The 10 essential tips on how to fertilize your Sod

The 10 essential tips on how to fertilize your Sod(Coweta Sod Installation)

1. Do it according to the calendar

Do not do it only when you see it ugly or yellow ... or not very dense ... or because you fancy that maybe one of these days ...

You have to anticipate the times of the year when your Sod will need more nutrients because it will enter an important growth phase.

The perfect times to fertilize will vary depending on the type of grass, soil, climate and the compost you use.

However, most Sods are a mix of different types of seeds, and as a general rule, early spring and early fall are the appropriate times for compost.

The label on the compost bag will give you some additional clue as to how often to apply, but as long as you don't go overboard and avoid fertilizing in the hottest part of summer, your Sod should be great with spring and fall fertilizers.

2. Understand what the numbers mean

When you buy compost, you will see 3 numbers on the label.

These numbers show the percentage of Nitrogen (N), Phosphate (P) and Potassium (K), respectively.

They are the three main nutrients to fertilize your Sod.

Nitrogen helps the blade show a vivid green color and the grass grows fast and strong.

Phosphorus stimulates root growth and helps seeds germinate.

And Potassium strengthens the grass so that it better resists attacks such as drought or diseases.

A bag labeled "20-5-10," for example will have 20% Nitrogen, 5% Phosphorus, and 10% Potassium.

The rest of the bag usually contains filler material that helps distribute the compost evenly over the soil.

3. Use slow-release compost

It will generally be more comfortable for you and better for your terrain to use slow-release fertilizers.

These fertilizers release their nutrients for a longer time so that their effect will last longer and you will not have to consider intermediate applications between spring and autumn.

It is also a more ecological measure because it pollutes the nearby aquifers less than the other types.

The downside is that they are somewhat more expensive.

Apart from slow-release fertilizers, there are others, which you can consider applying in certain circumstances:

Quick-release fertilizer: you get quick results, but you must apply them in smaller and more frequent doses. You could burn the grass if you use too much. When the grass is very young, the use of this type of fertilizer is more appropriate because it stimulates growth more and better.

Herbicide compost: Identify weeds in your Sod before using a herbicide product and make sure they are named on the label. Take extra care around trees, shrubs, and garden plants to avoid damaging them.

Organic materials like compost or manure and mulching: you will have to use large amounts because the essential nutrients are not as concentrated as in the other types of compost. Some manure may also have weed seeds. In any case, it is a much more ecological way of fertilizing the soil. The excessive use of fertilizers is responsible for the increase in water pollution in some areas. Also, they are good at protecting the soil from erosion. Applied with some frequency it can help you reduce the use of fertilizers of the other types.

Liquid fertilizers: they are comfortable to apply, but not recommended because it will be difficult for you to distribute them evenly and will require you to apply them often.

4. By machine or by hand, distribute it evenly

When you apply the compost, you should try to distribute it evenly. Avoid concentrating in some areas, as it could burn the Sod. And also avoid that there are areas that do not receive fertilizer because there it would grow less or less strong than in the rest of the garden.

There are several ways to apply it. If you use a spreader, it will be easier for the compost to spread evenly than if you do it by hand (broadcast).

There are quite inexpensive and effective spreading machines that will facilitate this task. The most common is the rotary ones, which have a disc that rotates under the compost container and, as it falls, distributes it evenly.

If you prefer to do it manually anyway, a tip to give the appropriate doses is to divide the land into plots of the same size, measure the amount that each one has and then add that amount to each of the plots. This way there will be no parts with a shortage or, worse, with excess compost.

Worx WR141E: the best robotic Sodmower

Nobody mows the Sod by hand anymore. This is the best robotic Sodmower on the market, with an impressive value for money. And on this page, we explain why.

5. Water before and after, but it is dry when you fertilize it

Before fertilizing your Sod, water your garden well. Let a day or two go by until the leaves are completely dry and then apply the compost.

If the leaves are wet or damp, from watering, a rain or morning dew, the compost could stick to the leaf and burn it.

Then water again, lightly. This second irrigation is very important because it washes the compost that may have remained on the leaves, integrates it into the soil and helps to make use more uniform.

Be careful that this second watering is not very abundant and watch out if it rains too much in the next two days because it could carry the compost, especially if the garden is sloping, and you would have to compensate by making another application a few days later.

6. Perimeter first

When you apply the compost, do the perimeter first, being careful not to come out and that compost is left outside theSod.

Then, in straight, slightly overlapping strokes, go through the garden slowly and steadily.

7. It is better to fall short than to overshoot

As you have already seen, it is dangerous to overdo the compost, to stick to the leaves or to concentrate in certain areas. In any of these cases, we would end up burning the affected patch of grass.

Being short can be corrected later better than has happened to us.

The label on the compost bag will give you the amount and rate of application, but good advice is to apply half of what is recommended in a first pass and the other half in a second perpendicular to the first. This way you will have better coverage and it will be more difficult to have excess compost in any part of the garden.

8. If you go over or go outside, pick up
If you drop more compost than you want on any part of the Sod, sweep it with a broom, or even if it is pellets. So you can collect something and better distribute the rest.

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, the compost ends up off the Sod, on the asphalt, driveway, porch, or sidewalk. If this happens, do not leave it until it is washed away by rain and pollutes rivers or streams or until it is eaten by the dog. Pick it up as best you can too.

9. Take precautions
As with almost everything, there are some basic cares that you should take during and after subscribing:

Follow the manufacturer's instructions for application and storage.
Do not touch the compost with your hands and avoid contact with the skin. Use protection elements: glasses, gloves, masks, closed shoes, long pants, and a shirt.
Don't fertilize when it's windy.
Make sure that children and animals do not go near the Sod during the time recommended by the manufacturer, which is usually between 24 and 48 hours.
If you use a tool to put the compost, clean it well of residues since they are very corrosive.
Keep it in a safe place and only the amount that you are going to use during the season so that it is kept in the best conditions.
10. And also ...

In addition to all of the above, there are countless small details that you can consider to make your subscriber more effective. Here are some of them:

Put less compost in shady areas.

Add more if your garden is using a lot of water.

Pay one day after mowing the Sod, when it has recovered properly.

Do not fertilize during a drought, with the grass brown or withered from lack of moisture.

Fill the fertilizer machine out of the Sod. If something is spilled, it will be easier to pick it up.
You will have to compensate, in the following situations, because the effect of the fertilizer will be less:
Sandy soils
Soils with too much felt (link to scarify)
Areas with soil that is too compact and not sufficiently aerated (link to aerate)
Old gardens, over 20 years old
Temperatures below 10 degrees(Tulsa Sod Delivery)