Great for your grass, yet that lawn fertilizer will be considered hazardous waste. Read our guide to find out how to dispose of unused lawn fertilizer.
Can I Use Lawn Fertilizer For Trees?
Key Takeaways
Lawn care insights:- Specific Formulations: Lawn fertilizers are specifically designed for grass and may not provide the appropriate nutrient balance for trees.
- Weed and Feed Risks: Products combining fertilizer with weed killer can harm trees by mistaking them for weeds due to similar characteristics.
- Soil Nourishment: Regular lawn fertilization can benefit soil health overall, indirectly supporting tree nutrition.
- Optimal Tree Fertilizers: Trees thrive on fertilizers with a higher nitrogen content, selected based on soil testing.
Applying lawn fertilizer can keep your yard looking healthy by encouraging the rich growth of grass. When you're surveying your lush lawn, you might start to wonder: what else can this magical fertilizer do for my yard? Can I use it on my trees or shrubs?
Stop before you apply the fertilizer! That same product that does so much good for your grass could actually harm your trees. Not all fertilizers will work for all plants, especially if weed killer is an ingredient in the fertilizer.
Instead of applying lawn fertilizer across the entire yard and garden, look for fertilizers specifically designed for trees. Read this guide to find out why you need to be careful with your fertilizers and what to do instead to keep your trees healthy.
Can I Use Lawn Fertilizer For Trees?
Lawn fertilizers are not formulated for use on trees and shouldn't be used that way. In most cases, the fertilizer just won't do any good. In the worst-case scenario, "weed and feed" fertilizers can end up harming the tree.
Maintaining a yard can be expensive, so we may look for options to cut costs. If you have a tree that's looking a little past it's best; then you might consider fertilizing it.
Lawn fertilizer is designed to nourish plants, so it's natural to assume it can do the same job for trees. And if you have a bottle of lawn fertilizer waiting to be used, this can seem like the simple solution you need.
Things aren't quite that simple.
The good news is that regularly fertilizing the lawn is likely to leave the soil well nourished anyway, which will benefit the trees. Regular application of fertilizer can improve nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels in the soil needed for healthy growth.
But if your trees are looking worse for wear, they may need a direct fertilizer application. Lawn fertilizer is unlikely to be the right choice.
Although many lawn fertilizers won't damage trees, a lot of them just won't do any good. The fertilizers are formulated using specific nutrient balances designed to benefit a specific type of plant.
The fertilizer that nourishes your lawn won't have the same effect on your trees. It's much better to find a fertilizer designed for tree growth.
And some lawn fertilizers will actively damage the trees.
What Is Weed And Feed?
Weed and feed is a mixture of fertilizer and weed killer. When you apply it to your lawn, the product should nourish grass while killing weeds. Completing two jobs in one, it's a popular product with many gardeners.
Many trees will have similar features to the weeds you're trying to remove. However, weed killers can struggle to differentiate between weeds and plants with similar characteristics to weeds. The herbicide will kill the weeds but damage the trees simultaneously.
Can Lawn Fertilizer Damage Trees?
A lawn fertilizer won't always damage trees, but the wrong type of fertilizer can cause serious harm. Fertilizers are formulated to do a specific job for a particular plant. Applying it broadly throughout the garden won't have the same effect.
Lawn fertilizer can often damage trees because the fertilizer is designed to kill broadleaf weeds. Weeds can choke a lawn and stop the grass from getting the nutrients it needs. If you have a weed problem, you might consider using a weed and feed.
Unfortunately, broadleaf weeds and deciduous trees have a lot in common. Because of this, the weed killer can attack the trees, mistaking them for weeds.
If you have been using weed and feed and think it's damaging your tree, try applying water across the lawn. A thorough soaking can help disperse and dilute any chemicals remaining in the soil.
Can Lawn Fertilizer Be Used For Other Plants?
Just as lawn fertilizer shouldn't be used for trees, it's best to keep it away from the rest of your plants. This is particularly true if your fertilizer is a weed and feed. The weed killer can damage these non-grasses, mistaking them for weeds.
