Last updated on October 23rd, 2023 at 08:52 pm
In the spring, you want to give your lawn a boost. To make it grow as quickly and vigorously as possible, apply a lawn fertilizer. This contains plenty of nutrients that accelerate growth and ensure a healthy lawn.
But how fast does the lawn fertilizer actually work and how early should you sow the lawn?
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How quickly do mineral fertilizers work?
Lawn fertilizers come in a few varieties on the market. Organic fertilizers and mineral fertilizers are among the most popular variants to support the lawn.
A mineral fertilizer is in salt form. If you apply the mineral fertilizer, the soil absorbs the nutrients within a very short time. It is said that the effect of the fertilizer occurs after a few hours. Thus mineral fertilizers belong to the fastest variants and provide practically an immediate effect.
However, it must be said here that the effect occurs quickly, but is not immediately visible on the plants. If you use a liquid fertilizer, it is absorbed directly by the plants. Even in this “turbo” variant, it takes a while for the fertilizer to have an effect on the plants. A visible effect usually occurs only after a few days. Then you should notice that especially the nitrogen accelerates the growth and the lawn grows in height.
For a mineral fertilizer to actually take effect within a few hours, the soil must be slightly moist. If it has already not rained for a few days, you should water the lawn yourself minimally. However, make sure that you do not wash away the fertilizer, otherwise the effect will be very uneven.
This form of fertilizers are designed for a period of action of a few months. This means that if the soil is very depleted, you will need to re-fertilize several times during the season. Otherwise, the lawn will not receive enough nutrients. This manifests itself, among other things, in the fact that the lawn turns yellow and weeds, such as moss or clover, appear more frequently. Then fertilizing again is indicated and could provide for a more beautiful impression.
How quickly does a slow-release fertilizer take effect?
A mineral fertilizer is immediately absorbed by the soil and shows its effect within a few days. With a slow-release fertilizer, it is not crucial that it takes effect immediately. Rather, the focus is on a duration of action that lasts the entire gardening season. The one-time application of the slow-release fertilizer is intended to provide the lawn with all the nutrients it needs, so that it is not necessary to fertilize it again. This makes your job as a gardener easier and you can be sure that the plants will not suffer from a shortage of nutrients in the middle of the gardening season.
The slower action of slow-release fertilizer is due to the form of nitrogen present. This is because it is present as urea or carbamide. Thus, it is not immediately available and it takes some time for the effect to set in.
Most slow-release fertilizers consist of a combination of active ingredients. This not only covers the long period of time, but also provides a quick effect. Sometimes the slow-release fertilizer contains fertilizer salts that provide an immediate effect similar to a mineral fertilizer.
So how fast the slow release fertilizer works depends on the exact composition. As a rule, the effect will begin within a few hours or days.
What factors influence the speed of the effect?
How quickly the lawn fertilizer acts depends on various factors. If there are optimal conditions, the fertilizer is absorbed correspondingly faster.
This includes that sufficient water is available. It is best if the soil is moistened. If the soil is dry, then water it after dispensing the lawn fertilizer so that it penetrates the soil more easily.
The pH of the soil is also an important factor. Nutrients are removed from the soil over its usual useful life. It becomes slightly acidic as a result, and this environment is not very conducive to most fertilizers. If the pH moves into the green range, then the lawn fertilizer will work faster and you will see the change more quickly.
Likewise, temperature is an influencing factor when it comes to the speed of the lawn fertilizer. If it is too cold, the fertilization will only develop its effect after a certain waiting time. Therefore, it is advisable to apply the fertilizer when frost is no longer expected and the soil has an appropriate temperature.
The effective time of the lawn fertilizer
If you apply a lawn fertilizer, you would like to achieve a change as quickly as possible. With most lawn fertilizers, this is indeed possible. Within a few hours, they penetrate the soil and the nutrients are absorbed by the plants.
With mineral fertilizers, the effect usually sets in somewhat faster than with slow-release fertilizers. These focus on a long-term effect and only after a few days the lawn benefits from it.
Ordinary fertilizers are already absorbed by the plants after a few hours. Until the effect is visible and the lawn actually benefits from it, about 2 days pass. Thus, you should notice a difference shortly after applying the lawn fertilizer and see how your lawn skyrockets.