If You Don't Get This Lawncare Task Just Right, You're Inviting Unwanted Pests

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If you have a lawn, you probably already know it needs constant care. Watering, mowing, aerating, dethatching, fertilizing, weeding — the list goes on. Fertilizing, in particular, is key to keeping your lawn lush and healthy. But you can't just spray fertilizer around randomly, and there are some things you should never do when fertilizing your lawn. You have to do it right — if you don't, your lawn could become a home to unwanted pests. Unfortunately, both under- and overfertilizing can create serious problems.

Let's start with overfertilization. When you use too much fertilizer, the soil responds by pushing a flush of soft and tender growth that attracts sap-sucking insects. Similarly, excess fertilization also leads to thatch buildup, and this spongy layer between grass blades and soil acts as a perfect sanctuary for insects, while also making the turf more susceptible to drought and damage. Overfertilization can also increase salts in the soil. This makes the grass weak and prone to more pests and diseases.

Underfertilization also makes the grass weak, and stressed, nutrient-depleted grass simply cannot defend itself from pests. Furthermore, when the grass doesn't get enough fertilizer, it starts dying, and the turf starts thinning. A weak, thin turf is not just prone to insects that feed on the grass but also to weeds. Some weeds harbor these pests, and some are pests themselves.

Since both under- and overfertilizing are among the lawn maintenance errors that can result in a major pest problem, it is important to get it right. The first rule of fertilizing your lawn is to know your grass. Different turf grasses have different nutrient needs. Take, for instance, Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis). Its fine, soft texture makes it one of the more popular lawn grasses, but it needs more nitrogen than tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum), which is another commonly used grass for lawns. 

However, just knowing the grass type on your lawn is not enough. Testing the soil before adding fertilizer is equally important because a lack of nutrients is often not the problem, but other things that make it difficult for the grass to take up those nutrients, such as improper soil pH levels. There are many home-based soil testing kits that you can use to test your lawn's soil, such as Luster Leaf's Rapitest soil test kit.

Besides that, make sure you know when the right time to fertilize your lawn is. You don't want to do it when the turf is dormant from a drought or cold weather. Not only does that waste the fertilizer, but it can also encourage weed growth, which can attract pests. Finally, always follow the instructions on the fertilizer label.