Fertilizing your lawn provides essential energy to recover from winter elements, build up defensive systems, and refill food reserves. But unfortunately, applying fertilizer at the wrong time and in the incorrect quantities may harm your property’s plant life even more than ignoring them. Therefore, our Tri-Cities area landscape experts at Promier Landscapes share the best time to fertilize your lawn in Kingsport so that you can have a lush green lawn that the neighbors envy.
Lawns
Most grasses are semi-dormant during mid-summer warm, dry spells, and you shouldn’t fertilize at this time. Homeowners want to seed and thicken lawns during spring but forget that all weed killers can inhibit grass seed sprouting after application. Therefore, our Kingsport lawn maintenance experts explain that the best time is very late summer or early fall when temperatures are mild. Turf that requires early spring fertilizing should receive the application between February and April or, ideally, around your first seasonal mow. Testing your soil is the best way to learn which fertilizer is suitable for your yard.
Established trees and landscapes
Established trees and shrubs should receive fertilizer early in the spring if soil tests show deficiency. Annual compost applications are most beneficial for plants and help maintain proper nutrient levels. An ISA-Certified arborist can tell you which nutrients are lacking in your soil and what you need to feed your trees before winter. Our Bristol landscape professionals explain that fertilizing trees this time of year ensures they have sufficient nutrients to survive dormancy and can thrive once the weather warms in the spring. However, fertilizing trees too early in their autumn growing cycle may impact roots and cause root fungus, particularly if you experience lots of snowfall.
Fruit trees
Fruit trees experience an explosion of new branches, leaves, and flowers during spring, followed by weeks to months of fruit development. Our landscaping pros in Johnson City state that the best time to fertilize fruit trees is early or mid-spring before the first buds break. However, remember that established fruit trees probably don’t need fertilizer as their roots run deep into the soil for nutrients.
Vegetables
Most vegetables are annuals, so fertilization timing doesn’t need to coincide with the dormant period. Instead, you should fertilize vegetables according to their general health, with a longer or shorter time between applications depending on the soil quality. For example, our Tri-Cities lawn maintenance experts recommend fertilizing vegetables planted in sandy soil early in the season and then again every 3-4 weeks during the growing season if plants start losing color or vigorousness. Bushy, green plants should not receive fertilizer as it could burn the roots. Additionally, fertilize vegetables in clay soil early in the season and again every 4-6 weeks during the growing season if plants start losing color or vigorousness.
Annuals
Annuals provide a temporary color burst in a landscape or flowerbed. Our landscaping experts in Kingsport recommend fertilizing annuals early in the season before planting and, as needed, every 6-8 weeks throughout the growing season. Annuals are attractive and colorful, so fertilize plants showing nitrogen deficiency signs, such as yellowing leaves or chlorosis.
Container plants
Container plants are restricted to the planter, container, or pot permanently. As a result, these plants receive water more often than ground plants, which can suck nutrients from potting mixes. Our landscape experts in Bristol recommend fertilizing container plants every 2-8 weeks, depending on species and season. Flowering and fruiting plants require regular fertilization to maintain flowering and fruiting, whereas vegetables can go 3-6 months without fertilization.
Seedlings
Seedlings are kept in temporary containers until they are big enough to transplant. Most seed-starting mixes receive sterilization to keep out droughts and other pathogens affecting young plants. Therefore, our Johnson City landscape design experts recommend fertilizing the seedlings after they get a single set of real leaves. At that time, the plants finish consuming the nutrients in the seed endosperm and will begin to seek nutrients in the soil.
Lawn maintenance in Kingsport, Johnson City, and Bristol, Tennessee
Slow-release fertilizer encourages healthy, sustained growth, whereas rapid-release fertilizer burns roots. Additionally, it’s always better to under-fertilize than over-fertilize. Remember, fertilizer isn’t a cure-all for ailing plants; check for pests, diseases, drought stress, overwatering, and other problems before applying fertilizer. If you have fertilizing questions or want to schedule lawn fertilizing services in the Tri-Cities area, please call Promier Landscapes at (423) 872-2988 or contact us online.