While fertilizer is essential for providing nutrients to your grass, too much can lead to unsightly burn. When you’ve overfertilized the lawn, you’ll start to see patches of yellow or brown grass that may need to be replanted eventually. Feed your lawn carefully to avoid causing accidental damage.

How to Treat & Prevent a Burned Lawn

1. Follow Instructions

Always read the package directions before applying fertilizer to the lawn. The instructions help prevent inadvertent damage and ensure the grass stays beautiful and green. Don’t forget to take a look at spreader instructions if this is the method with which you apply it.

2. Up the Quality

Low-quality grass feed can be full of excess chemicals and other harmful ingredients that increase the likelihood of burn. Switch to an organic fertilizer or one with a formula that doesn’t include added chemicals.

3. Don’t Stress Your Grass

Grass that is stressed by disease, excess heat, or drought is extra-vulnerable to damage. Use fertilizer sparingly if the lawn is already stressed — feed it without exacerbating the damage.

4. Remove Excess

If you find you’ve accidentally overfertilized the lawn, quickly try to remove any excess granules that are still visible in the grass. Use a broom or a powerful vacuum to pick up as much excess as possible before it dissolves.

5. Rinse Chemicals From Roots

After you’ve removed the excess granules, water the grass to flush away the leftover fertilizer. Turn on sprinklers immediately and saturate the lawn. Continue to water the grass every day for the next week in the morning to prevent fungal infections. By the end of the week, any damage will be apparent. At this point, decide if you need to reseed or resod.

Give your lawn the nutrients it needs while avoiding burn by switching to top-quality fertilizers from T & N in St. Charles County, MO. These lawn care experts have been providing professional turf products since 1988. Their products are designed to feed grass, encourage steady growth, prevent weeds, and protect your lawn throughout the winter. Visit their website to learn more about their products, or call (636) 673-2505. They ship locally to St. Louis and St. Charles counties, as well as throughout the entire U.S.