# Fertilizer?



## caseyj (Apr 8, 2001)

Do you think it is too early to fertilize the lawn? Anxious to get going.


----------



## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

Better results when soil warms somewhat .Temps going back down end of next week .


----------



## hommer23 (Nov 20, 2012)

Wait for ground temps to come up to 50-55 degrees or until the buds start on the trees.


----------



## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I put down Scotts Turfbuilder with HALTS at this time of year. It gives your lawn a big shot of nitrogen, and will keep weed seeds (of all kinds) from sprouting. I put it down before the forsythia bushes bloom. Then I use a 10/10/10, or 13/13/13 fertilizer about a month later. If you have a lot of weeds, hit em with a spray weedkiller, and you'll have the thickest nicest lawn you've ever had.

You can find knockoff products @ Turfbuilder +HALTS, but that works best for my yard.


----------



## jimbo (Dec 29, 2007)

Put some grub ex down yesterday.
I figured it was warm enough, no wind and a lot of rain coming.
I would guess as long as a warm rain was coming to wash it in, fertilizer would be fine too


Sent from my iPad using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## wpmisport (Feb 9, 2010)

I would like to put some grass seed down but it needs to warm up a little bit. The ground temp needs to be warmer for the best germination.


----------



## caseyj (Apr 8, 2001)

Reason I asked is that I just received an order from Amazon that included a battery operated lawn spreader. Hopefully, I will be able to stand in one spot, move around and do it like this.


----------



## hankrt (Nov 7, 2007)

I put the high Nitrogen 30-0-5 down the second the snow melts, always works for me. Sometimes I put it down just before the snow hits, gives the grass a boost on days like today.


----------



## A.M. General (May 3, 2001)

12-12-12 or 19-19-19 as soon as the snow melts. Perfect time right now with rain in the forecast.


----------



## on a call (Jan 16, 2010)

Wait till may 1...unless you are want to work


----------



## A.M. General (May 3, 2001)

When I used to work for TruGreen Chemlawn, a dusting of snow would be ideal for the first application. Fertilizer will take into the lawn both spring and fall during the frost freeze cycle. Grass is very resilient if you feed, rake and weed it. You will just need to mow more often.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk


----------



## A.M. General (May 3, 2001)

on a call said:


> Wait till may 1...unless you are want to work


Or start early to have a healthy and beautiful lawn when spring starts. Then mow correctly. 

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk


----------



## on a call (Jan 16, 2010)

A.M. General said:


> Or start early to have a healthy and beautiful lawn when spring starts. Then mow correctly.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk


Nah...it is waste. Been doing it for a long time. When I was in college we used to say....why ?? Why not save $ and use it later. 
IMO it is like throwing gas on a fire. Fertilizing in the spring is like that. 
It is easy to have a nice lawn in the spring...but show me a nice lawn in July or Aug and I will show you someone who knows what they are doing.


----------



## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Having a nice lawn in July and Aug starts with taking proper care of it in spring. From someone who knows what they are doing. 

It took me awhile, when I had a lawn service, to realize that not everyone wants to have a nice-looking lawn. Some people are happy with anything green growing, as long as it is cut short, and they don't have to spend much time or money on upkeep. Others enjoy thick soft grass, but don't like to mow it. And still others want the perfect lawn, with thick grass, low numbers of weeds, and regular mowing. Some people could not care less if there is anything green growing in their yard, and would prefer to never have to mow anything throughout the entire growing season. Everyone's home is their own castle, and they have to right to have the kind of yard they like. 

We like to have thick soft grass, with low numbers of weeds. It feels really nice to walk on, barefoot. It looks real nice. We mow in straight lines, so it looks great freshly mowed, too. It costs money, and takes work to keep it nice. The one thing we've never done, is have an in-ground sprinkler system installed. But we've discussed it a lot, lol.


----------



## caseyj (Apr 8, 2001)

When you folks say you reseed your grass don't you have to cover with soil to about 1/4 inch? That's another project in itself.


----------



## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

To reseed, I just take a hoe, or garden rake, and loosen the soil to an inch or so. Then rake it level, cover liberally with grass seed, then lightly rake it with a leaf rake to mix it in the top 1/4" of dirt. Then I water it and cover it with grass clippings, or something to keep moisture in the soil better. Water it a couple/few times/day and you'll have grass sprouting in about a week. This early in the year the seed won't sprout as fast.


----------



## A.M. General (May 3, 2001)

caseyj said:


> When you folks say you reseed your grass don't you have to cover with soil to about 1/4 inch? That's another project in itself.


You can add soil or topdress it to add nutrients to the existing lawn. Loosening the soil with a rake works as well but really you are looking for good seed to soil contact as well as good moisture for germination. The fall is your best time to reseed due to the cool nights with dew on the grass and warm days. In spring time, it can be done but once soil temperatures reach the mid 50s, you run the risk of crabgrass germination in your newly established seedbed as well as the rest of the lawn. A preventative will eliminate crabgrass growth but also hinder your grass seed germination so it's kinda a toss up in the spring.


----------



## on a call (Jan 16, 2010)

Hands down...fall is the time to do seeding work.


----------



## WALLEYE MIKE (Jan 7, 2001)

At most I use 6-2-0 (milorganite) twice a year. Water is very important especially mid summer.


----------



## caseyj (Apr 8, 2001)

Regarding putting lime on your lawns to kill moss, I did some research and lime is a preventative that helps reduce moss. However, if you have moss about all you can do is to rake it out and than treat with lime to reduce the acidity in the soil.


----------

