Growing and maintaining a thick, lush green lawn in Michigan should be easy. Our climate is ideal for Cool-season grasses, like Kentucky Bluegrass and Perennial Rye and Fescue. However, there is a proper time to fertilize your lawn throughout the year.

When to fertilize your lawn in Michigan is based on providing the right balance of nitrogen and essential nutrients during your lawn’s active growing seasons. In Michigan, the ideal fertilizing program involves five applications throughout the year.

Let’s quickly break down these applications:

1st Application-(March-April)

We apply Pre-emergent Crabgrass Control of golf course quality fertilizer.  Our visit promotes spring green-up and recovery from winter stresses.  Crabgrass Control is applied with a specialty formulated fertilizer.

Depending on how you fertilized in the Fall, your lawn will wake up with a jump start and green quickly or need a little extra help getting the right nitrogen and nutrient level up. Either way your lawn is going to wake up hungry and need feeding.

During this period of growth your lawn is strengthening its roots and gathering nutrients before the late spring heavy growing season. This is also the period when you will be most effective at fighting off any crabgrass holding over from the previous year.

2nd Application-(May-June)

We apply a golf course quality fertilizer and weed control.  This application is for your lawn’s need for extra nutrients.  This visit improves the color and density of your lawn.  Broadleaf weed control is also applied at this time.

In late spring, your lawn goes into a hyper-growth mode and as a result it has a voracious appetite. If you haven’t fertilized by this point, your grass will quickly use up all of its stored nutrients and begin to struggle. At the same time broadleaf weeds are actively growing and will quickly overcome your beautiful lawn–and anger your neighbors with your dandelion field.

This round of fertilizer treatment is critical to establishing a beautiful lawn for the whole season.

3rd Application-(June-July)

We apply a golf course quality fertilizer.  A summer application of fertilizer promotes color without pushing growth.  We will also do a complete inspection for grassy weeds and spot treat as necessary at this application.

As you move into summer you head into a tough season for your grass, even in Southeast Michigan. Your lawn is battling heat, drought, foot traffic, and insects. This round of fertilizer treatment and a properly maintained sprinkler system is your best defense.

4th Application-(August-September)

We apply another healthy dose of golf course quality fertilizer and weed control.  This fertilizer helps to thicken the lawn and encourages new root growth.  Another broadleaf weed control application is also done at this time.

5th Application-(September-October)

We apply a gold course quality fertilizer.  This is a special nitrogen application that promotes root growth and food storage important for winter survival.

Fall, in Michigan, brings back ideal growing conditions to strengthen your lawn for the remainder of the season and prepare it for a long dormant winter. Cool nights, warm days, and plentiful rainfall with a fresh morning dew is heaven for your lawn. This makes it probably one of the most important fertilization cycles in your lawn care program. It feeds an aggressively growing lawn, strengthens roots, and begins to stockpile nutrients for the winter and a fast, green start in the following spring.

A simple fertilization and lawn care program like the one outlined above, and provided by Emerald Rich Lawns, will make you the envy of the neighborhood.

Do you have questions about your lawn or the right lawn care program to make all your neighbors green with envy? Give us a call at (734) 479-1234 or email us at emeraldrich@comcast.net and we’ll help you out.