Several great products are available if you're wondering what fertilizer to use in August and July. Some of the best include
Fertilize. Apply an application of Milorganite® around the 4th of July (northern grasses). A summer application of Milorganite will continue to give your lawn the nutrients it needs. Milorganite will not burn your lawn even in the hottest temperatures and driest conditions.
Timing: Apply summer lawn fertilizer once between June and August, 6 to 8 weeks after the late spring feeding. Following the Scotts® Turf Builder® Annual Program? Apply the Summer product now to help make the most of each watering and encourage deep root growth.
Slow-Release Fertilizer Better in The Summer
Using slow-release fertilizers minimizes the risk of fertilizer burn, while also staying in the soil longer. Slow-release fertilizers are often formulated to last one to three months depending upon the amount of water your lawn receives.
Applying lime to a lawn in summer is very common, as that's the optimal time to apply quite a few types of fertilizer. But remember, lime treatments aren't fertilizer, and while applying lime to your lawn in the middle of summer isn't bad, it's not optimal.
Avoid applying fertilizers when plants are dormant or under heat and drought stress. Fertilizers should be incorporated into the soil to prevent losses. If you cannot physically incorporate a fertilizer at this point in the season, it may be best to stick with a water-soluble fertilizer.
In Summer: Apply Scotts® Turf Builder® Annual Program Summer
To keep your lawn thick and green during the hot summer months, apply Scotts® Turf Builder® Annual Program Summer between June and August. The Summer product helps your lawn maximize water usage by driving water into the soil (so there's less runoff).
Refrain from applying fertilizer to a lawn in mid- or late-summer if you live in a climate where cool-season grasses are in your lawn seed mix. A cool-season lawn should need nothing other than water and pest management until September.
No matter what type of fertilizer you use, it's important not to apply it during periods of drought or heavy rainfall. Many fertilizers need multiple waterings to soak into the soil, so applying them during a drought leaves your grass vulnerable to surface burns and slow growth.
Feed. 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.
Drought Stress
Like any plant, grass reacts to summer's high temperatures and lack of water with wilting, browning, or even death. Here's how to detect drought stress: Locate a brown patch, and pull on the grass. If it won't pull easily from soil and is firmly rooted, it's likely brown due to drought.
Excessively hot weather and exposure to full sun throughout the day causes a lawn to dry out and turn yellow in warmer seasons.
Harsh Weather. Just like any other plant, your grass needs sunlight and moisture in order to grow. The harsh temperatures of summer can wear down your lawn, drying out healthy grass, and causing it to turn brown. The hot temperatures and lack of moisture means your lawn isn't getting the nutrients it needs to thrive.
Potassium is great for helping plants in times of stress. On top of that, micronutrients are always a good idea in summer, especially iron because it will keep the lawn blue-green without pushing any extra growth.
You should fertilize your cool-season lawn in fall and/or spring, and fertilize your warm-season lawn in mid-to-late spring and/or summer.
Whether or not your lawn is dormant, applying fertilizer right now, with the high temperatures we've been having, is not a good idea. Applying either fertilizer or weed killer when it's hot out can damage your lawn. You're better off waiting until later in summer to fertilize.
Warm season grasses should be fertilized from the time of green up in spring through September. So, if your lawn is a warm season grass go ahead and fertilize in summer to keep it nice and green. (About a pound of nitrogen for every thousand square feet every 4 to 6 weeks should do it.)
Watering on a hot summer afternoon is a horrible idea. The liquid will evaporate too quickly and may not reach your grass's roots, so heat and irrigation shouldn't go together. Instead, the best time to water grass during summer is in the morning. The ideal time for morning watering is before 9 AM.
Signs that Your Lawn May Benefit from Iron Supplements
Common signs of iron deficiency throughout your lawn include (but are not limited to): Grass that is yellow or brown. Exposed patches of soil. An uneven weed-to-grass ratio.
Both are excellent products, but they serve different purposes. Milorganite is suitable for overall lawn care, while Ironite mainly targets iron deficiency. That's why you need to examine your grass's needs and use the correct product to make it thick and green and avoid burning it during the process.