Grass Turned Yellow After Fertilizing: Reasons and Remedial Actions

Before we get to matters regarding grass turned yellow after fertilizing, let’s start with a simple introduction. My name is Gretchen, and I am a gardening enthusiast. Since my husband and I purchased our country home and moved in, we have been able to cultivate a beautiful garden, but this hasn’t been without challenges. Like many garden owners, lawn turning yellow after fertilizing has been a problem that I’ve had to deal with. In this article, I will be sharing the causes of the grass turn yellow predicament, and the actions I took to save my garden.

What Causes Yellow Spots on Lawn After Fertilizing

Contrary to your expectations of the lawn blossoming, applying fertilizer on your garden might have resulted in the unanticipated results of yellow patches occurring. Unfortunately, this is a problem that many homeowners have had to deal with without certainty of how to go about it. With that said, you might be wondering, ‘why is my grass yellow after mowing?’ Before we take a look at ways of how to fix the situation, let’s look into the reasons behind the yellow spots on lawn after fertilizing:

The cause of yellow spots in grass after fertilizing is applying too much fertilizer. Most industrial, as well as organic, fertilizers have a scorching effect, and when applied in an exceeding volume, they would scorch the grass. In some of the cases I’ve witnessed, the grass turned white after fertilizing, and this was a result of too much fertilizer.

Again, if your grass turned yellow after fertilizing, it is possible that you might have applied the wrong fertilizer. Some fertilizers are just too strong for applying on a lawn. It is for this reason that one should always check the type of constituents of fertilizer before applying on the lawn. There might also occur brown spots in lawn after fertilizing because of using less fertilizer than is recommended.

How to Fix Yellowing Grass – Recommended Remedies

Having answered why did my grass turn yellow question, you might be wondering what’s the solution to the problem. This section highlights actions that can be taken on how to repair burned grass from fertilizer.

One of the remedies on how to fix the over-fertilized lawn is by reducing the quantity of fertilizer applied to the recommended volume as per the size of your lawn. The burning effect of too much fertilizer inevitably leads to grass turning yellow and can primarily be remedied by reducing the amount applied. Also, one should consider changing the fertilizer to a milder option, which is gentle on the grass. Yellowing grass after fertilizing could be an indication that you are using a strong fertilizer manufactured for intensive agricultural production.

Also, if the fertilizer has not entirely mixed with the soil, you can make efforts to collect it, and this would help fix grass burned by fertilizer. It’s possible to see newly planted grass turning yellow, and a possible remedy would be watering the lawn. Watering helps in reducing the concentration of the fertilizer applied, leading to the minimization of the burning effect. The fertilizer dissolves in water, and watering the lawn would result in most of it being carried by runoff water. Mowing the yellowed lawn is another remedial action that facilitates aeration and promotes the growth of healthy grass.

You might observe yellow grass after mowing, which is not an occurrence that should get you worried. The cut grass following mowing turns yellow as it dries under exposure to the sun. However, it might be necessary to get rid of the cut grass so that the underlying grass can receive sufficient sunlight and air supply. Will over-fertilized grass grow back? It’s possible for over-fertilized grass to grow back once the elaborated solutions have been put into action.

However, in the worst-case scenario, if your grass has been scorched and died, it would be necessary to plant new grass. You will observe green streaks after weed and feed application. You can apply weed and feed on a lawn that is not overly destroyed by too much fertilizer, and this might help with restoring the green vibrancy.

Additional Factors to Consider for Minimizing Grass Turning Yellow

Over and above the recommended remedies, here are two additional factors to take the thought of ensuring a green and vibrant garden:

Have a Good Fertilizer Application Routine

A long-term remedy for fixing grass yellowing is having a good fertilizer application routine. This is one of the best practices in gardening for ensuring a green and vibrant lawn. This comes down to the type of fertilizer used. Different fertilizers have various reapplication intervals.

How to Avoid Overfertilizing

Depending on the size of your lawn, figure out the right fertilizer proportions, so you don’t have to deal with over-fertilizing and under fertilizing. You can measure the size of your lawn and determine the right amount of fertilizer to apply based on the recommended proportion per given area. Fertilizers come with proportional specifications as determined by the manufacturers. Always seek to adhere to them for the best results.

What Are Your Best Practices on How to Fix Grass Burned by Fertilizer?

Having a green and vibrant garden is an outcome that necessitates the consistent application of gardening best practices. Yellowing grass is a problem that can be avoided only if the right fertilizer application measures are taken. Before you apply fertilizer, ensure that the amount you intend to use is the right proportion for your garden size. Otherwise, you would be risking over-fertilizing or under fertilizing.

Additionally, water your lawn after fertilizer application to promote even distribution of the fertilizer on your lawn. You don’t want the fertilizer to be concentrated on one part of your lawn, as this would be hazardous to the grass in that area. If you observe grass yellow after mowing, you should get rid of the excess mulch to enable better aeration and sunlight supply to the underlying grass. Have you seen your grass turning yellow after fertilizing? What are the remedial actions you took to solve the problem?