By Liberty Lawn Fall • Fertilize 0 Comments

Fall Deep Root Fertilization for Trees and Shrubs

Just as your lawn needs regular fertilization throughout the year to be healthy and strong, so do you trees and shrubs. Think of fertilizer like food for your plants, helping give them all of the nutrients they need to thrive. But the fertilizer you use on your lawn is not going to have the right nitrogen to phosphorus to potassium ratios. Instead, trees and shrubs need special fertilizers in order to get exactly the right nutrients. They also need to be fed in a different way.

Deep Root Feeding Trees and Shrubs

Feeding a lawn is an easy process; you simply apply fertilizers evenly across the lawn’s surface. The fertilizer only needs to reach the soil, where it is absorbed by the grass’ shallow root system. Unlike grass, trees and shrubs tend to have larger, deeper root systems. Fertilizer cannot always get through the soil to reach deeper roots. In addition, just applying shrub and tree fertilizer to the surface can affect surrounding grass by either damaging it or causing excessive growth. That is why deep root fertilizing is a better option for trees and shrubs.

Deep root feeding is a process best done by a certified arborist. We use specialized equipment to inject fertilizers into the root zone of your trees and shrubs. The most effective way to do this is to make a grid pattern starting at least a foot away from the base of the tree, ending at the drip line or canopy. Smaller trees and shrubs just need to be injected around their perimeter. By injecting the fertilizer evenly throughout the root system, nutrients are placed right where trees and shrubs can best absorb them.

Should all Trees and Shrubs Be Fertilized?

Deep root fertilization is most beneficial to either ornamental or young trees and shrubs. Mature shade trees that are large and well-established tend not to need additional nutrition. Your young and ornamental trees and shrubs will absorb the injected nutrients, allowing them to use it for enhanced growth as well as better root development. This helps them to become healthier overall, and more resistant to disease and insect infestation.

We recommend deep root feeding twice a year, once in spring and again in the fall. By following this feeding schedule, you can help ensure your trees and shrubs stay healthy, reducing the chances of having to remove one due to damage or disease. Schedule your appointment as soon as possible so that we can ensure your trees and shrubs are fertilized before the end of the year!

By Liberty Lawn Fertilize • Lawn • Tips and Tricks 0 Comments

How to Fertilize Your Lawn

All plants need more than just water and sunlight to thrive, and grass is no exception. Applying fertilizer to your lawn feeds it necessary nutrients that it needs to grow thick and lush. Maintaining a thick, lush lawn helps prevent weeds from sprouting and moving in, allows your lawn to fight off disease, and helps roots retain more water during warm summer days.

Most fertilizers are only effective for 6 to 8 weeks, so maintaining a regular fertilization schedule is essential in keeping your lawn healthy all season long. Here are the steps you should take to fertilize your lawn:

  1. Water your lawn. A day or two before you fertilize your lawn, give it a good watering. Ensuring your soil is damp, but not soaking wet, helps the soil absorb the fertilizer.
  2. Pick the best spreader for your lawn. There are a few different types of spreaders, and you’ll want to be sure you have the correct one to make the application quick and easy. For small lawns, a handheld spreader can work just fine, whereas people with bigger lawns will benefit from a push-type spreader. Make sure to adjust the spreader settings. Each fertilizer product has a spreader setting on the package to ensure correct coverage.
  3. Start by applying grass fertilizer around the perimeter. It is always best to start applying fertilizer around the perimeter of your grass, as it is the easiest area to accidentally miss spots. Simply walk around the entire perimeter, ensuring you move steadily for an even application.
  4. Fill in the middle. Similar to a mowing pattern, feed your lawn by walking back and forth in straight lines, making sure to overlap slightly with each pass.
  5. Properly store any remaining product. Once you’ve finished fertilizing your lawn, return any unused product to the bag and store it for future use. Be sure to keep it in a cool, dry place away from pets and children.

We hope that this article has helped you to learn about the benefits of fertilizing your lawn. If you aren’t certain which fertilizer is best for your individual needs, or aren’t able to fertilize on a regular schedule, Liberty Lawn is here to help. We offer all kinds of yard services, including lawn fertilization, to keep your yard healthy and looking good all season long. Give us a call today to schedule a free consultation!

By Liberty Lawn Fertilize • Lawn 0 Comments

The Best Time to Fertilize Your Lawn

One of the easiest ways for you to ensure your lawn grows thick and green this year is to fertilize and reseed. A well-fed lawn is healthier, and has a stronger root system that can withstand heat, drought, cold snaps, foot traffic, mowing, and other stressful events. While feeding your lawn once a year is adequate, having a schedule in place to fertilize your lawn four times per year is the best option to keep it healthy through the growing season, and ensure it comes back just as strong each spring.

When to Fertilize Your Lawn

When it comes to using fertilizer on your lawn, timing is everything. Making sure your lawn gets fertilized at the right time not only helps to boost its growing potential, it also ensures you don’t apply it when it isn’t going to be as effective.

  • Early Spring

When your lawn begins to wake up in the spring, its store of nutrients is typically completely gone. Fertilizing in early spring helps to immediately feed your grass’ roots, and gets the spring growing season off to a great start. Apply early spring lawn fertilizer once between February and April, as soon as your grass greens up and begins growing. This is usually best done around the same time that your lawn needs its first mow of the season.

  • Late Spring

By late spring, your lawn has likely used up all of its stored energy from its last feed and is in need of another boost. Apply late spring fertilizer once between April and June, about six to eight weeks after you fed it in early spring. This will keep your lawn well-fed into the hot summer months.

  • Summer

The summer months bring heat, drought, foot traffic from kids and parties, as well as a host of insects. All of this can be tough on grass, and if it isn’t fertilized it can turn brown and patchy. Apply summer fertilizer once between June and August, about six to eight weeks after you fed it in late spring, to keep your lawn going strong through the heat.

  • Fall

It may seem odd to fertilize your lawn right before it goes into hibernation, but it is in fact a very important time to fertilize. Your lawn needs nutrients to recover from many summer damage, as well as to get ready for hibernation. Fall fertilization helps to strengthen roots to keep your lawn from getting damaged through the winter. Apply fall fertilizer once between August and November, right before you expect your first freeze, which should be about six to eight months after you fed it in summer.

We hope that this information has helped to to learn about when you should be fertilizing your lawn. If this isn’t a job you’d like to tackle yourself, or if you’re worried you’ll forget about it, Liberty Lawn is here to help. We offer all kinds of yard services, including fertilization, to keep your lawn lush and green all season long. Give us a call today to schedule a free consultation!