Fertilizing your lawn a couple of times per year can help to minimize weeds while keeping your grass looking healthy and green. However, lawn fertilizing is a little more complicated than some people realize. Before you pick up a bag of fertilizer from your local home improvement store, there are a few common mistakes you should be aware of.

1. Choosing the Wrong Time to Fertilize

First, understand that there are ideal times of year during which you should fertilize your lawn for the best results. The best time to fertilize your lawn will depend on your geographical location. However, if you live in an area that experiences all four seasons, it is generally best to fertilize a month before the first frost and again a month after the last frost.

2. Using the Wrong Fertilizer

Not all lawn fertilizer is created equal, so take time to understand the options available to you and what your lawn actually needs. If you've never performed a soil test on your lawn, you may want to do this before purchasing a fertilizer. A soil test will tell you more about the pH level of your lawn, organic composition, nutrients, and other information that can help you choose the right fertilizer.

3. Not Watering After Fertilizing

One of the biggest mistakes people tend to make when fertilizing is failing to properly water the lawn after application. In general, fertilizer needs to be watered in order for it to be activated. Otherwise, your application efforts will be for nothing. Always read and follow the specific watering instructions on the fertilizer you've chosen. In most cases, fertilizer needs deep watering within 24 hours of application. From there, you may need to keep watering your lawn a little bit each day (unless there is already rain in the forecast).

Time For a Lawn Fertilizing Service?

As you can see, there's a lot to keep in mind when it comes to properly fertilizing your lawn—and there are quite a few mistakes that can be made if you're not mindful. If fertilizing your lawn is starting to seem like too much work, you can always hire a lawn fertilizing service to take care of this on your behalf. This can save you the time and hassle of applying fertilizer. Many of these companies also offer seeding and overseeding services to help you achieve your healthiest lawn all year round.

For more info about lawn fertilizing, contact a local professional.