Fertilizing lawns in summer: the ultimate fertilizer guide

Summer fertilization is for the race very important to keep it green and healthy even when the weather is hot and dry. This guide will provide you with all the information you need.

time

The first fertilization usually takes place in spring. The weather is usually warm enough at the end of March to April for the grass to start growing, then you can also fertilize. In summer, fertilization is done either once or twice. That depends on how well the lawn is growing and how often you mow it.

Fertilization plan with very good growth:

• first fertilization in March or April
• second fertilization in June
• third fertilization in August
• Autumn fertilization by November at the latest

Note: If the growth is moderate, the second and third fertilization are combined into one application in July.

Soil type

How much and with which fertilizer you have to work depends on the type of soil. Especially how humus it is. Sandy soils, for example, are difficult to hold on to water and nutrients, and they are even washed away quickly when it rains.

Clay soil can hold nutrients and water better, but it may be prone to waterlogging.

It is therefore important to continuously improve every soil through various measures and to apply appropriate fertilization. Clay soils are supplied with sand and thus more permeable. Sandy soils are given humus, for example with compost.

Composition of fertilizers

1. Lawn fertilizer for the summer mainly contains nitrogen. This ensures fast and vigorous growth. However, too much nitrogen can quickly lead to overfertilization. This is characterized by "burns" of the lawn. A soil sample can help.
2. Another component is phosphate, to support root growth and humus formation in the soil.
3. The lawn fertilizer for the summer can also contain potassium, 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.
4. Magnesium and sulfur help the plants to regulate their energy balance and stimulate photosynthesis in the leaves.

Types of fertilizer

Mineral fertilizer

• mostly designed as a long-term fertilizer
• provides nutrients for 10 weeks
• Composition can vary depending on the provider
• The classic is blue grain
• Spring fertilizer, summer fertilizer, autumn fertilizer or universal fertilizer

Advantage: easy application, optimal composition for every type of lawn
Disadvantage: Purchase necessary, can lead to overfertilization

Organic fertilizer

• Examples: horn shavings / horn meal, compost, coffee grounds, manure
• is suitable as a long-term fertilizer, as the nutrients are released by soil organisms
• Compost and manure should be well rotted

Advantage: mostly available in the garden, hardly any costs, universally applicable, hardly any overfertilization possible
Disadvantage: The composition is mostly unknown and can therefore lead to a one-sided supply of nutrients

Aids in fertilizing

• Rock flour or lime
• provide important minerals
• strengthen the plants against fungal diseases
• Application with fertilizer or independently of it

Note: Mineral and organic fertilizers can also be combined. Well-rotted manure can be used as autumn fertilization, while mineral fertilizers are used during the growing season.

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 have the Limes the lawn if necessary have to.

Use bald spots in the lawn for a soil sample, such as those that may appear after winter. If none are available, cut out sods, remove soil for the sample, 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

1. The lawn shouldn't be freshly mown, but it shouldn't be too long either.
2. Do not only fertilize when symptoms of deficiency appear. These are: yellow stalks, poor growth, pale colors
3. Spread the fertilizer evenly over the lawn. Granular fertilizers can be spread with the spreader. This applies to mineral fertilizers or horn shavings / horn meal. Other organic material is scattered with the shovel and distributed with a rake.
4. Follow the package instructions and do not over-fertilize your lawn. This could damage the sward.
5. Take special care 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 it has been supplied with nutrients. Under no circumstances should it be dry and exposed to strong sunlight. Therefore, when the sky is cloudy, it is fertilized and then well watered. Irrigation can be replaced by rain. This procedure is most important in summer, in July or August, to prevent burns to the lawn plants.

Through irrigation or rain, it washes the nutrients from the stalks and straight into the soil, where the roots eventually take them up.

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. Corresponding lawnmowers, which can be converted, are used for this. They mow the grass, shred the clippings and throw them backwards. You can also use a normal lawn mower without a grass catcher if you mow your lawn regularly. Then the stalks are so small that they can be used as mulch. If the mulch has piled up too much in one place, it is distributed with a rake.

advantages

The mulch material withers very quickly in summer, especially in hot July, and falls to the ground between the plants, where it decomposes soil organisms and releases the nutrients. The advantage of this type of fertilization is that it extends over the entire vegetation period, as long as the grass is mowed. Since you do not remove the clippings, you do not take any nutrients from the lawn, but add them continuously. Mulch should be supplemented with minerals such as rock flour. Another advantage is that mulching combines several work steps, so that overall less effort is necessary. Grass clippings do not have to be removed, there is no additional fertilization.

disadvantage

Mulching can have disadvantages, especially in spring or autumn. In spring the grass needs a lot of light in order to grow well and to be able to recover from winter. Therefore, it does not make sense to leave the lawn clippings on the green area. In autumn you have to free the green area of ​​all plant residues so that it can be in winter there is no damage, such as rotten spots, resulting in bald spots can.

The same is true throughout the year if the mulch is not evenly distributed over the lawn.