Fertilizers contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in different levels. Lawn fertilizers that don't have a weed-killing element can still potentially be used on other plants, but they're unlikely to have the right balance of ingredients. Using the wrong fertilizer will mean your plants aren't getting the nutrients they need.
What Is The Best Fertilizer For Trees?
The best fertilizers for trees tend to have a higher nitrogen ratio. 16-4-8, 12-4-8, or 12-6-6 are all excellent options. To find the very best fertilizer for your trees, you need to do a soil test. This can tell you how much potassium and phosphorus are present in the soil so that you can buy fertilizer accordingly.
The best time to fertilize trees is in October, before the frost sets in. If you forgot to fertilize in the fall, try fertilizing in March or April, when the frost has first cleared.
By fertilizing in the fall, the root system has an opportunity to absorb nutrients before the coldest winter months. And there should be some fertilizer waiting in the soil for next year's growth.
Not all trees will need fertilization, but it often helps ensure they have the best chance of new growth.
Conclusion
You want to avoid using lawn fertilizer on your trees in most cases. The main reason is that lawn fertilizer is rarely formulated to provide trees with the correct balance of nutrients. Therefore, even regular fertilization won't aid growth.
However, some lawn fertilizers that contain weed killers could be damaging your trees. In this case, you should stop use immediately and soak the soil to dilute the chemicals.
If your trees are looking past their best, consider a nitrogen-rich fertilizer explicitly designed for trees. Your yard will soon look lush and healthy with the correct application.
7 Steps To Fix An Over-Fertilized Lawn
Key Takeaways
Insights on lawn recovery:- Assessing Damage: Evaluate lawn roots to determine the extent of fertilizer damage.
- Watering Adequately: Flush out excess fertilizer by watering the lawn thoroughly.
- Root Inspection: Post-watering, check for new root growth to gauge recovery success.
- New Grass Planting: If necessary, prepare the ground for and plant new grass.
Are you getting a little carried away with your lawn fertilizer? We know fertilizer is an easy way of making sure your lawn is healthy and green, but if you start to apply a little too much, you can dry your soil out completely.
Over-fertilization will turn the grass yellow or brown, or even kill it completely! Over-fertilizing a lawn could cause a burnt appearance, and applying too much Nitrogen over the season can build an excessive thatch layer that could cause disease, prevent sunlight and stop the soil from receiving vital nutrients to share with the roots.
The good news is that an over-fertilized lawn can still be saved but you need to act as fast as possible. This article tells you what you need to do to fix that over-fertilized lawn whilst also advising on how to apply the right amount of nitrogen throughout the season, and get your grass back to that lush, green color you worked so hard to achieve.
What Caused My Over-Fertilized Lawn?
As you might have guessed, too much fertilizer can cause over-fertilization. However, there are a few other reasons your lawn might appear over-fertilized. If the soil does not drain properly, the salts in your fertilizer can build up and burn the roots, eventually killing them.
Pet urine can also cause areas of discolored grass since it has a high concentration of nitrogen. Stressed grass is prone to over-fertilization, especially if you have neglected your lawn for a while. The grass will struggle to absorb minerals and nutrients from the fertilizer, meaning it can accumulate too much salt.
Fertilizer burn is when excess minerals build up in the soil and no matter the cause, this can cause yellow or brown withered grass. Though not deadly, this can be difficult to recover and will depend on how much fertilizer is left in the soil, how moist the soil is, and how healthy the grass is. If your grass is only slightly yellow, it can be saved, whereas brown grass might prove trickier.
The main culprit, however, will be over-fertilizing a lawn and this can cause a "burn" or damage. Applying too much Nitrogen over the season can build an excessive thatch layer that could cause disease, prevent sunlight and stop any nutrients from getting to the roots.
