Feeding a warm-season lawn in late spring to early summer gives it plenty of nutrients for the most active period. Applying fertilizer in late August or early September, however, will add nutrients that help the grass to overcome summer stresses. Aeration with a core aerator will improve the soil to reduce that compacting and make room for new grass roots. Reduces incidences of disease in the summer. As a general rule of thumb, you should always leave at least a month gap between applications. Knowing when to fertilize your lawn, and how often to do so, will help you to maintain vibrant and healthy grass that will have your neighbors green with envy. The benefits of fertilizing in fall have been stated by many studies, and by the research of universities such as the University of Colorado. A quick fix. This adds a nutritionally balanced feed back into the mix. “I think synthetic fertilizers have run their course,” says Nate Clemmer, CEO of Philadelphia-based Branch Creek Lawn, a producer of organic lawn care products. The tradeoff in organic lawn care is that you give up the near-instant green-up gratification that comes with synthetic fertilizers. These are great for the higher nitrogen needs of late season cool season grasses. Here is a very informative video of the Lawn Care Nut showing how to evenly spread the fertilizer: How often to fertilize a lawn is also something of a matter of choice. If your soil is lacking organic matter, you may need to add a topdressing of 1 to 2 inches of quality compost, or a compost-sand mix, before seeding. “These blooms can make the water smell and taste bad and decrease its recreational value. Feed your lawn with an organic fertilizer around Memorial Day (late May or early June). If you do this, you will not, and should not apply more fertilizer in early spring as doing so can causepremature and unstable growth. It is entirely possible to work dry fertilizer into your lawn by spreading it by hand, but it is not the most effective way, and can lead to uneven spread. The term refers to special blends of fertilizer that are designed to be applied to lawns … For better organic lawn fertilization in Ohio, apply balanced granular fertilizer in spring and fall to flowering trees and shrubs. If it gets stuck after an inch or two, it’s likely time to water. Another option is the broadcast spreader,which releases the fertilizer in a circular motion,covering more ground, but requiring more setup to ensure its accuracy. If there is an insect infestation can be dealt with by … more insects! But it’s just the notion that there’s no limit to it — and if we get in trouble we’ll fix it — that concerns me.”. “They work at Mother Nature’s speed,” says Ron Neitzel of Cleveland, whose book “The Green Wizard’s Gude” was published in February 2019. Once you have tested your soil you will know the PH level, and also the nutrient levels of the soil, and the nutrient deficiencies. Organic lawn care takes a long-range view of lawn health and looks for solutions rather than fixes. The first step to fertilizing your lawn, if you have not done already, is to have your soil tested. To do this you can break up the yearly requirements of nitrogen into an even spread over the course of the applications.Little and often tends to work more effectively than slapping a year's worth of nutrients on your lawn in one sitting, so try to aim for an even spread. According to the Ohio State University Extension, “One major disadvantage of organic fertilizers is that they tend to be bulky compared to chemical fertilizers, so more pounds of product must be applied to deliver the same amount of actual nutrient.”.