While all plants need oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon, there are other elements you can add to your lawn or garden to stimulate healthy growth in your yard.

The big three elements to pay attention to are:

• Nitrogen (N) – assists with leaf development and produces the lush green color of your lawn
• Phosphorus (P) – promotes strong root growth and encourages development of fruits, flowers, and seeds
• Potassium (K) – also helps with root development and aids with disease resistance, strengthens the general structure of the plant

Depending on the age of your lawn, you will want different ratios of these three elements. Most fertilizer packaging provides the ratio of each element in the mixture to make this choice a bit easier for you. If you have a new lawn, you will want one with more phosphorus and potassium that will provide a solid foundation for many years to come. If you are looking to stimulate a lawn that is well established, try to find a fertilizer mostly comprised of nitrogen, with small amounts of phosphorus and potassium. If your lawn is stressed or needs extra assistance, a fertilizer with extra potassium is the one you should purchase. The extra potassium will strengthen your lawn and get your yard back to health.

Once you decide the right type of fertilizer for your lawn, be sure to follow the directions for application. Too much of one element is not a good thing, and there is such a thing as over-fertilizing your lawn. By now following the directions, you risk damaging your lawn and spending unnecessary money on even more specialized fertilizer.

Also, keep in mind that fertilizer doesn’t work right away over night. You have to give your lawn time to readjust to the new nutrition levels in the soil.