Lawn burn: chances are high you’ve encountered this phenomenon without knowing what you were looking at. Grass and other plants discolor and appear as if they’ve been scorched. Since this typically occurs in the summer months, most people think it is caused by the sun.
However, this is a misconception. Its source is actually an essential part of lawn care in Cumming: fertilizer.
How Lawn Burn Develops
No doubt, you want to know how to avoid lawn burn. The first step in this is knowing what it is.
Fast-release agricultural-grade fertilizers are known for their effectiveness and power in industrial settings. Either because they think this is a good thing or out of ignorance, many homeowners apply these products to their lawns. This puts excess nitrogen into the soil, encouraging the grass to actually push water back into the dirt.
The result? A lawn that looks like it was burned.
Proper lawn care in Alpharetta should involve applying fertilizer. However, it needs to be the right kind. Slow-release products meant for residential applications tend to deliver the right results.
How to Prevent Lawn Burn
The process starts with purchasing the correct product. Head to your local garden center and search for fertilizers that specifically note that they are slow release. Anything else puts your results at risk.
Preventing lawn burn in the summer requires you to not just purchase the right product, but to also use it correctly. Before applying the fertilizer, read over the labels on the product. It should explain the right amounts to use, how to apply it, and conditions you should avoid in order to protect your lawn.
In addition to this, you should aim to avoid these common mistakes:
- Overapplying Fertilizer: Less is often more. Not only should you only apply the correct amount, but you also need to be mindful of how long you should go between fertilizer applications.
- Miscalculating the Treatment Area: You need an accurate understanding of the size of your lawn. A good way to do this is to find out the square footage of your property as a whole, then deduct the square footage of the bottom level of your home.
- Eyeballing Measurements: You might think you know what a cup looks like, but most of us will go a lot bigger than the proper measurement. Don’t eyeball it. Stick to the correct tools.
If things have already gone south and you are in how to repair a lawn territory, let us help. At Absolute Lawn Pros, we will get your yard looking great once more.