With the hottest days of summer nearing an end, landscapers will soon be focusing on fertilization for your Frankfort, IL, lawn. Here are the reasons why your grass needs fertilizer in the fall.
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What is fertilizer?
Fertilizer is food for your grass. Over time soil loses its nutrients and can no longer give your grass the nutrition that it needs to thrive throughout every season. Here is how fertilizer works to protect and encourage healthy grass growth.
Fertilizer is composed of primary nutrients and secondary nutrients. The primary nutrients are what your grass needs most to stay strong and grow vigorously. The first nutrient is nitrogen. Grass uses nitrogen the most of any food source. Nitrogen is critical to plant health and nutritious to eat. It aids in protein formation which makes up the cells of all living things.
Another primary nutrient is potassium which is essential for helping the grass withstand disease and pests. Potassium is also important to the root system and prevents wilting.
Phosphorus is a third primary nutrient. It helps the grass use and store energy by aiding photosynthesis in which the plant makes its own food.
There are also secondary nutrients in fertilizer that are not as important as primary nutrients but also aid in plant health. These secondary nutrients are not used in high amounts but are necessary for thriving grass plants and roots.
Why should you have fertilizer applied in fall?
When your landscaper applies fertilizer in fall, this can feed the plants and give them an opportunity to grow strong before the harsh winter weather arrives. In the winter, grass cannot make its own food for lack of enough sun so the plant must rely on stored food which is aided by fertilizer nutrients.
Because each landscape is unique, your landscaper will test the soil to see the ideal ratio of primary nutrients to nourish the soil and feed the grass. Too much fertilizer can burn the grass while too little does nothing. This is why it is imperative for your landscape company to evaluate the soil and grass health to deliver the ratio that helps your plants thrive and grow strong roots.
When roots grow strong in the fall, they can survive winter well to grow vigorously in the springtime when the weather warms once more.
What sort of fertilizer should be used?
Many landscapers prefer organic fertilizer because it contains no harsh chemicals to damage your grass or endanger your family or pets. The right mix of primary and secondary nutrients can ensure that your grass stores proper food for winter and is ready to grow again when warm weather returns.
Fertilizer ensures the vitality of your grass. You might not know that the primary way to discourage the growth of weeds and infestations from pests can be to cultivate a vibrant, healthy stand of grass to choke out anything that could damage the plant.
A healthy grass plant can withstand environmental stresses such as the cold winters and the hot summers because it has what it needs to thrive. This is why you need a knowledgeable, cutting-edge lawn care service to assess your grass and apply fertilizer this fall. When your grass is prepared for winter, it will also be ready for springtime growth.
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