Organic and synthetic iron supplements can help to restore dying lawns. While both types of supplements work differently, they all re-integrate nutrients into your lawn and help your grass grow thicker and greener.
When you’re looking for greener grass in Charlotte, NC, you can partner with the MetroGreenscape team to determine which of these supplements — and which integration method — will have the greatest effect on your grass.
- Contents
- Why Lawns Need Iron
- Types of Iron Lawn Supplements
- How to Apply Iron to Lawns
- When to Apply Iron to Lawns
- Signs that Your Lawn May Benefit from Iron Supplements
- Tips and Tricks for Iron Application
Why Lawns Need Iron
Your grass needs an iron supplement to grow green and strong. Without a reasonable amount of iron in the soil, your lawn becomes more basic in its pH, making it difficult for grass and other plants to take root. A lawn without the proper amount of iron can start to turn yellow and die off.
If you want to reinvigorate your lawn, it’s best to turn to a commercial iron lawn supplement. You can integrate these supplements easily to boost your grass’s color and growth.
Types of Iron Lawn Supplements
When you’re on the lookout for iron lawn supplements, you’ll have the choice of synthetic or organic mixes.
Synthetic
Synthetic iron lawn supplements do not tend to have a lot of additional nutrients worked into their mix. While there may be trace elements of nitrogen or potassium in the blend, these supplements are designed to give your lawn an immediate iron boost without doing much else for the soil.
This isn’t a bad thing, of course. Synthetic lawn supplements help lawns to regain their greenery much more quickly than organic supplements. You can integrate an iron supplement into traditional fertilizer, as well, if you want to continue to treat the health of your soil.
With that being said, you will need to make sure that the synthetic supplement you bring home does not include unsafe ingredients. The EPA has identified a few synthetic iron supplements that have inclusions of arsenic and lead, both of which can be harmful for your lawn and home.
Organic
Organic iron lawn supplements use recycled microbes to treat an unhealthy lawn. The combination of nitrogen in organic fertilizers, in addition to the presence of iron, reinvigorates your soil with nutrients that may have bled away either due to the presence of weeds or poor weather.
Most organic iron lawn supplements work slowly, which means that you’ll see the benefits impact the health of your lawn for a long while after your initial application.
Similarly, these supplements usually have a limited amount of salt in them, so that they’re less likely to do long-term damage to high-heat lawns. However, you won’t see your lawn bounce back quite as quickly as you would if you use a synthetic iron lawn supplement.
How to Apply Iron to Lawns
There are two different ways to add iron to your lawn: Via spray or granular integration.
Spray iron allows you to feed your lawn via foliar means. To kickstart this process, you brush iron through the blades of grass in your lawn instead of integrating it into your soil. Your grass will then consume the supplement, circulate it through its root system, and receive nutritional benefits.
Granular integration is often mixed as an iron supplement into your soil. This process is simpler if you’re laying new seeds or if you have patches of dirt exposed throughout your lawn.
You can, however, lay a granular iron supplement in an established lawn, as well. While granular integration takes longer to impact the health of your grass, its presence tends to linger. This means that your lawn is likely to grow green for longer.
When to Apply Iron to Lawns
Determining when to use iron supplements on your lawn can be a challenge. The best times will vary based on the type of supplement you choose to use, as well as your integration method.
On average, it’s safe to use both synthetic and organic supplements up to four times a year. When you use organic supplements, it’s best to seed your lawn with iron just as the weather starts to warm up in spring. You’ll want to use synthetic supplements shortly after the final frost of the season, as it tends to work its magic quickly.
If you’re not sure which supplement to use on your lawn or how to best integrate it into your lawn, a professional lawn care team, like MetroGreenscape in Charlotte, can give you guidance.
Signs that Your Lawn May Benefit from Iron Supplements
Not every lawn needs an iron supplement to boost its growth. There are times, though, when it becomes clear that your lawn needs some kind of boost to regain its original greenery.
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
- Failing sod
- Standing water
If you’re not sure whether iron supplements may benefit your lawn, consider conducting a soil pH test. A lawn with a higher-than-average pH may not benefit from the integration of a supplement, but more basic lawns will.
Tips and Tricks for Iron Application
When you first apply an iron supplement to your lawn, it’s easy to go overboard. Instead of losing both money and time on lawn over-invigoration, keep some of the following application tips in mind:
Apply With Care
Both organic and synthetic supplements should only be applied to your lawn four times a year. Any more than that and you risk oversaturating your lawn. An oversaturated lawn may turn gray, fail to grow, or otherwise start to die off.
Vary Your Application
Different integration methods — spray, sprinkling, and so on — can have different impacts on your lawn’s health. If you want to see a different kind of growth throughout your lawn after your initial application, consider changing your integration method.
Work with Professionals
No two iron supplements can be applied to your lawn through the same means. If you’re not sure what kind of treatment your lawn may most benefit from, you can get in touch with the MetroGreenscape team. We’ll work with you to assess the health of your lawn and determine which of the available iron supplements may help restore its greenery.
Let MetroGreenscape Get to Work for You
Don’t let your lawn take a turn for the worst this year. If you want to get ahead of grass die-off, get in touch with the MetroGreenscape team. Our team can assess the health of your lawn and let you know if you’re contending with nutrient loss.
Once we have the basics information in hand, we can help you to choose the best iron supplement for your lawn’s health. We’ll take on the work of integrating a supplement into your lawn and can revisit your home four times a year to ensure the greatest long-term grass growth.
Are you ready to celebrate a lush, green lawn? Reach out to a team representative by calling (704) 504-0980 or filling out our online form.
