Fertilizing the grass is a regular task that must be completed at least once or twice a year. If you don’t fertilize properly, your lawn will eventually turn brown and die because it lacks the nutrients it needs to grow. For fertilizing you can use a spreader or do it by hand.
Use a hose-end sprayer
A good way to fertilize without a spreader is to use a hose-end sprayer.
The idea is to attach a hose-end sprayer to your spigot and turn it on so that water comes out. The fertilizer goes in the sprayer, and you have a chance of applying it evenly over an entire lawn by slowly walking across your yard while spraying.
Advantages of such method are that you don’t have to get your hands dirty with the fertilizer, and it’s easy to do. The disadvantage is that you are limited to how much liquid fertilizer you can use at one time, so your lawn might not get all the nutrients it needs.
Spreading fertilizer by your hands
Fertilizing the lawn without a spreader is not an easy task.
The best way to do it would be to grab some fertilizer in one hand, then move along the ground spreading it out with the other. This can take hours for just a small yard of grass. If you have more than one type of fertilizer you want to use, this could be difficult.
This is a good option for small spaces but might be too time-consuming for large yards.
Before you begin, double-check that you have the required safety equipment. This includes:
- Gloves are worn to prevent direct contact with the chemicals.
- Avoid breathing chemicals by wearing chemical masks or wide-spectrum general masks.
- It’s also really important to cover your toes with garden shoes, which will protect them from chemicals.
Advice for fertilizing by hands
Start fertilizing from one corner of the lawn. It’s not a good idea to start at the midpoint because you’ll lose balance. Make sure that the nutrient concentration you’re using is appropriate for the rest of the lawn. Take the fertilizer in your hand and walk down the length of imagined lines with it. Maintain a suitable length with the next line after finishing one.
You can keep an eye on over- and under-fertilization by doing this.
