What's The Best Way To Fertilize My Los Angeles Yard?

Picking the right fertilizer and applying it at the right time are the cornerstones of keeping a lush, green lawn. In Los Angeles, with our scorching hot summers and torrential downpours in the winter, maintaining a healthy lawn is not easy, but with the right know-how and a bit of hard work, it's certainly possible.

Let's take a look at the different types of fertilizer available and what to look for to pick the best one for your lawn. We'll also cover how to fertilize your lawn and, just in case you're fed up with shoveling fertilizer on your own, where to find quality lawn care in Los Angeles.

What Are The Different Types Of Lawn Fertilizers?

Two types of fertilizer are available to nourish your lawn; quick-release and controlled-release.

Quick-release fertilizers are usually priced lower and are either water-soluble or premixed water-based solutions. They release nutrients into the ground fast and are best when you're dealing with an emergency situation like a lawn on its last legs due to lack of care, weather damage, etc. Quick-release fertilizers come with considerable disadvantages. Wet grass coming in contact with quick-release fertilizer will exhibit symptoms similar to a burn, resulting in brown, bold patches on your lawn. Applying too much quick-release fertilizer often results in plants going through an untimely growth spurt, resulting in grass that's fragile and without the strength to resist harsh weather conditions.

Controlled-release fertilizer is the go-to product for most lawn fertilization work on your California property. As the name suggests, controlled-release fertilizers slowly release predetermined amounts of nutrients into the soil over months. They are often used in the spring to encourage and support grass growth without overwhelming the nutrient intake and damaging the plants in the long term.

Both types of lawn fertilizer can come in organic and inorganic varieties. Organic fertilizers are made of manure, peat moss, and compost, while inorganic fertilizers consist of different proportions of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

What Are The Benefits Of Fertilizing For My Lawn?

Year after year, as the grass grows on your lawn, the plants consume the nutrients in the soil and convert them into growth and energy to sustain themselves. Without a regular reapplication of those nutrients back into your lawn, the plants don't have the nutrition they need to survive, slowly deteriorating them into weaker, disease and insect-susceptible versions of their formerly lush and healthy selves.

Applying fertilizers with ratios of nutrients easily controlled by the homeowner or a lawn maintenance technician also allows you to amend the inherent problems in the soil.

Can I Fertilize My Lawn Myself?

While fertilizing the lawn on your own is certainly possible, the investment into educating yourself about the needs of the plants you're caring for, the cost of supplies and equipment, and, of course, the ever-dwindling time the task will take out of your day is considerable. Plant requirements vary with the time of the year, varieties of grass, soil pH levels, and nutrient levels. Determining the right type of fertilizer for the condition of your lawn, with the right proportions of nutrients delivered at just the right time, often requires years of experience and proper training.

What's The Best Lawn Fertilizing System For My Lawn?

Putting aside the pile of money, time, equipment, and education you need, the best approach to fertilizing your lawn (and the least effort-intensive as well) is to pass the job over to experienced professionals. At Aerations Plus, we've been helping residents maintain their lawns for over 25 years, offering a full-service package of lawn fertilizer services in Los Angeles to ensure the health of your lawn.

If the lawn on your Los Angeles property needs a hand to get back to its green and lush prime, give us a call today!