Knowing how to fix an over-fertilized lawn is essential if you’re tending your own yard. Apart from assessing the damage and removing excess fertilizer, you’ll also need to water your lawn, inspect the roots, prepare the soil, and replant grass seeds.
Whether your lawn has dead patches or discolorations on the grass blades, you can still bring it back to life using the steps you’ll learn here.
6 easy steps for fixing an over-fertilized lawn
Besides promoting grass growth, fertilizing your lawn helps improve its resistance to pests and diseases, boost root development, and prevent weed infestations.
But even with the best intentions, homeowners can still make mistakes that lead to over-fertilization of their lawns. Just because your lawn is dense and thick doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Applying too much plant food can cause fertilizer burn or yellowing of the grass.
Before fixing the issue, the preliminary step is to check if your lawn is showing symptoms of over-fertilization. You certainly wouldn’t want to worsen the problem by using a solution for a wrong diagnosis.
Apart from grass turning yellow, these tell-tale signs can help you verify if you have an over-fertilized lawn:
- Browning of grass tips
- White crusty buildup
- Rapid and excessive grass growth
- Pests infestations
Once you’ve determined that your turf is indeed suffering from over-fertilization, you can start following these steps to fix your over-fertilized lawn:
Step 1: Check the extent of the damage
Examine the roots of your grass to assess how extensive the problem is. Remember to check the grassroots in random areas of your lawn. Unless the roots are already dry and crispy, you might still be able to save your lawn.
Otherwise, your grass may be beyond repair and you’ll need to reseed your lawn, which can cost anywhere from $0.09 to $0.19 per square foot.
Pro tip: Doing a soil test is a surefire way to determine whether your soil is already overloaded with nutrients.
Step 2: Sweep any excess (if you used granular fertilizer)
If you’ve applied a liquid fertilizer, you can skip this step. Otherwise, don’t water just yet.
After inspecting the damage, you must remove any leftover fertilizers on the soil. You can use a broom to sweep out the granules that haven’t been absorbed by the soil yet. If you fail to do this step, more fertilizer salt will be added to your already saturated soil. And you don’t want your soil to be laden with salt.
According to T.A. Bauder, a water quality specialist at Colorado State University Extension, saline soil (soil containing a large amount of salt) can be harmful to plant growth. So, if your soil becomes saline due to a large amount of fertilizer salt, it can inhibit the development of your grass. For newly seeded lawns, saline soil can hinder the germination of grass seeds.
Step 3: Water your lawn
Your next step is to water your over-fertilized lawn. The goal is to flush out all the excess salt from your lawn and leach the fertilizer from the soil and root zone.
You’ll need to water your lawn until the soil can’t soak anymore. That means at least an inch of water daily for a week or two. Remember to do it even in areas where the grass seems healthy.
Also, hold off on mowing during this time. Letting your grass grow taller will allow it to absorb more nutrients from the fertilizer-saturated soil.
Note: The amount of water you’ll use will depend on the size of your lawn. You can use this rainfall calculator to estimate just how many gallons of water you’ll need per watering session.
Step 4: Inspect the roots again
This part is exciting because you’ll find out whether the last three steps have worked their magic. Usually, watering diligently (step 3) for at least a week will yield new growth. If you see new grassroots, it’s a sign that the problem has been solved and you can resume your regular lawn care routine. You’ll just have to allow more time for your grass to grow.
But if this is not the case, you’ll need to replant the grass. The next steps will be specific to this task.
Step 5: Prepare the ground for replanting
You should only proceed to this step if, after doing steps 1 to 4 above, there’s still no new grassroots.
Prep work is crucial to make your soil suitable for planting new grass. If done correctly, it will allow the roots of your new grass to establish faster. Fortunately, you don’t need to use special tools for this step. You’ll just need to do the following:
- Clear the area by removing or raking the dead grass.
- Water the area for seven days.
- After watering for a week, wait two to three days before planting new grass.
Step 6: Replant the affected area
Before sprinkling new grass seed, you’ll need to add topsoil first. It will help retain moisture and allow the new seeds to germinate faster. It’s not recommended to do it the other way around because the topsoil will end up suffocating the seeds.
Depending on the quality of your topsoil, you also may need to apply lime or other soil amendments to help promote healthy grass growth.
Pro tip: Refer to our guide on “How to Care For New Grass” to avoid issues with your new lawn.
Now that you’ve fixed your over-fertilized lawn, never repeat the same mistake of applying too much fertilizer. These guides can help you learn everything you need to know about fertilizers:
- “What is Slow-Release Fertilizer?”
- “What is Quick-Release Fertilizer?”
- “Slow-Release vs. Quick-Release Fertilizer”
- “When is the Best Time to Fertilize Your Lawn?”
- “Pet-Friendly Lawn Fertilizer: What to Look For”
- “Late Summer Lawn Fertilizer: How It Helps Your Lawn”
- “Can You Combine Organic and Inorganic Fertilizer?”
- “Can You Fertilize and Seed at the Same Time?”
- “How to Select and Use Inorganic Fertilizers”
- “Organic vs. Inorganic Fertilizers”
- “5 Ways to Apply Fertilizer”
FAQ about lawn over-fertilization
How long does it take for grass to recover from fertilizer burn?
It usually takes a couple of weeks for grass to recover from the effects of over-fertilization. That’s why you’ll want to be responsible when using fertilizer.
How can I avoid over-fertilizing my lawn?
To avoid burning your grass, you must know which nutrients are lacking and apply the right amount of fertilizer properly and at the right time.
Can over-fertilization cause water pollution?
Yes, over-fertilization can cause water pollution through nutrient runoff. When the excess nitrogen and phosphorus get washed into nearby water bodies, it can lead to eutrophication or oxygen depletion and algae blooms.
Let the pros take care of your lawn
It’s never a good thing to over-fertilize your lawn. Even with the required know-how to fix an over-fertilized lawn, undoing the negative effects would still take time and effort. So, if you don’t want to worry about over-fertilization, you can hire a lawn care pro who knows how to apply fertilizers safely and properly.
Also, avoid issues by letting a local pro handle lawn care needs like mowing, aeration, and dethatching.
Main Photo Credit: Sten Porse | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0
