Understanding Lawn Fertilizer Burn: Identification and Fixes

Lawn fertilizers are formulated with salts that help restore nutrients in the soil for healthy growth of grass. However, incorrect use of fertilizers can cause more harm than good. Applying more fertilizer on your lawn than required by the grass will always cause fertilizer burn.

Plants are usually unable to process fertilizer when supplied in excess. This creates salt buildup in the soil, which draws water away from plant tissues. The drought-like effect on plants makes them turn yellow, brown, or completely die due to the inability to absorb water.

Lawn fertilizer burn is characterized by brown or dried grass in spots, scorched stripes, or completely bald spots once the grass wilts and dies. Many people see this after applying fertilizer a day or two later. It feels frustrating because you wanted to help your lawn, but the opposite happened. 

Fortunately, you can reverse lawn fertilizer burn if you act fast. But first of all, let’s look at why lawn fertilizer burns happen.

Lawn Fertilizer Burn Causes

Various mistakes during lawn nourishment can lead to fertilizer burns in your turn. They include the following:

• Applying more than the recommended amount – When fertilizing a lawn, never think that more is better. Excess fertilizer is more harmful than even none. This is one mistake that can cost your lawn
• Miscalculating the size of a lawn – Usually, lawn fertilizer is applied based on the size of the yard. If you miscalculated the size of your lawn, you may end up providing too much or too little fertilizer for your plants.
• Fertilizing a lawn in bad weather – Surface runoff or speeding winds may concentrate fertilizer in certain spots in a lawn, and this will typically lead to fertilizer burns.
• Nourishing stressed grass – Excess heat or drought conditions are the main stressors of grass and other plants. Stressed plants won’t be able to process and absorb fertilizer. This may increase its concentration in the soil.
• Inappropriate fertilizer products – Grass needs fertilizer in a given N-P-K ratio based on the stage of growth. Using unbalanced fertilizer, especially on new grass, will result in fertilizer burns. 
• Filling a spreader on the lawn – Some granules of fertilizer may accidentally spill on your grass if you decide to fill your spreader right on your lawn. The same can happen if you forgot to close the hopper.
• Failure to read label instructions – Reading and following what the fertilizer manufacturer recommends can help you avoid many mistakes.

How to Spot Fertilizer Burn on Your Lawn

The signs usually show up quickly, often within one to three days after applying fertilizer.

The grass blades turn yellow first, then brown at the tips. The tips look scorched or crispy, like they were touched by fire. In bad cases, whole patches die and turn straw-colored. 

You might see streaks across the lawn if you walked back and forth with the spreader and overlapped too much. These streaks follow your walking path.

Spots from spills look different – small circles or blobs that are completely brown, while the rest of the lawn might still be green. Sometimes the grass wilts even if you watered it recently because the roots cannot pull water properly.

It is easy to mix this up with other problems like drought, dog urine, fungus, or insects. But fertilizer burn often has sharp edges between green and brown areas, and it appears right after you feed the lawn. If the damage follows spreader lines or has pile spots, it is almost always burn.

To check, look at the grass blades closely. Burned ones feel dry and brittle. If you pull gently, they might come out easily in dead areas. Healthy roots are white and firm; burned roots can look brown or shriveled.

How to Reverse Lawn Fertilizer Burn

Lawn fertilizer burn can be reversed if you act faster. Usually, the yellow or brown streaks can recover with the right care. Unfortunately, when crunchy and dead, the grass cannot be revived and you’ll need to consider replanting.

Water your lawn if you spot signs of fertilizer burn. Use enough water to soak the soil 15-20 cm deep. Thorough watering helps in diluting the concentrated salts, preventing further damage. If you have a sprinkler, run it longer than usual, but check that it does not pool.

After flushing, keep the soil moist but not soggy. The grass might look worse at first because more brown shows as damaged blades dry, but new growth often starts in a few weeks if the roots are not too hurt. If the patches are small and the damage is not serious, the lawn can recover on its own.

For bigger dead spots, you may need to reseed or lay new sod. Rake out dead grass gently, add some topsoil if needed, spread seed that matches your lawn type, and keep it moist until it sprouts.

Aerate the soil if it is hard – poke holes with a fork to help water and air reach the roots better. Avoid adding more fertilizer until the lawn is fully green and strong again, which can take weeks or months, depending on how bad it was.

In severe cases where most of the lawn is dead, you might have to start over in those areas. But even then, many lawns bounce back with patience and good care. If the grass wasn’t killed by the fertilizer, it should start recovering in less than 2 weeks. If there is no change, then it’s likely the grass is dead.

How to Prevent Lawn Fertilizer Burn

You can avoid lawn fertilizer burn through the following tips:

1. Choose and use lawn fertilizer correctly

Lawn fertilizers come in various forms and strengths applicable at various stages of plant growth. Understand if you are dealing with concentrated liquid fertilizers or granules. Know which one to use when your grass is still young and when it has established itself. All the information is available on the product label.

2. Always read and follow label instructions

There are always instructions labeled on fertilizer packaging that you should not ignore at all. The instructions usually guide on the quantity of fertilizer to use, when to apply, and its nutritional value to the plants. Reading label instructions also helps in exercising safe fertilizer use as a way of protecting your pets, children, and other family members.

3. Remove any excess fertilizer and water the area

Remove as much fertilizer as you can from the grass if you realize that you applied excess or accidentally spilled it. Then water the area heavily to neutralize the salts before they damage your grass.

4. Avoid fertilizing stressed grass

Do not fertilize grass that is stressed by drought, extremely hot weather, or diseases. This is to avoid the accumulation of fertilizer mineral salts in the soil as a result of not being fully absorbed by the stressed plants.

5. Fertilize a lawn after rains

The best time to fertilize a lawn is a day or so after heavy rain. By this time, the weather is calm, there are no pools of water in the lawn, and the soil is moist but not soaked. This prevents the possibility of fertilizer clogging or concentrating in specific areas of the lawn.

6. Only apply the recommended amount of fertilizer 

You should take your lawn measurements and use the data when ordering lawn fertilizer. Never think that more is good when it comes to gardening products.

7. Correctly use a fertilizer spreader

Avoid filling your fertilizer spreader while on your lawn to avoid accidental spills. When using your spreader, only make uniform passes as you apply the fertilizer.

8. Test your soil sometimes

 A simple soil test kit or lab test shows what nutrients your lawn really needs. You might not need as much nitrogen as you think.

Final Thought

No doubt fertilizing a lawn keeps the grass healthy, prevents weeds, and makes a lawn to establish quickly. This can only be achieved if you use the right type of fertilizer for your grass, in the right amount at the right time. Otherwise, incorrect use of fertilizer can damage your lawn, pollute the environment, and waste your resources.