When it comes to lawn maintenance, people often think it is just mowing. However, truly achieving a thriving lawn takes a combination of fertilization and weed control with regular maintenance. Today, let’s take a practical, informative look at how fertilization and weed control are essential to a healthy lawn care plan. To do this, we at Colonial Lawn, your local lawn maintenance experts, will share how these two services work together to improve lawn appearance, soil health, and long-term resilience, especially in the climate and soil conditions here throughout Eastern Washington.
Why Fertilization Matters:
Fertilization delivers vital nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to one’s lawn, creating a nutrient-rich soil that can support thick, green grass and root growth. While grass can often grow on its own in natural areas, residential zones often don’t have the capacity to provide the soil with adequate nutrients to achieve a beautiful lawn.
To put it simply, a well-fed lawn is naturally more resistant to weed invasions. Just like taking one’s vitamins and eating healthy makes a human body less likely to get sick, when you fertilize, it is like giving your lawn a multi-vitamin! Due to this, it is up to the homeowner to perform fertilization consistently and at appropriate times.
At Colonial Lawn & Garden, we have the expertise to know precisely what your lawn needs to grow beautifully and strong. Our kid and pet-friendly treatment is quick and easy, giving your lawn the essential nutrients it needs to become the greenest lawn on the block.
The Importance of Weed Control:
Here in Eastern Washington, we have our fair share of annoying weeds plaguing our lawns. You will most commonly see dandelions, clover, bindweed (morning glory), plantain, mallow, goathead, oxalis, spurge, and the dreaded crabgrass. Weeds, such as these, compete with grass for essential nutrients as well as sunlight, water, and space.
Keeping up with weed control through pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control tactics is critical for lawn maintenance to ensure that those pesky weeds don’t choke out your lawn. How does pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control work?
Pre-emergent weed control is a lawn spray service that applies a blanket treatment to your entire lawn. This targeting treatment soaks into the soil, coats weed seeds, and creates a barrier between the soil and the surface to prevent those weeds from germinating.
Post-emergent weed control is a follow-up treatment that addresses any weeds that managed to break through the pre-emergent treatment, killing weeds that have sprouted and are actively growing.
At Colonial Lawn & Garden, we use a dual, pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control treatment process with our Lawn Care Program. Our pre-emergent treatment proactively prevents weeds such as spurge, crabgrass, and oxalis, and then our post-emergent treatment controls any weeds that somehow manage to break through. This comprehensive treatment plan provides homeowners with a weed-free, healthy lawn.
How Fertilization and Weed Control Work Together:
When it comes to lawn maintenance, homeowners often take a reactive maintenance approach – addressing problems as they arise. Unfortunately, this can be costly in both time and money.
Therefore, taking a preventive approach stops problems BEFORE they become an issue. Combining fertilization and weed control services increases your ability to achieve long-term lawn health, not just surface-level fixes.
Common Lawn Care Mistakes to Avoid:
When it comes to lawn maintenance, especially regarding fertilization and weed control, it’s more than just tossing out treatments to see what sticks. You need a strategic plan designed to the unique attributes of your lawn, focusing on soil health, water availability, and environmental conditions. Here are the most common lawn care mistakes people make that you can avoid through proper planning.
- Over-fertilizing: Just as humans shouldn’t take 10 multi-vitamins a day, you can over-fertilize. Homeowners should be cautious when reading the instructions on their fertilizer to ensure the correct measurements.
- Applying at the wrong time: There is a window in the growing stages of grass when fertilizer should be applied. Similarly, there are specific conditions on when to apply weed control treatments. Applying at the incorrect time will either do nothing or potentially harm your lawn.
- DIYing weed treatments: There is a lot of false information on the internet for DIYing weed treatments, many of which lead to severe damage to one’s grass. Homeowners must be diligent in their research before applying any treatment.
- Ignoring soil health: The existing conditions of your soil should dictate the treatments you give it, as a lack or over-abundance in nutrients can cause issues. Homeowners should perform a soil test before applying any treatments.
- Over- or under-watering: A consistent and adequate water supply is vital for grass growth, but too little can dehydrate it, and too much can drown it. Homeowners should track and analyze their property’s water consumption prior to crafting a watering schedule.
Benefits of Professional Lawn Treatment:
If you’ve made it this far into the blog, congratulations! You are serious about improving your lawn’s health. However, you are likely thinking this is a lot of work, and you’re right. Lawn maintenance takes consistent, hard work. Often, busy homeowners like yourself don’t have the time or desire to spend every weekend out in the garden. Who would want to do that? Fortunately, professional lawn treatments can make your lawn beautiful with no work from you!
Why Choose Colonial Lawn & Garden:
Homeowners and property managers in Eastern Washington, including Yakima, Richland, and surrounding areas, who are looking to improve or maintain the health and appearance of their lawns year-round, we at Colonial Lawn & Garden are here to help! With over 40 years of history helping homeowners and property managers just like you, we know exactly the solution to fit your Eastern Washington property!
Our Lawn Care Program is designed to address lawn fertilization, weed control, grub control, and more! Ready for a lawn that looks great and stays healthy all year long? Contact Colonial Lawn & Garden to learn more about our fertilization and weed control programs.
