The goal for every homeowner is to have a lush, thick, healthy, and beautiful lawn. Using the best fertilizer to thicken grass is the best option, but you first need to understand what is causing your grass to become thin, what’s in the soil, and what’s deficient in the soil. This will help you choose the perfect fertilizer for your lawn.
Steps to getting thicker grass on your lawn
Test your soil
The first step is to get a soil test which is a simple process that will give you the results you need to help you grow healthy grass. A soil test will give you accurate results of the soil pH, nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium levels and also the iron levels and the experts from your local extension office will give you recommendations on how you can fix the underlying problems. You can get a testing kit from your local garden center, mail the results to the lab and access your results online or in the mail.
Use the best fertilizer
The best fertilizer for your grass should contain optimal ratios of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium. Phosphorous is an essential nutrient that helps to stimulate root growth and enhance plant vigor. A fertilizer high in phosphorous will help thicken your grass by giving your grass the nutrition it needs to improve the root system.
Aerate and overseed
To ensure thicker grass make sure you aerate and overseed. Aeration helps to prevent soil compaction that prevents proper circulation of air, nutrients, and water in the soil that your lawn needs to grow thick and healthy. Overseeding when aerating helps to fill in bare and thin spots and improve the density of the grass and over time improve your lawn color.
Proper mowing
Instead of mowing weekly, mow according to your lawn’s needs meaning mow often enough to maintain your grass type at its recommended height without mowing more than 1/3 of its height in a single mowing.
Control lawn weeds, diseases, and insects
Sometimes certain conditions can lead to weed infestation or diseases like fungus can cause brown spots on your lawn. Keep an eye on your lawn so you can treat the problem quickly before it gets bigger. Also, check the thatch layer on your grass to see if it’s being invaded by bugs and worms and take steps to eliminate them. You can combine pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control methods and pesticides to keep weeds and pests at bay.
Conclusion
Fertilizing is a great way of making your grass thicker and getting your soil tested first will help you know what your grass needs to help it get thicker. Use overseeding in bare spots, water your lawn and mow frequently depending on your grass type to keep it healthy.
FAQ
Can I fertilize and seed at the same time?
When seeding your lawn, avoid applying fertilizer and seeds together. This can cause uneven distribution of materials resulting in seedlings getting burnt by excess fertilizer or patchy spots.
What months should I fertilize my lawn?
You should apply fertilizer between February and April when the grass starts to green and begins to actively grow.