Even though it's only the end of February, it's that time of year again to think about your summer lawns.
NC State University has multiple resources to help you make good landscaping decisions regarding your lawns. One valuable resource is the Carolina Lawns: A Guide to Maintaining Quality Turf in the Landscape, which provides an in-depth description of the information outlined in this article.
For this article, we'll focus on the timing and application of maintenance fertilizer to your lawns.Fertilization
A soil test should be made at least every two to three years to determine the amounts of lime, phosphorus, and potassium your established lawn needs. A complete fertilizer with an N-P-K ratio of 4:1:2 or 4:1:3 can be used instead of a soil test, but it is a poor substitute. Please contact your North Carolina Cooperative Extension Center for directions on taking soil samples in your lawns.Determine the amount of fertilizer, ratio of nutrients or fertilizer elements, and time of application based on the grasses being grown.
Most soils in North Carolina are acidic and often require the application of lime to sweeten the soil. For most turfgrasses, except centipedegrass, soil pH should be between 6.5 and 7.0 for optimum nutrient availability. Centipedegrass grows best with more acidic soil with a pH close to 5.5. Lime may be put on at any time during the year. Winter is usually best, however, because there is less traffic. Gentle winter rains minimize runoff, and alternate freezing and thawing help incorporate lime into the soil.
Fertilizers and lime should be applied uniformly with a centrifugal (rotary) or drop-type spreader. Apply half the fertilizer in one direction and the other half moving at right angles to the first pass to ensure uniform coverage.
Below is the general suggested recommendation for the fertilization schedules for typical grasses grown in lawns in the Coastal Plain region.
