spilling through to the water table and lead to overflow. Overflow of fertilizer compounds has been observed to stand responsible for poisonous algae that are unsafe to humans and pets. Therefore, fertilizers are profound; hence, can buy a certain amount at a time.
Types Of Fertilizer For Your Grass Seed
Fertilizers can be classified into two major types.
- Regular (slow release)
- Starter (quick release)
Just like humans, grass requirements vary as they grow. The need for baby grass is different when compared to its fully grown version. Fertilizers come with herbicides, a type of corn gluten that protects weeds from germinating.
Is Starter Fertilizer Good For New Grass?
Growing a new grass is tricky; hence it demands your attention and proper care. However, if you have picked the right fertilizer, it can hoist the growth to save you extra time and money. Thereby we recommend using starter fertilizer to get subtle germination of your grass seed. If you don’t know which starter fertilizer is best suitable, you must try Scotts Turf Builder Starter Fertilizer + Crabgrass Preventer.
We love that particular product because it will not harm new grass during the germination process; besides, it is designed to successfully block crabgrass to allow the newly germinated grass to establish itself. So buying one bag can be more than enough to kick start.
Types Of Nutrients In Lawn Fertilizers
Lawn fertilizers feature three types of nutrients, but the ratio of these nutrients varies from brand to brand. These nutrients are
- Nitrogen
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
If you want to know the ratio, you need to check your fertilizer bag, as the balance is always mentioned as the NPK ratio. The NPK ratio indicates the amount of Nitrogen – Phosphorus – Potassium used in your fertilizer type.
How Npk Supports Your New Grass Seed?
Each element plays a significant role in developing seed grass. So let’s discuss them individually.
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is an essential element when it comes to leaf growth and the green color of your grass. It helps leaves grow faster and brings the lush green color to your lawn grass.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus helps in the growth of roots beneath the ground. It also allows you the establishment of sturdy grass to get a stunning look at the top.
Potassium
Potassium fights against grass diseases and helps them in making them more resilient against diseases.
If you are looking for the best starter fertilizer, pick the bag with a higher level of phosphorus and nitrogen for quick release. In addition, it allows seeds to captivate potassium. If you are using a starter, then make sure to have an NPK ratio closer to 21 – 22 – 4 with the capability to be released quickly to establish your lawn as soon as possible.
What Is The Right Time To Fertilize Your New Grass?
First of all, ensure that your soil has the proper supplements for new grass seed preceding scattering the actual source. Once you have prepared your ground for seeding, the next step that comes your way is to fertilize soil using appropriate fertilizer made for grass seed. You are advised to apply your starter fertilizer at once, as the reapplying can damage or burn the established grass.
While you might be anxious to treat your soil with fertilizer to empower development, frequent fertilizer is harmful to grass. Stand by at least four to six weeks before another use of fertilizer.
How To Apply Fertilizer To Your New Grass Seed?
If you read the label of the Scott Starter fertilizer with weed preventer, it says to put fertilizer two to four weeks after you put that down. So how do you know when the time is right? First, look at your grass for some developments if you find some baby grass coming out of the shoot and becoming a little bit thicker. It indicates that you can start to fertilize. Thereby make sure to have your fertilizer available when it starts to grow. Next, spread a light coating of your fertilizer to keep the nutrients such as nitrogen in the soil.
If your grass is newborn, you should avoid dumping fertilizer as it could burn the grass quickly if you go crazy while applying. A light coating of fertilizer is pretty good at the beginning of your new grass. Slow-release fertilizer that comes with rich nitrogen is considered the best choice for planting or giving your current yard a lift. It is ideal for applying starter fertilizer before or after using the grass seed.
The final fertilizer use should be held in the fall before the first snow, as it can prove to be a stunning boost for your grass growth. However, when it comes to the fall season, a phosphorus-rich fertilizer can be helpful in the development of your deep grassroots. It is how your lawn gets ready to absorb nitrogen to green up the natural beauty of your lawn in spring.
Wrap Up
Growing lush, well-maintained green grass is not that much complicated as it is generally considered. All you have to do is give them precise maintenance & the right amount of fertilizers at the right time to help them grow sturdy. On top of that, knowing how to apply fertilizer will save you extra bucks. Some of us end up investing a high amount in fertilizers, but in reality, you don’t need to invest much in fertilizers as an extra amount of these substances can burn your lawn. We hope that this guide will help you grow your property and will prevent it from harmful runoff. Good luck!
