The right amount of nutrients at the right time can improve a poor lawn and maintain a healthy lawn better than most other actions. But one thing is never true, and that is “If one pound is good, two pounds is twice as good”. Over-fertilization causes problems for the lawn and the environment. Here are tips for feeding your lawn while protecting our lakes and groundwater from contamination.
- Feed your lawn slowly. Use controlled-release fertilizers to get more bang for your buck.
- Sweep granules off hard surfaces and back into the lawn. Don’t let them wash away with the rain.
- Leave clippings on the lawn. This returns nitrogen and other nutrients to the soil.
- By law, New Yorkers must use zero-phosphorus fertilizers. Phosphorus is already high, too much can stunt plant growth, and the excess runs off, causing algae blooms in fresh and salt water.
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