What should I do if I over-fertilized?

I over-fertilized my yard and the fertilizer is killing my grass. What can I do to fix the problem? 

The only remedy for over-fertilization is to flush the excess fertilizers out of the soil with water. If it is a spill and you can catch it right away, vacuum or sweep up as many particles as possible. If it’s been awhile and now you’re starting to see results of the over-fertilization, be prepared to mow the lawn frequently.

The grass will grow rapidly from the fertilizer and water application. But, be careful, as it will be easy to ruin your grass by scalping it from cutting it too short. Never wait too long between mowings. And never cut more than one-third of the leaf blade at one mowing.

Your schedule should be determined by how quickly the grass is growing and not by the calendar. Flushing the lawn with water will take some effort, but it is the only way to deal with this issue. Even then it could be challenging depending on when during the growing season the excess fertilizer was applied.

If you catch the problem early, the excessive watering will help. If you do not notice problems for two to four weeks, the watering will still be necessary, but the plant will already be in bad condition and will take longer to recover.

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