The Benefits of Slow Release Fertilizer

When it comes to fertilizing your lawn, its hard to know what kind to choose. Professionals recommend to always read the label first before you buy your fertilizer, but this can be overwhelming. There are different types of fertilizer and knowing which one is the best for your lawn can be the difference between seeing results or not.

When it comes to fertilizing your lawn, its hard to know what kind to choose. Professionals recommend to always read the label first before you buy your fertilizer, but this can be overwhelming. There are different types of fertilizer and knowing which one is the best for your lawn can be the difference between seeing results or not.

Before treating your lawn, you should know what kind of grass you have so that you can properly treat it. We have cool season grasses here in Ohio so whether you’re Cleveland, Columbus, or Cincinnati, you probably have a similar grass type. You want to be sure to read the label on the fertilizer bag correctly so that you know whether it is a slow-release fertilizer or a quick-release fertilizer.

Pros Of Using Slow Release Fertilizer

There are many advantages to using a slow-release fertilizer for your lawn care. Slow-release fertilizers are made up of natural supplements such as, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. This type of fertilizer comes in granules that release nutrients gradually, making it less likely to burn your lawn.

Using slow-release fertilizer doesn’t force any fast growth that isn’t natural, in result putting less stress on your lawn. This will help give you a stronger turf in the end, which will reduce the chance of lawn disease or burns in the grass.

Using a slow-release fertilizer allows you to fertilize your lawn less often because the nutrients are released over time, whereas with a quick release fertilizer the lawn receives a rush of nutrients all at once and then suddenly is left with none. This can affect the overall health of the lawn, and as soon as you begin to see results, they quickly disappear.

Two Types

Slow-release fertilizers can be categorized as either organic or synthetic fertilizer.

Organic fertilizer breaks down according to nature, so it may not release nutrients as soon as you need them. This can affect the results you see in your lawn. Synthetic fertilizer helps lawns receive nutrients over time at a gradual speed. It does not force any fast growth that isn’t natural. Synthetic fertilizer is a faster process when comparing it to using organic fertilizer and will get you the best results.

The main difference between the two slow-release fertilizers is that synthetic has a coating around the pellets, but they are both made up of the same nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

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How To Apply Slow-Release Fertilizer

When using a slow-release fertilizer it is important to know the best ways to apply the product. With most applications, people use either a broadcast, or drop spreader to help with an even and consistent application of fertilizer. Because this type of fertilizer is granules, you will be able to see them in the lawn, this will help to ensure you do not overlap areas with product as you are applying them.

A broadcast spreader spreads the products in all directions to cover the ground as quickly and efficiently as possible. This type of spreader is the most efficient because they provide good lawn coverage for any size lawn.

Drop spreaders drop product down in between the wheels of the spreader. Spreading the product this way is more time-consuming and takes longer to finish. This also does not leave any marks or lines so it’s hard to make sure spots aren’t missed. This could leave your lawn with an uneven coverage.