The weather here in North Carolina can support both warm-season and cool-season grass. No matter the type of grass you have on your property, you need to ensure it receives the nutrients it needs to flourish by fertilizing it regularly throughout the year. However, the best time to fertilize your grass depends on its type. Cool-season lawns like tall fescue need to be fertilized twice in the spring, once in the summer, and twice in the fall to maintain their lush and healthy growth. Meanwhile, warm-season lawns like bermudagrass, St. Augustine, and zoysia grass thrive best when they are fertilized once in the late winter, twice in the spring, and twice in the summer. No matter what type of grass you have on your property, you'll also want to apply weed control treatments throughout the year to eliminate weeds that will steal nutrients from your grass.

Lawn Fertilization Schedule for Cool-Season Grass

 

 

Cool-season grass like tall fescue thrives when the weather is cool, like spring and fall, and goes dormant in the winter. This type of grass features a rich green color that can leave a lasting impression on your visitors and even passersby, so you want to ensure it is healthy and thriving throughout the year. For cool-season lawns, here's the ideal fertilization schedule:

  • Fertilize your cool-season lawn twice in the spring. The first treatment should be in early spring to help it emerge from dormancy and set it up for success for the new growing season, while the second treatment should be in the late spring to prepare your grass for summer.
  • Fertilize once in the summer. Cool-season lawns struggle during summer, so you want to give it another fertilizer treatment so it has enough nutrients to survive the stressful heat.
  • Fertilize twice in the fall. You need to fertilize your lawn in early fall to help it recover from any summer-related stress and in late fall to prepare it for the winter season.
Lawn fertilizers contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, all of which play a crucial role in maintaining healthy grass growth.

Lawn Fertilization Schedule for Warm-Season Grass

Warm-season lawns require a different fertilization schedule than cool-season lawns. For your warm-season grass to grow healthy and vibrant throughout the growing season, you'll want to follow a strict fertilization schedule to support its growth. Below are the best times to fertilize your warm-season lawn:

  • Fertilize your warm-season grass once in the late winter. You start the year with a nutrient-packed fertilizer treatment around January to February to give your grass a much-needed boost and help it green up.
  • Fertilize your grass twice in the spring. As the winter season bids goodbye, administer a fertilizer treatment in early spring to kickstart your lawn's growth as it enters a new season. Then, apply one more fertilizer in late spring to further bolster its health.
  • Fertilize your grass twice in the summer. Now that the warm summer season has set in, you'll want to apply the first fertilization treatment in early summer to support your lawn's active growth. Another treatment in late summer will replenish your grass with the nutrients it needs to reach its full potential!

Make sure your lawn receives weed control treatments throughout the year!

With multiple fertilizer treatments providing your cool-season and warm-season grass with nourishment throughout the growing season, you should also make sure that your lawn can maximize these nutrients by keeping weeds away. Weeds are invasive plants that will compete with your grass for nutrients, but you can prevent them from taking over your turf through weed control treatments! There are two types of weed control treatments that you can take advantage of to tackle these unwanted plants: pre- and post-emergent weed control.

Pre-emergent weed control coats the soil under the grass to prevent weeds from breaking through the soil surface. It is a proactive measure that helps prevent weeds from making an appearance on your lawn. When it comes to dealing with existing weeds, you need to apply post-emergent treatments. This type of weed control targets existing weeds and stops them from taking over your turf.

Call us today to enroll in our lawn care program which includes fertilization and weed control treatments.

Fertilizers play a crucial role in ensuring your grass thrives throughout the year. Here at Carolina Turf Lawn and Landscape, we can help look after your lawn's health with our lawn fertilization service! We offer schedules tailored to warm-season and cool-season lawns, so you can rest assured knowing your grass will receive the nourishment it needs! What's more, this lawn care program also includes weed control treatments to prevent weeds from stealing nutrients from your grass.

We offer our services to commercial and residential properties, as well as HOAs, in Matthews, Weddington, Ballantyne, NC, and nearby communities. Give us a call today at (704) 649-0430 to enroll!