Sand-Sational Lawns understands that fertilizer comes in a variety of mixtures, and that it’s important to determine which mix is best for your lawn’s individual needs. Fertilizer is comprised of three major nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Nitrogen makes grass plants grow and become greener; phosphorus stimulates root growth and seedling development, and potassium promotes disease and drought tolerance. The analysis of fertilizer indicates the percentage (by weight) of these three nutrients, and is printed on the outside of every fertilizer package—such as 10-10-10 or 20-5-10. These numbers represent the percentages of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in that particular mix.

Fertilizer with the correct ingredients works best when the proper amount is APPLIED to your lawn. The first thing to do before applying fertilizer is to determine the square footage of your lawn. You can determine this figure by multiplying the length of your lawn by its width. Then, subtract the square footage of the house, driveway and areas not to be fertilized. For instance, if you have 34,020 total square feet, divide that number by the allowance per bag to get your answer: 34,020 / 5,000 = 6.8. You will need roughly seven bags of LAWN FERTILIZER.

Timing of fertilization treatments is equally important to achieve a healthy, green and thriving lawn. A proper LAWN FERTILIZING service takes into account the “nitrogen release rate”. How fast the nitrogen is released determines how fast the grass will “green up”, how much it will grow and how long the results will last. Lawn grasses require a steady, controlled feeding to produce a thick, green lawn. Controlled-release fertilizers deliver just enough quick-release nitrogen to produce a fast greening, while the balance is released gradually by microbial action in the soil over a period of approximately 8 weeks. As a result, there is a constant supply of nitrogen for the grass.