When Is the Right Time to Lime and Fertilize Your Hopewell Junction, NY, Lawn?
Just one look at a healthy and green lawn in Hopewell Junction, NY, is enough to bring you to the present moment so you can appreciate life’s simple things—especially if that lawn is yours. The fresh smell of healthy grass and a lush expanse of green blades should be a signature of your backyard that your friends and family will enjoy as much as you do. So, what could your lawn be missing if such a description doesn’t match what you see in your backyard? Very likely, liming and fertilizer are just what your tired lawn needs to bring it to life.
Your landscape professional can work with your schedule and your lawn’s needs for applying lime and fertilizer at just the right times for optimal effect. Once your lawn gets the nutrients and help it needs, your backyard will have a transformative appeal.
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Strong Foundations for Healthy Lawn
Liming and fertilizing are used to enrich the soil so that grass can grow healthy and thrive. Each method brings valuable nutrients to the soil, which is why these two are an unparalleled duo for making your lawn as healthy as it can be.
Plants need six nutrients to grow into healthy and happy plants. While plants get the first three nutrients through photosynthesis (carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen), they get the other three nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium) from the soil. Now, as the years go by, plants consume the nutrients from the soil. And this is where fertilizer comes in.
Fertilizer will add these nutrients to the soil to improve the root health and seed production, and speed up the growth of the plants. Fertilizer will also contribute to the soil’s ability to hold water by increasing the airflow in the soil.
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However, fertilizer isn’t everything your lawn needs. In order for plants and lawn to fully grasp the benefits of fertilizer, the soil acidity has to be at an optimal level—reflected in its pH value. When a pH value is less than recommended, the roots won’t be able to obtain the water they need for growth. Moreover, plants and grass won’t absorb the nutrients. Proper liming will restore the pH balance of the soil.
Lime is made from ground limestone and composed of magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate. These components are responsible for neutralizing the soil. When the acidity of the soil is at a proper level, the soil enhances the growth and health of lawn and plants.
Timing Is Everything
Lime and fertilizer need to be applied carefully, with an exact amount that’s unique to your yard. Too much lime and fertilizer can decrease the quality of the soil and lawn. Your lawn care and maintenance professional will know just what your grass needs for enhancing the look and health of your lawn.
The best time to apply lime is in the fall, but the winter or spring can work too if necessary. For fertilizing, there’s a multi-season process in New York, with fertilization ideally occurring in July, September, and before winter. You need your lawn protected and taking in all those nutrients during the harshest season.