The most recognizable sign that something just isn't right is the crusting of fertilizer on the top of the soil. That's a great indication that you've put way too much on there! The reason you're seeing these signs? It's due to the amount of salt in the topsoil, which makes it challenging for the grass to absorb water.
Rinse the soil with water.
Next, use a garden hose or sprinkler to flush the soil. Aim to apply about 1 inch of water each day for 4 to 7 days in a row. This will help to dissolve the salts in the fertilizer and remove any buildup of excess fertilizer in the soil.
If you've overdone it with the fertilizer, you may still be able to save your lawn. Burned lawns will need a generous amount of water to get back to green.
Recognizing Over-Fertilization Lawn Symptoms
It shows up as scorched areas of the lawn (literally looked “burned”) and is typically crispy and yellow (or brown). If you've overapplied to the entire lawn it might not be enough to burn it but you might notice symptoms such as brown or yellow tips on the grass blades.
In most instances, watering will help fix your over-fertilized lawn. You should be able to see new growth after 7 to 14 days of watering. If nothing changes after this period, it's time to reinspect the roots. Check to see if there are new grassroots.
Excess salt from fertilizer can build up in grass, scorching it and turning it brown. Your lawn might have this “fertilizer burn” if brown spots appear one to two days after fertilizing the lawn and the spots follow the pattern of where you applied the fertilizer.
Add nitrogen and fertilizer
Give those spots a healthy boost of nutrients with a nitrogen and fertilizer combination. It will help them regrow faster than spots without nutrients. This method tends to be most effective for smaller areas of severely impacted grass.
At Master Lawn, we typically say to wait 24 hours before watering your lawn after fertilizing. But it is important to make sure that it does receive a good watering session soon after that 24 hour waiting period. Watering helps the fertilizer to activate and to break down and begin feeding nutrients to the lawn.
Fertilizer and Water
A day or two before applying fertilizer, water your lawn thoroughly. After grass dries, apply fertilizer. Then lightly water again. This second watering is vitally important, because it washes fertilizer off grass blades and into soil.
Timing: Apply late spring lawn fertilizer once between April and June, 6 to 8 weeks after the early spring feeding. If you have purchased the Scotts® Turf Builder® Annual Program, apply the Spring product now. It will help your lawn grow strong roots while killing dandelion, clover, and other listed weeds.
What Does Fertilizer Burn Look Like? The primary symptoms of fertilizer burns on plants are yellow or brown spots on their foliage. Foliage fertilizer burn can also show up as burnt, crunchy leaves. Lawn fertilizer burn shows up as streaks of discoloration on grass blades and dry brown patches of dead lawn grass.
There is no way to revive dead grass, but you can nurture brown or even yellowing grass back to health. If you live in an area that gets a lot of rain, then you can let mother nature hydrate the lawn on your behalf.
Regular fertilization throughout the growing season helps provide the nutrients your grass needs for thicker, healthier growth.
“I don't recommend fertilizing before or after a heavy rain because the fertilizer can be leached out of the soil or washed away before it can be consumed by the root zone,” Clarke says. Instead, the best time to fertilize the lawn is right before a light to moderate rainfall.
Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium take time to absorb into your soil. Doing anything too drastic on your lawn, such as cutting your grass, will disrupt this process. We always suggest to our clients that they wait 24 to 48 hours before mowing their lawn after fertilization.
Feeding in the early summer helps strengthen the lawn so it can better withstand the heat and drought conditions that summer is famous for. Scotts® Turf Builder® releases its nutrients slowly over time, making it the go-to fertilizer for all grass types.
If it's due to fertilizer overlap, your lawn probably looks like a checkerboard, with burned (yellow or brown) areas in the middle of each square. Or, you may have very green sections next to brown patches or lines.
Follow Watering Schedule
That can make it difficult to know if the grass is still alive. You can get a better idea of what's causing the brown color by following a consistent watering schedule. Watering will help dormant grass become green again, while dead grass will remain brown.
If your grass is dormant due to a lack of water, it can turn green within a week of watering it again. If your grass is dormant due to cold temperatures, it should turn green again in early to mid-spring depending on your climate and the weather.
If your grass is turning brown despite watering, it's possible that you may have a problem with disease, caused by microscopic living organisms. These include bacteria, fungi, and nematodes, among others.
Dozens of diseases and fungi can turn your lawn brown. This time of year, when watering is in full swing and there's often high humidity, fungus is everywhere. One common moisture-loving fungus, brown patch, usually hangs out in the soil munching decomposing plant matter.
Your browning lawn may be the result of a disease that's appropriately named Brown Patch. It is caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia and can show up seemingly overnight. Your lawn will need to be treated with a fungicide to address this lawn disease. Fortunately, it is easy to get rid of with the proper treatment.
Aerate and Overseed Your Lawn When Needed
Water and nutrients need to reach lawn roots in order to lead to thicker and greener grass. Over time, lawns can become compact, whether it's from traffic or harsh weather, limiting this easy access of water and nutrients. The solution is annual aeration.
Mowing actually helps make your grass grow thicker because the tip of each blade contains hormones that suppress horizontal growth. When you cut the lawn, you remove these tips allowing the grass to spread and grow thicker near the roots.