Quick Pro-Tips:
- Nitrogen (N):nitrogen is the food thataids a lawn to grow quickly, taller, and develop a darker green color.
- Phosphorus (P): phosphorus is responsible for root growth and helps aid new lawn development
- Potassium (K): potassium is a nutrient that helps guard the plant against diseases and aids in drought protection and cold tolerance.
These are three of the core nutrients used to amend soil to grow a lush green lawn. It’s what you see on the front of a fertilizer bag when you see for example 20-10-10. That is the percentage(by weight) of the three major nutrients required for healthy grass growth, always in the same order nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (N-P-K). In our example that would be20 percent nitrogen, 10 percent phosphorus and 10 percent potassium.
NPK described:
TheNwhich stands for Nitrogen provides plants with the ability to produce more chlorophyll, which then allows plants to grow quickly. With each additional nitrogen application, your lawn will grow taller and develop a darker green color. TheP which stands for Phosphorus is good for root growth, helps resist against disease, and is good for seed and young growth. If you are putting in a new lawn, look for Phosphorus. Lastly, we haveK or Potassium which helps in the process of photosynthesis and with the growth of roots while aiding in the resistance to droughts. You might consider using a high-potassium fertilizer at the start of winter and summer to protect crops from temperature extremes or when insects and disease have caused damage to your plants
The NPK theory was created by a scientist (Justus von Liebig) who wanted to inform people about healthy plant growth. An NPK fertilizer can be produced to specifications when it comes to the nutrient ratio.
Why don’t the the percentages equal 100 percent? That is because there are other nutrients and filler product in fertilizer mixtures. This filler helps to apply the nutrients evenly over an area.
NPK Organic Fertilizers (plant-based):
If you are looking for an organic option, your best bet is to find a plant-based, manure-based, or blended version of the NPK fertilizer. This allows for a balanced fertilizer thatstimulates through beneficial soil microorganisms and improves the structure of the soil providing long term benefits.Some plant-based NPK fertilizer are developed with alfalfa meal, soy meal, seaweed based, and cottonseed meal. These organic plant based fertilizers break down easier and have faster absorption than most at aiding in the soil..
JUST REMEMBER: THE BEST WAY TO UNDERSTAND YOUR LAWN NEEDS ARE BY PERFORMING A HIGH-QUALITY SOIL TEST!
Cheers!
The Lawn Serv Team
CHECK OUT OUR LAWN CARE SUBSCRIPTION BOX FOR WAYS TO TREAT YOUR LAWN AND MANAGE NPK's
