So we’ve come to the point of winter where it’s time to start thinking about purchasing fertilizer products for our lawns. However with so many different fertilizer products on the market, it sometimes seems like a daunting task to get the right product. But never fear, Weed Pro Lawn Care will walk you through what you need to look for when picking out the perfect spring lawn fertilizer!

It’s Gotta Have a Pre-Emergent

When choosing an early spring application, there are a couple of basic rules to keep in mind when shopping. First, the fertilizer should be granular;  and secondly, it should also include a pre-emergent prevention for crabgrass.

Currently there are three pre-emergent materials on the market.  Two of the three pre-emergent products have a yellow coating which will stain anything it touches. This attribute is one that should be avoided at all costs, as the yellow coating will even stain shoes when someone walks on the lawn. The third pre-emergent, Dimension, is a non-staining, clear material that is perhaps the best product for prevention and control for crabgrass.

Made by Dow Agrosciences, Dimension not only has a pre-emergent but also has a post-emergent. This means that if you do the fertilizer early it will work great, but if you happen to apply it late it will still work just as good. The post-emergent will control any crabgrass as it pops up. This is a huge reason why Weed Pro uses this product over the others.

Look For Slow-Release Formulas

Due to the wet weather in spring, regular fertilizer dissolves quicker in to the turf resulting in a shorter period of time that your turf will receive nutrients.  That’s why for spring it is important to have a slow release granular fertilizer. It doesn’t cause a big surge of growth but it does release over a longer period of time, about 6-8 weeks. This longer period allows for more growth and eliminates the trouble and cost of reapplying it over and over again.

It’s a Balancing Act

Also important is to have a balanced fertilizer, with the three components of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium.

• Nitrogen helps with the growth
• Phosphorus helps with root development
• Potassium makes the turf healthier.

Those With New Lawns BEWARE!

If you have a brand new lawn, you should use a straight fertilizer. If not then you should use the pre-emergent.

Pre-emergent will hinder seed germination. Therefore you should allow 2 weeks before or after application when putting seed down.

More Tips Lawn Care Tips This Spring

Weed Pro Lawn Care has assembled some of the best lawn care and landscaping tips for your lawn this spring. The best part is that all this information is yours absolutely free! To get your free copy of our Spring Lawn Care Money Saving Guide, simply click on the button below to start your download!           

Shaun Kanary has been a part of the Green Industry for the past 15 years. As the Director of Marketing for Weed Pro Lawn Care, a Cleveland and Columbus Lawn Care Service Provider, Shaun is a regular contributor to the Weed Pro Blog, and other industry magazine and blogs.  Shaun on Google+     Shaun on LinkedIn     Shaun on Twitter