Fertilizer helps your lawn grow thick, green, and resilient — but only if it's applied at the right time. Apply it at the wrong time of year and you could actually damage your grass or waste your money entirely.
Cool-Season Grasses (Bluegrass, Fescue, Rye)
These grasses are most active in spring and fall. Fertilize in early spring as growth resumes, and again in early fall when they're putting energy into root development. Avoid heavy fertilization in summer heat — it stresses the grass.
Warm-Season Grasses (Bermuda, Zoysia, St. Augustine)
These grasses thrive in heat and should be fertilized from late spring through summer, when they're actively growing. Stop fertilizing about 6 weeks before your first expected frost.
- Always water after applying granular fertilizer
- Don't fertilize drought-stressed lawns — they can't absorb it
- Soil tests every 2–3 years tell you exactly what your lawn is missing