Fertilizing Information

Olympic Landscape Maintenance prides ourselves with providing the highest quality fertilizer programs, which is why we only use the highest quality products.

Below are some FAQ's that will help you understand many aspects of your lawn care needs in regards to fertilizing.

How to select a lawn fertilizer
There are four major considerations in selecting a lawn fertilizer:

1.  The analysis. This indicates the percentage (by weight) of the three major nutrients in a fertilizer:  nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.  The analysis is printed on the front of every fertilizer package, as shown here. It tells nothing, however, about the way the fertilizer will perform.  Two fertilizers with the same analysis can produce dramatically different results.

2.  The nitrogen release rate.  How fast the nitrogen is released determines not only how fast the grass will green up, but also how much it will grow, how heavy the clippings will be, how much will be  wasted by leaching and “runoff”, and how long the results will last.

For agricultural crops a fast-release fertilizer is desired ... to get the crops up, growing, and harvested with as large a crop as possible.  Lawn grasses, however, require a steady, controlled feeding to produce a thick, green lawn. 

Premium fertilizers deliver just enough quick-release nitrogen to produce a fast greening, while the balance is released gradually, by microbial action in the soil, over a period of approximately eight weeks.  As a result, the lawn is fed continuously, so there is a constant supply of nitrogen for the grass plants.

3.  Granule content. Most fertilizers supply the three basic nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) in separate granules which are of different sizes and shapes.  Because of this, the granules separate during storage, shipping and handling, with the smaller and heavier granules going to the bottom of the container.  This means that when applied to the lawn, some areas get too much of  some nutrients and not enough of others, so the results are disappointing. When choosing fertilizers, it is always best to stay with the higher end products. It is true when they say you get what you pay for!

Typical “simple-mix” fertilizers Nutrients are in separate granules, of different sizes and shapes. Settling in bag separates the nutrients, which causes uneven feeding.	High End Fertilizers Each granule is of consistent size and is homogenous in make up, containing N, P, and K in the proper proportion, to deliver consistently good results.

4.  Results. The most important of all the ways to compare fertilizers.

How often to fertilize?
It depends on how good a lawn you want.  For northern lawns, one feeding in spring and another in fall is minimum.  An attractive, thick, green lawn can be kept throughout the year with an Annual Program of four or five feedings, starting in early spring and repeated every two months, provided the right kind of fertilizer is used.

Below is the recommended treatment for the Pacific Northwest with a Bluegrass/Rye/Fescue mixture, which most lawns have.

High Quality fertilizers provide these benefits:

• The lawn is fed gradually, as the grass needs it.
• The grass grows thicker and greener instead of longer and faster.
• Each feeding combines fast green-up with long-lasting results (up to 8 weeks).
• There’s no surge growth to cause extra mowing and increased clippings.
• The feeding normally does not need to be watered-in.
• There’s no danger of burning the grass when used as directed,  even in hot weather.
• There’s no waste due to leaching or runoff of nutrients.

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