A maximum of around 4 to 5 lbs of total Nitrogen is the recommendation to be put down on your lawn in one season. Therefore, if the bag says 25-3-10 that simply means 25% of that type of fertilizer is Nitrogen. If you end up putting 4 pounds of that certain fertilizer down per 1,000 square feet, this means you are putting down 1 lb of Nitrogen at the same time and you should put a maximum of 5 applications of that fertilizer down to achieve 5 lbs of Nitrogen throughout the season.
Fixing Your Over-Fertilized Lawn
1. Inspecting The Damage
Before you begin fixing the grass, you need to assess and inspect what damage you are dealing with. You should check the grassroots from different sections of the lawn and have a clear picture of how deep the problem is.
If the roots look healthy in most parts of the lawn, all you need to do is give your lawn enough water and the grass will grow back. However, if the roots seem dead and crunchy, you might want to consider replanting.
2. Removing The Fertilizer
If you have used granular fertilizer, you need to check to see if you have any left on the ground. Find a broom and attempt to sweep it away on any hard surfaces. You should not begin watering if you have not gotten rid of the spilled fertilizer beforehand. This will only add more salt to the soil.
3. Watering The Lawn
Watering the lawn helps to flush away all the excess salts from the grassroots. If you see the burned grass in time, watering will fix the problem quickly. However, you might be wondering how long you should apply the water to the grass. You should water until the soil struggles to soak anymore water in.
Don’t stick to just watering the over-fertilized areas. Make sure instead, you are applying water evenly on parts that appear healthy. This will help leach the salts across the yard.
You should make sure your lawn gets a decent amount of water on day one and then for the following 7 days. Make sure you are adding about an inch of water each day. Do this in the morning to minimize the risk of fungal diseases.
4. Inspecting The Roots
In a lot of cases, watering is the key to fixing an over-fertilized lawn. After around one to two weeks, you should see new growth if you have been watering daily. However, if nothing has changed, you need to inspect the roots.
Search for any new grassroots. If you find any, you have solved the problem. However, if you can’t, the damage is beyond repair and the only option you have left is to plant new grass.
5. Preparing The Ground For New Grass
If you need to plant new grass, you need to prepare the lawn first. Rake the burned, dead grass from the affected areas of the yard as this will give the water room to penetrate the healthy roots of the new grass. You then need to water the area for a week and wait at least a few days before planting.
This will help to get rid of the buildup of mineral salts living in the soil. Cleaning the soil is important as it allows the roots to establish themselves quicker and reach deeper into the soil.
6. Planting New Grass
Depending on the size of the lawn and affected areas, you can choose between laying new sod, or simply reseeding your lawn. If only a small area has been affected, you can fix this by reseeding. However, if you are dealing with much larger areas, you may find it easier to sod.
To get the best results from both methods, you need to make sure you are doing it right. If you are laying sod, be sure that the sod is pushed down enough, so the roots can hold the soil underneath. If you choose to reseed, cover the seeds with a thin layer of straw. This will keep critters and other elements away.
7. Maintaining Your New Grass
Whether you choose to re-sod or reseed, you need to care for the grass so that it can adapt to the new environment. Make sure you are sticking to a watering schedule. This needs to be done daily until the roots have been established, and then you can cut it back to two or three times a week.
You will also need to think about fertilizer once again, but avoid over-fertilizing this time. You need to apply it correctly and the baby grass will need starter fertilizer 2-3 weeks after planting.
Before mowing, wait for the grass to reach at least 3 inches. Trimming will make it grow quicker, but doing so before the grass reaches a proper height, may kill it. Moreover, if you let it grow too long and cut off too much at one time, this can cause further damage.
Final Thoughts
We hope by reading this article you have gained a better understanding of how your lawn might have become over-fertilized, as well as taken note of the steps on how to fix this. In a lot of cases, watering can be key to an easy solution, yet if the grass is beyond repair, it’s time to plant new grass.
For expert advice on lawn care, including fertilization and weed control, visit Cory’s Lawn Service today. Let us provide you with an evaluation on what is happening to your lawn and let us get your lawn back to looking healthy!