How to Fertilize My Lawn if the Grass Has Flowers

A lawn needs fertilizer if the grass is to grow strong roots and develop. You can use nitrogen-based fertilizer on the lawn, but must be adapted to take into consideration flowers that are already growing. Discern the correct amount of nitrogen to use that will leave your lawn grass healthy, while not affecting the flowers. Understanding the composition of the fertilizer grades will enable you to accomplish this.

Paper
Pencil
Calculator
Fertilizer spreader

Instructions

- 1
  Write down the three numbers listed on a bag of fertilizer -- the fertilizer is available at select hardware stores and home and garden shops.
- 2
  Mark the following name by each number, starting with the first number and ending with the last number: nitrogen, phosphate, potash.
- 3
  Write down the actual percentage of the three numbers noted for the three ingredients in the bag of fertilizer using the following formula: Nutrient weight (percentage) = total bag weight X percentage of each nutrient.
- 4
  Select a fertilizer that has a high percentage of Nitrogen and of Phosphorus; the nitrogen promotes the growth of the grass while the Phosphorus helps the flowers to grow. An equal number of Nitrogen to Phosphorus will provide what is needed for both.
- 5
  Pour the fertilizer into the hopper of a fertilizer spreader -- you can rent a hopper from select home and garden stores if you don't want to buy one outright. Calibrate the setting on the spreader to take into account the type of fertilizer being used -- instructions for this can be found in the spreader's manual.
- 6
  Walk the fertilizer spreader across the lawn, starting at one end and finishing at the other in a pattern that covers each strip of lawn a single time. Swerve around the flowers so as to leave them alone.

Flowering Plant Types

Flowers for Arbors

Flower Garden