This Common Spring Lawn Mistake Can Burn Your Grass Fast

Fertilizing your lawn in the spring is more complicated than simply throwing down whatever's on the shelf. Since your lawn is just waking up from dormancy, applying the wrong fertilizer, or too much of it, can easily do more harm than good. Get carried away and drop too much and you can burn the grass or trigger a rapid growth spurt that weakens it over time. 

Related: The Self-Fertilizing Secret to a Green Yard

Common Spring Fertilizing Mistakes

Applying Too Much

Applying too much fertilizer creates a high salt concentration in the soil that draws water out of the roots of the plant, dehydrating it and causing it to turn brown. 

Applying too early

Fertilizing too soon can trigger new growth in your lawn before it's ready. That new growth is vulnerable to late cold snaps and saps energy from root development that’s essential to your grass surviving summer.  

Uneven spreading

Spreading fertilizer unevenly creates a patchy appearance with some parts of your lawn growing tall and green while other parts remain patchy and brown. 

Using the Wrong Fertilizer 

Not all fertilizers are the same. Apply the wrong blend–especially one that is too high in nitrogen–and you’ll end up damaging your grass and feeding weeds instead of your lawn. 

Whey “Surge Growth” Is a Problem

Homeowners often focus on instant growth in the spring, measuring the success of their yard by how quickly it becomes lush and green. While adding a lot of nitrogen can achieve this in the short term, it leads to surge growth that is ultimately bad for your lawn. Here’s why:

• Poor root development: Rapid growth quickly diverts energy from root development, resulting in a weaker lawn that is susceptible to heat and drought. 
• Disease susceptibility: While your grass may look initially healthy and strong, surge growth actually weakens the grass and makes it more susceptible to disease. 
• Frequent mowing: Surge growth causes the grass to grow faster, necessitating more mowing. This often causes homeowners to fall behind, forcing them to break the 1/3 rule. 
• Nutrient loss: Since grass is growing fast, it uses up your soil’s nutrients rapidly, leading to a crash down the line.

What Fertilizer to Use in Spring

Your goal in the spring shouldn't be explosive growth but rather steady, controlled development. 

Related: When to Fertilize Your Lawn This Spring for Greener Grass All Summer

Go With a Balanced, Lower-Nitrogen Fertilizer

Look for a fertilizer that includes:

• Nitrogen (N) for growth
• Phosphorus (P) for roots
• Potassium (K) for overall health

But keep nitrogen levels moderate to avoid surge growth.

Choose Slow Release Nitrogen

Go with a fertilizer that has slow-release nitrogen. Look for the following on the fertilizer label:

• Controlled-release
• Coated nitrogen. 
• Slow-release.

These formulas gradually feed the lawn, which helps to prevent surge growth or burnout. Slow release fertilizers are more expensive, but they’re also more effective and safer for your lawn. 

Grass Type Guidelines

Cool Season Grasses

Follow these guidelines for Kentucky Bluegrass, fescues, and perennial ryegrass:

• Use  a slow release fertilizer
• Apply up to 1.5 lbs. of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. 
• If using a quick release fertilizer, don’t exceed rates of more than 1 lb. of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft.

Warm Season Grasses

Wait until your lawn has fully greened up before getting out the fertilizer. Avoid fertilizing too early, which will feed weeds and won’t benefit your grass. 

What to Avoid

• High Nitrogen Blends: Avoid using a high nitrogen blend, like 30-0-0, which can lead to surge growth and encourage weed growth. 
• Fast release fertilizers: Fast release fertilizers are more potent and can end up burning the grass plants, so you can only apply small amounts of it. This means you’ll need to apply it more often to maintain nutrients in the soil. 
• Spray fertilizer: This can be convenient to use, but it's very difficult to apply evenly over your lawn, often leading to overfertilized and underfed areas in your lawn. 

Should You Do a Soil Test?

A soil test can help you determine your lawn’s pH and its phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium content, which is helpful when choosing a fertilizer. However, it doesn't give you information on nitrogen content, which is the most crucial nutrient for spring fertilizing. 

Bottom Line

Spring fertilizing is about balance and restraint. Push your lawn too hard by adding too much nitrogen and you’ll end up creating more problems than the fertilizer solves. By applying a balanced feeding at the right time, you’ll set up your lawn for success throughout the growing season.