Understanding fertilizer can feel complicated. If you’ve ever looked at a bag of fertilizer at the local hardware store, you know that there are different numbers, or ratios, on the bag and without an understanding of lawn care, people don’t always understand what it all means.
There’s also both liquid and granular fertilizer out there. While your lawn is not going to be able to tell the difference between nutrients being supplied in liquid vs. granular format, there are pros and cons to each type, as well as best practices for when to use them.
In this article, we’ll help shed some light on liquid fertilizer vs. granular and also share insight into what Seacoast Turf Care does.
We will cover:
What Does Fertilizer Do For Grass?
Does the Type of Fertilizer Matter?
Is Liquid Fertilizer Better?
Choosing Lawn Care in Southern NH, Northeastern Massachusetts, and Southern Maine
At the end of the day, we want to help you be an educated consumer of lawn care so that you can make the best choice for your New England lawn.
What Does Fertilizer Do For Grass?
Fertilizing the lawn helps add vital nutrients to the soil which will help your grass grow strong and healthy. Soil is going to become naturally depleted of these nutrients but fertilizers add them back to help your lawn continue to thrive.
While most people think of the spring as fertilization time, your lawn can benefit from fertilization throughout the entire lawn care season. That’s why we include fertilizer treatments in the spring, summer, and fall.
The key to success with fertilization is strategically timed visits that are spaced out and take the proper rate of application into account. This can vary with the season and weather conditions.
Your lawn is going to have different needs at different times of the year and it’s important that your lawn care provider is accounting for this.
Does the Type of Fertilizer Matter?
Like all lawn care products, some are going to be better than others. Homeowners don’t always realize that the quality and composition of the fertilizer will directly impact its success.
At Seacoast Turf Care, we use an organic-based lawn fertilizer that contains both micro and macronutrients to best support your lawn’s health. As we mentioned above, the seasons can mean different fertilization needs for your lawn.
In the spring, using a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer will feed your lawn over time. The nitrogen plays a critical role in helping your lawn to “green up” while the slow release will allow your lawn to get a steady stream of nutrients during this active growing period. Keeping up with proper mowing and watering during this time will also be critical to your success.
When fertilizing in the summer, you’ll need to choose a fertilizer with less nitrogen. Applying too much nitrogen in the summer can stress the lawn and lead to fertilizer burn.
In the fall, you will want to use a fertilizer product with more phosphorus and potassium to support strong root growth ahead of the winter. This will set your lawn up for success during the colder months.
Is Liquid Fertilizer Better?
There are two different types of fertilizer formats: liquid or granular fertilizer.
As we mentioned, your lawn isn’t going to be able to tell the difference between the formats, as long as it’s getting the nutrients it needs. The quality of the fertilizer is the most important factor.
That being said, there are always some pros and cons to any product - or situations where one might be better suited.
In the case of liquid fertilizer vs. granular, the slow-release capabilities of a granular product are an advantage. Although liquid does make nutrients readily (and quickly) available to the turf, many lawns will benefit from the slower release of a granular product. In most lawns, we do use granular fertilizer.
Even so, there are situations where we might use a liquid fertilizer, particularly on a smaller lawn. It can be complicated to get machines on a small lawn and applying liquid in these cases might ensure better coverage. Good coverage of the product is critical to its success.
Overall, it’s just important that your lawn care provider is using a high-quality product and applying it properly. Making sure you are getting thorough coverage will help ensure your lawn reaps all of the benefits of fertilization.
Choosing Lawn Care in Southern NH, Northeastern Massachusetts, and Southern Maine
Understanding the specifics of lawn fertilization can be stressful. Instead of having to worry about any of this, you could partner with professional lawn care that you feel confident is executing best practices (and using the best products).
That should give you peace of mind that this service is getting done exactly as it was meant to. Here at Seacoast Turf we provide lawn care services in Northeastern Massachusetts, Southern New Hampshire, and Southern Maine.
Another benefit of partnering with a pro is that your lawn will get everything it needs to thrive. There are many other important lawn care services your lawn requires. Weed control, pest control, disease management, and lawn aeration are just some of the additional lawn care services that you may need along with fertilization.
At Seacoast Turf Care, we can help you with all of your lawn care needs. It’s our goal to not only help you get the best results but to help take away your worries in the process. Not only can you feel confident that your lawn is receiving the fertilization and other services that it needs, but you can stop having to worry about doing any of this yourself. We’ve got you covered!
Want to get a beautiful, green lawn? At Seacoast Turf Care, we service NH towns near Stratham, North Hampton, Exeter and many more. Get lawn care pricing for your Southern NH, Southern Maine, or Northeastern Massachusetts property.
Ready to get the lawn you've been wishing for?
