Live Oak Pest Control Logo

It's Time to FertilizeMarch Reminder.

Time to FertilizeMarch 2014 Reminder

We have had such a mild winter, and it has really taken a toll on our North Central Florida lawns.

It's time to start preparing your lawn so that your lawn will flourish with green spring growth. Neglecting spring lawn fertilizing will affect the health and look of your lawn for the rest of the year.

In North Central Florida March is the ideal time to apply granular fertilizer. Your grass is dormant (asleep) during the winter and in March with warmer air and more rain your grass or turf is waking back up. Kind of like a good breakfast, your lawn needs its nutrition just as we do to start our daily routines. Fertilizing your Florida lawn for spring supplies the grass with essential nutrients for a healthy beautiful looking lawn and promotes overall soil health.

Jump to section: Our Application | Fertilizer Grades | Maintenance


Time to FertilizeMarch 2014 Reminder"Only fertilize when the grass is actively growing since this is when the grass makes the best use of the fertilizer's nutrients. Fertilizer applied when the grass is dormant may not produce the desired response. In addition, fertilization during dormancy may cause the grass to grow at a time when it would not naturally do so, resulting in a weakened turf grass. Fertilization during times of dormancy may also contribute to nutrient leaching or runoff since the grass has less root system and, therefore, less ability to take up the nutrients." Source: University of Florida IFAS

Grass grows from March through September and early October in North Central Florida. Lawns should be fertilized between a minimum of two and up to six times each year when the grass is actively growing and based on your desired level of maintenance. Do not fertilize your lawn when your grass is not actively growing in the winter months.

It can be confusing to achieve a beautiful and pest free North Central Florida lawn: What's my grass type? How much fertilizer? What combination of Nitrogen - Phosphorus - Magnesium is best for my lawn? When to apply fertilizer? How often to apply fertilizer? Then, remembering to fertilize throughout the grass growing season. Live Oak Pest Control's highly trained Lawn Care Specialists will assist in determining the best fertilizer mixture and course of action for your spring lawn fertilization and throughout the year as well as solve lawn pest and lawn weed control problems.

It is extremely important to water your lawn, shrubs and trees after fertilization to prevent your grass from fertilizer 'burns'.

Our Spring Fertilizing Application:

Time to FertilizeMarch 2014 ReminderWe use a calibrated fertilizer applicator that applies 20 - 2 - 10 fertilizer at a constant ground and rotor speed as seen in the photo above. These NPK numbers are best used for spring fertilizing while we use a different grade for late summer. It is a highly reliable stainless steel spreader that evenly applies the fertilizer throughout the lawn. This type of fertilizer application helps prevent over application and streaking. By doing this, we are reducing over-fertilization and it helps prevent nitrate build-up in the soil.

The calibrated fertilizer applicator helps protect our delicate aquifers, rivers, lakes, ponds, creeks and streams here in North Central Florida. When fertilizer is applied at the proper rate and time, it will help strengthen your turf, which is the best deterrent to weeds! Also see Lawn Care Services for more information about Live Oak Pest Control's lawn care services.

Fertilizer Grades Explained:

Fertilizers are most commonly known by their grade; for example 20 - 2 - 10. These numbers represent the percentage of nutrients contained in the fertilizer. Below is a breakdown of what these numbers mean:

20 - 2 - 10 is equal to 20% Nitrogen, 2% Phosphorus and 10% Magnesium.
( N - P - K )

These percentages equal how many pounds of each element are in the bag of fertilizer.

Lawn Maintenance Tasks for March:

Time to FertilizeMarch 2014 ReminderDon't forget those shrubs like Azalea, Camellia, Gardenia, Hibiscus, and Lorapedlum they also need to be fertilized as well. Taking care of fertilizing your plants will help bring that plethora of beautiful fresh blossoms for spring. Make sure to put a professional in charge of beautifying your landscape who is knowledgeable about the ins and outs of weed control as well as what your area soil requires when feeding your lawn.

  • Always adjust irrigation according to rainfall and make sure all sprinkler heads are properly working and not leaking water.
  • Monitor your lawn for pests such as insects and disease.
  • Fertilize your lawn, shrubs and trees.
  • Always mow your lawn at the proper height for your type of turf grass.
"Services fully customized to
meet your needs!"

Learning CenterPest Resources