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Summer fertilizing is very important for lawns to keep them green and healthy even when the weather is hot and dry. This guide provides you with all the necessary information.
time
The first fertilization usually takes place in the spring. The weather is usually warm enough in late March to April for grass growth to begin, which is also when you can fertilize. Fertilize either once or twice in summer. That depends on how well the lawn is growing and how often you mow it.
Fertilization plan with very good growth:
- first fertilization March or April
- second fertilization in June
- third fertilization August
- Autumn fertilization by November at the latest
Notice: With moderate growth, the second and third fertilization in July are combined into one dose.
soil type
How much and which fertilizer to work with depends on the type of soil. Especially from how rich in humus it is. Sandy soils, for example, are poor at retaining water and nutrients, and they are even quickly washed away when it rains.
Clay soil is better at retaining nutrients and water, but may be prone to waterlogging.
It is therefore important to constantly improve every soil through various measures and to carry out coordinated fertilization. Clay soils are supplied with sand and are therefore more permeable. Sandy soils receive humus, for example with compost.
composition of fertilizers
- Lawn fertilizer for the summer mainly contains nitrogen. This ensures rapid and vigorous growth. However, too much nitrogen can quickly lead to over-fertilization. This is characterized by "burns" of the lawn. A soil test can help.
- Another component is phosphate, to support root growth and humus formation in the soil.
- Potassium can also be included in lawn fertilizer for the summer, which strengthens the cells of the plants and makes them resistant to the effects of the weather. However, potassium is more important in autumn fertilization.
- Magnesium and sulfur help the plants to regulate their energy balance and stimulate photosynthesis in the leaves.
fertilizer types
mineral fertilizer
- usually designed as a long-term fertilizer
- provides nutrients for 10 weeks
- Composition may vary depending on the provider
- Blaukorn is a classic
- Spring fertilizer, summer fertilizer, autumn fertilizer or universal fertilizer
Blue grain as fertilizer
Advantage: easy application, optimal composition for every type of lawn
Disadvantage: Purchase necessary, can lead to over-fertilization
Organic Fertilizers
- Examples: horn shavings/horn meal, compost, coffee grounds, stable manure
- is suitable as a long-term fertilizer, since the nutrients are released by soil organisms
- Compost and manure should be well rotted
Advantage: usually available in the garden, hardly any costs, universally applicable, hardly any over-fertilization possible
Disadvantage: Composition mostly unknown, can therefore lead to one-sided nutrient supply
fertilizer aids
- rock powder or lime
- supply important minerals
- strengthen the plants against fungal diseases
- Application with fertilizer or independently
lime the lawn
Notice: Mineral and organic fertilizers can also be combined. Well-rotted stable manure can be used as autumn fertilization, while mineral fertilizers are used during the vegetation period.
soil sample
So that you can choose the right fertilizer for your lawn, you should have a soil sample analyzed once a year. This will help you find out which nutrients are missing and whether you may need to lime the lawn.
For a soil sample, use bare spots in the lawn, such as those that can occur after winter. If none are available, dig out sods, remove soil for the test, fill it up again and put the sods back.
Send the soil sample to a special laboratory, which will send you a result and possibly a fertilizer recommendation.
Fertilize in summer
- The lawn should not be freshly mowed, but it should not be too long either.
- Do not fertilize until deficiency symptoms appear. These are: yellow culms, stunted growth, pale colors
- Distribute the fertilizer evenly over the lawn. Granular fertilizers can be spread with the spreader. This applies to mineral fertilizer or horn shavings/horn meal. Other organic material is spread with the shovel and distributed with a rake.
- Follow package directions and don't over-fertilize your lawn. This could cause damage to the turf.
- Be careful when fertilizing in July or August because of the heat.
After fertilizing
Just as important as the fertilization itself is the maintenance of the lawn after nutrients have been added. It should never be left dry and exposed to strong sunlight. Therefore, when the sky is cloudy, fertilize and then water well. Irrigation can be replaced by rain. This procedure is most important in the summer, in July or August, to prevent burns on the lawn plants.
With irrigation or rain, it flushes the nutrients from the culms and straight into the soil, where the roots eventually absorb them.
mulching
Mulching is mainly used in the vegetable garden. There to suppress weed growth or to keep the soil moist. However, lawns can also be mulched. Appropriate lawnmowers, which can be converted, are used for this purpose. They mow the grass, shred the clippings and eject them backwards. You can also use a regular lawn mower without a grass catcher if you mow your lawn regularly. Then the stalks are so small that they are suitable as mulch. If the mulch has accumulated too much in one place, it is spread out with a rake.
benefits
The mulch material withers very quickly in the summer, especially in hot July, and falls to the ground between the plants, where soil organisms decompose it and release the nutrients. The benefit of this type of fertilization is that it extends throughout the growing season, as long as you mow the grass. Since the clippings are not removed, nutrients are not removed from the lawn, but are continuously added. Mulch should be supplemented with minerals, for example in rock flour. Another advantage is that mulching combines several work steps, so that less effort is required overall. Lawn clippings do not have to be taken away, they do not have to be additionally fertilized.
disadvantage
Mulching can have disadvantages, especially in spring or fall. In spring, the grass needs a lot of light to grow well and recover from winter. Therefore, it does not make sense to leave the lawn clippings on the green area. In autumn you have to clear the green area of all plant residues so that there is no damage in winter, such as rotten spots, which can result in bare spots.
The same applies throughout the year if the mulch is not evenly distributed over the lawn.