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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Manage Your Lawn to Save Time, Money and the Environment
Spring may be here, but the time to fertilize your lawn is not. Remember these important tips on
fertilization when beginning yard work this spring to protect the ground and surface water around your
home as well as your wallet. The first question to ask yourself is what do you want from your yard? Do
you want low maintenance, or highly manicured? Do you just want an overall “drive-by green” or does a
single dandelion drive you crazy?
A healthy lawn requires proper fertility, but how do you know the levels of nutrients currently in the soil?
Get a soil test from your local MSU Extension every three years! Whether you prefer a more natural look
or a five star lawn this will tell you how much fertilizer is needed. The next crucial step is to measure the
area of your yard or garden so you know how much to buy. Fertilizers can come from different sources
such as compost or manure or synthetic types. It is important to know what the three numbers on a bag of
commercial fertilizer stand for. For example 30-0-20 represents the percentage of nitrogen (N),
phosphorous (P2OS), and potassium (K2O) respectively. Remember to use zero phosphorous fertilizers for
lakefront property unless a soil test indicates a deficiency.
In the case of fertilizers more is not better. Too much fertilizer can burn your plants, waste money and
pose a threat to water contamination. People also often fertilize their lawns too early in the spring, which
leads to products leaching into the ground, or running off into our streams and lakes. Nitrates from
fertilizers are a serious health concern for infants and pregnant women when they are found in drinking
water. If the grass is not green and actively growing, generally around mid May, the fertilizer will just be
wasted. For turf grass don’t apply more than 1 lb nitrogen per 1000 square feet for any one application. If
you measure the area of your lawn and follow the label directions on the bag you should get the right
amount of nitrogen. For low maintenance lawns you might only want to fertilize once in the fall around
Labor Day to encourage healthy root growth and vigorous plants. A higher maintenance lawn with
irrigation might require three applications: one in May around Memorial Day, one in July and one around
Labor Day. Summer applications for lawns without irrigation means you may be fertilizing dormant
grass, a waste and potential risk. Keep grass clippings on the lawn and try mowing your leaves into your
lawn in the fall for a free source of fertilizer and reduce fertilizer amount in shady areas.
Remember to fill spreaders on an impervious surface so spills can be easily cleaned up and keep fertilizers
stored in the garage/shed up on shelves above reach of potential stormwater. Keep the fertilizer on your
lawn and away from lakes and storm drains by not fertilizing right up to the edge and sweeping fertilizer
from sidewalks and driveways back onto the lawn. When establishing your yard choose plants and turf
grass varieties that are suited to your site as they will require less fertilization and will be more drought,
pest and disease tolerant.
For more information about lawn/garden care contact your local MSU Extension (www.turf.msu.edu) or
contact your organization at ###-####.
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