If the grass truly is always greener in your neighbor’s yard, it’s probably because they’re properly fertilizing their lawn and you’re not. If you’d like to look out your window and see lush, green grass with nary a weed in sight, it’s time to get serious about lawn care. It comes down to way more than mowing.
Fertilizing your lawn replenishes essential soil nutrients (like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) that grass uses for growth, color, and root strength, preventing it from becoming weak, pale, or overrun by weeds. It builds a thicker, greener lawn that’s more resilient to stress from heat, drought, foot traffic, and pests, helping it recover from winter and prepare for the next season, leading to a healthier, denser, and more beautiful yard.
If you’re not currently fertilizing your yard, the first thing to remember is that progress doesn’t happen overnight. If your grass hasn’t been fertilized for a while, it could take a year or two for the results to really shine. However, it’s definitely an investment that pays off over time.
In central Indiana, we never quite know when the last snow will fall. Every year is different. So, there’s no rule of thumb about what the date range for applications should be from one year to the next. But generally mid to late-March is a safe bet.
This first fertilizing round should be nitrogen heavy, to focus on rapid growth and a beautiful green color. The pre-emergent primarily targets crabgrass seeds, preventing them from germinating for three months. Some existing crabgrass may still break through, but will be addressed in later rounds. (Note, if you’re trying to grow new grass from seeds, you should skip this round.)
A second round of slow-release fertilizer and long-term pre-emergent is designed to keep broadleaf weeds and crabgrass from germinating all spring. Blanket spraying utilizes a selective herbicide, made to only kill broadleaf weeds and not grass, applied to the whole property. Some existing crabgrass will probably still pop up–spot-spraying will take care of that.
The fertilizer for this round focuses on slow release; continuously feeding but not over-feeding. The turf should be well established by now, and does not need rapid growth. The insecticide in this focuses on the most commons pests that can damage your turf, including: annual bluegrass weevils, armyworms, adult billbugs, black turfgrass ataenius, cutworms, leafhoppers, mealybugs, sod webworms, ants, centipedes, chinch bugs, fleas, millipedes, mole crickets, and ticks. Blanket and Spot sprays should also continue, to keep weeds at bay.
In addition to slow-release fertilizer, this round focuses on soil-dwelling bugs and their larvae. Some of these pests you definitely don’t want in your yard include: annual bluegrass weevils, billbugs, crane flies, and the larvae of asiatic garden beetles, black turfgrass ataenius, European chafers, green June beetles, Japanese beetles, northern and southern masked chafers and sugarcane beetles. Blanket and Spot sprays should also continue, to keep weeds at bay.
This application is a reinforcing second round of everything done in Round Three, but it’s important to stay consistent with treatments as summer comes to a close and the temperatures cool, or those weeds you’ve worked so hard to keep at bay all summer may start peeking back through.
This last step in protecting your lawn is an important one. It helps your yard get ready for winter with a slow-release fertilizer containing high amounts of nitrogen, which carries your lawn into the dormancy stage in its best possible health, allowing it to bounce back green and lush in the spring.
Like all of your trees and perennials, your grass needs care throughout the seasons to ensure that it lives a long, lush and full life, providing you with a weed and pest-free place to play, relax and spend time with family and friends. Plus, adding a seasonal lawn fertilization plan to your overall outdoor maintenance schedule will make your yard the envy of the neighborhood!
Heath Outdoor, a premier, local, family-owned landscaping company established in 2009, proudly serves the vibrant communities of Indianapolis and its surrounding areas. Strategically located in the heart of Indianapolis, we extend our expert landscaping and hardscaping services to both commercial and residential customers in Carmel, Westfield, Fishers, Geist, Noblesville, Zionsville, Avon, Plainfield, Brownsburg, McCordsville, Greenwood and beyond.
Custom gardens and landscapes, paver patios and walkways, water features and recreation ponds, custom outdoor fire pits and fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, pool and spa vaults, tiny houses, storage sheds, pergolas and decks, retaining walls, fencing and playgrounds.
Mowing, mulching, planting and watering service, irrigation and drainage system installation and repairs, seasonal property clean-ups, and snow and ice management. In 2024, Heath Outdoor added eco-focused private gardening and garden coaching to our property maintenance services through a partnership with Spotts Garden Service.
Why Heath Outdoor?We’re not just in the business of landscaping—we’re in the business of finding solutions and bringing dreams to life. Whether it’s crafting breathtaking commercial outdoor spaces or creating custom outdoor living areas from scratch, we’ve got the passion, expertise, creativity and team to make it happen.
At Heath Outdoor, we’re also committed to giving back to the community, through our Juneteenth service project, annual participation in the Indy Pride parade, Indy Cultural Trail Cleanup and Feast of Lanterns sponsorship and neighborhood beautification efforts.
Heath Outdoor is a Hurst Brothers company. Other brands in the Hurst Brothers family of companies include: DIGS Garden Center, Indy Insulation and Spray Company and Spotts Garden Service.
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