When the warm spring weather hits, it's time to get your lawn in Tennessee back on a routine again to promote and support its healthy growth. A much-needed trim and a nourishing feeding through lawn mowing and fertilization are the best ways to help your grass start the new growing season on the right foot. However, you'll want to ensure you do these correctly: mow first, then fertilize. Mowing your lawn first trims down overgrown grass blades and removes debris to help the fertilizer treatment reach the soil efficiently. Once your grass is at the ideal height, fertilize it 24 hours to a few days after mowing it to reduce the chances of stressing it out. It's also crucial to wait until your lawn is growing again and starting to green up before mowing and fertilizing it in the spring.

Mow your lawn before fertilizing it in the spring to remove overgrown grass.

Before you start feeding your lawn in the spring with a nutrient-packed fertilizer treatment, you'll first want to mow it. Mowing your lawn first will trim down overgrown grass blades and remove any debris that may potentially block the fertilizer from getting to the soil. By mowing before applying a fertilizer treatment, the fertilizer will be better able to reach the soil and make its way to the roots of your grass where it is most needed. This allows for optimal nutrient absorption, encouraging stronger grass and root growth.

When mowing your lawn for the first time, make sure you set the mower at the right height so you never cut too much from the grass blades!

Fertilize 24 hours to a few days after mowing your lawn for the first time in the spring.

Crew applying granular fertilizer on grass.

Once you have mowed your lawn, don't fertilize just yet! It's ideal to wait at least 24 hours to a few days after mowing your lawn to apply the fertilizer treatment to reduce any risk of stressing out your grass. Lawn mowing involves cutting the grass blades, which can put minimal stress on your turf. When you wait at least a day to fertilize your grass after mowing it, you give the grass blades enough time to heal from being cut. Applying a fertilizer treatment too early can potentially result in burning the grass blades, leading to browning and a weaker lawn.

Wait until your lawn is starting to green up before mowing or fertilizing it in the spring.

While we know that you should mow first before fertilizing your lawn in the spring, you should never do any of it when your lawn is dormant. During winter, your grass enters a dormant stage, where it halts its growth to preserve energy. It emerges in the spring when the weather warms up again. Before you mow or fertilize your lawn in the spring, make sure it is starting to green up and growing actively again.

Mowing your lawn when it is still dormant can be detrimental to its health because it could have a difficult time recovering from the stress. Fertilizing a dormant lawn can also be futile because the grass won't be able to absorb the nutrients. By waiting for your grass to grow again before mowing and fertilizing it in the spring, you can rest assured that it is in an active state again to reap the intended benefits of lawn care.

Call us today to schedule our lawn fertilization service!

Here at Performance Lawns Inc., we offer a lawn fertilization service to commercial and residential properties in Gallatin, Hendersonville, Lebanon, TN, and nearby areas. Whether you have a cool-season or warm-season lawn, our team offers treatment schedules tailored to your grass type to meet its specific needs. Our team uses high-quality granular fertilizer treatments chock full of essential nutrients that will bolster your lawn's growth and help it fight off stressors. Give us a call today at (615) 708-5549 to schedule our lawn fertilization service.