You want a lawn so green, Kermit the Frog will be jealous. A lawn so green, leprechauns will move in. So you dump on the fertilizer. Then dump on some more. What the heck, the more fertilizer, the more green, right? Wait a minute. Can you over-fertilize your lawn? Absolutely. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Well, it’s not good. The same nutrients that make your lawn green and healthy -- nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium -- can hurt your lawn if you apply too much. Liquid fertilizer is more likely to burn your lawn if you use too much than granular fertilizer, because the liquid stuff is designed to work right away, while granular releases slowly, over time. You might not notice the problem right away. Everything seems fine. But days or even weeks later, you’ll notice the yellowing dead patches or stripes in the areas that got too much fertilizer. You might notice more subtle changes sooner. Maybe you’re not seeing new growth. Or maybe just the tips of your grass blades are yellow or brown. The fertilizer instructions can be tricky, too. Maybe you’re not sure of the exact size of your yard. Maybe you bought the wrong kind. This whole thing can be kind of a pain. Water, water, water. Extra water will help wash the extra fertilizer out of your lawn and dilute the excess nitrogen and salt. The sooner you catch this, the better. Maybe you did the math, bought your fertilizer, and figured it’s enough for both your front and back yards. Oops. Get that water going to flush the excess out. The good news? In time, your over-fertilized Eau Claire Wi or Minneapolis lawn should bounce back and green up again. If it doesn’t, you might need to re-seed. If you’ve hung around here with us much at all, you know we take lawn fertilizer really seriously. That’s why you’ll see that organic-based, granular fertilizer tops the list of all three of our lawn care programs. We’re also serious about all the elements that bring out the best in fertilizer, from soil conditioner to proper pH levels. Don’t waste your Saturday being frazzled in the fertilizer aisle trying to figure out what kind of fertilizer to buy, and how much to apply. Let us make it easy. Ready to treat your Eau Claire WI or Minneapolis lawn to the best lawn fertilizer service, with no worries about the complicated parts? Request a quote today! We’ll review your lawn care options together so you can make a great choice. Then, you can finally enjoy your lawn and stop worrying about it.What Happens if You Over-fertilize Your Lawn?
Too much fertilizer adds too much nitrogen and salt to the soil. It’s called fertilizer “burn,” and can actually kill your lawn. Imagine the yellow or brown dog urine spots you see in lawns. It looks like that. Dead. Signs You Over-fertilized Your Lawn
If this happens to you, don’t feel bad. It's a pretty common DIY mistake. When pros apply fertilizer, they’re using perfectly calibrated equipment. Chances are, that old spreader you dragged out of the garage hasn’t been calibrated in, well, maybe never.
What to Do if You Over-fertilized Your Lawn
But suddenly, you’re out of fertilizer, and you’ve only applied it on your front lawn.Need More Lawn Fertilizer Tips? Ask RainMaster
FAQs
Did You Over-Fertilize Your Lawn? How To Know and What to Do? ›
Lawn Repairs for an Over-Fertilized Lawn
If you aren't getting new growth on your lawn after over-applying fertilizer product, you should rake out the dead areas and prepare to start over with new growth. Aeration and overseeding can be one way to get new grass growing in your lawn.
Lawn Repairs for an Over-Fertilized Lawn
If you aren't getting new growth on your lawn after over-applying fertilizer product, you should rake out the dead areas and prepare to start over with new growth. Aeration and overseeding can be one way to get new grass growing in your lawn.
Yes, over fertilized plants can recover with proper care. To help them recover, you should flush the soil with water to remove excess nutrients. Adjusting the watering schedule and providing adequate sunlight can also aid in the recovery process.
What to do if you burn your grass with too much fertilizer? ›Burned lawns will need a generous amount of water to get back to green. It's important to water your lawn as soon as you spot any brown or yellow patches to prevent further damage. Slowly soak the affected areas every day for about a week to fully flush out the salt.
What happens if you fertilize your grass too much? ›Applying too much fertilizer to your lawn will cause the nitrogen and salt levels in the soil to increase rapidly, which can damage or even kill the grass. When this happens, it is known as “fertilizer burn” and looks like yellow and brown strips or patches of dead grass.
How to tell if you're over fertilized lawn? ›Yellow or Brown Grass: The most obvious sign of an over-fertilized lawn is the yellowing or browning of the grass tips. In severe cases, the entire blade might get scorched.
Will over-fertilized grass come back? ›Fertilizer burn doesn't necessarily mean a death sentence for your lawn. Depending on the level of damage, certain affected areas can be brought back to life with the proper care.
How long does it take for grass to recover from fertilizer burn? ›There's no way to tell exactly how long it will take for your burnt grass to grow back. It can return to its initial green and lush look in a few weeks, or it can take months. It's a game of patience, and the timeline depends on the grass type, damage level, weather, soil conditions, and lawn care practices.
What does over fertilization look like? ›Symptoms and signs of over-fertilization
Yellowing and wilting of lower leaves. Browning leaf tips and margins. Browned or blackened limp roots. Defoliation.
Signs You Over-fertilized Your Lawn
But days or even weeks later, you'll notice the yellowing dead patches or stripes in the areas that got too much fertilizer. You might notice more subtle changes sooner. Maybe you're not seeing new growth. Or maybe just the tips of your grass blades are yellow or brown.
How many minutes should I water my lawn after fertilizing? ›
The goal is to soak your lawn until the soil is moist to a few inches deep. The exact amount of time that this may take will depend upon your lawn and its sprinkler system. On average, it could take around 45 minutes to an hour. Of course, Mother Nature will hopefully also be doing some of the watering work.
What does a burnt lawn look like? ›Similarly, in compacted lawns, it might not be possible for the water to penetrate deep down to the root zone where it is needed most. With a lack of water and high sun exposure, lawns can become scorched. Sunburnt grass typically looks yellow or brown. It's possible these areas can even die.
What fertilizer will not burn a lawn? ›Milorganite® Will NOT Burn Your Lawn or Plants
It contains virtually no salts, so it won't burn your lawn, trees, shrubs, or plants, even in the hottest temperatures or driest conditions. Milorganite will not burn tender seedlings and can be used as a carrier when spreading grass seed.
- Carefully remove all yellow or severely damaged leaves from your plant.
- Rinse the soil thoroughly with water (put the plant under a tap and let water run through the pot). Remove any remaining fertilizer residue.
- Cut back on fertilizing for a while to allow your plant the chance to recover.
Watering to the appropriate levels after a fertilizer application is important. Too much and you can have run-off and diluted products. Too little and the fertilizer will just sit on the very surface of the ground and will not provide ideal conditions for the grass to take up the nutrients.
When not to apply lawn fertilizer? ›If you live in an area where grass goes brown during the summer, you'll want to avoid fertilizing it while it's dormant. As for the deepest winter months, there's no benefit to feeding your lawn at that time of the year in most areas of the country, as the grass is dormant from the cold weather.
What does over fertilizing look like? ›Symptoms and signs of over-fertilization
Crust of fertilizer on soil surface. Yellowing and wilting of lower leaves. Browning leaf tips and margins. Browned or blackened limp roots.
At Master Lawn, we typically say to wait 24 hours before watering your lawn after fertilizing. But it is important to make sure that it does receive a good watering session soon after that 24 hour waiting period. Watering helps the fertilizer to activate and to break down and begin feeding nutrients to the lawn.
What happens if soil is over fertilized? ›Plant roots exert force to extract water from the soil, and excessive fertilization causes roots to shrivel, making it difficult for them to absorb water. Root rot and roots being more susceptible to disease also occur.