Application Lime, fertilizer, or lawn pesticides should be applied evenly. Areas that are overlapped are receiving twice the rate, and this could cause problems. To check the calibration on your spreader, see Brieflet 1214. Apply the fertilizer so that it is available to the grass plant before a flush of growth. One application in early spring and a second application applied in early fall, when the weather becomes cooler and the grass has another flush of growth, is generally recommended.
Herbicides Be careful when applying lawn herbicides.
Trees should be especially protected since they may be stressed by other factors on the lawn, such as walkways and salt damage. Lawn herbicides are a significant stress factor in urban trees that are declining. The roots of a tree often extend beyond the dripline. Watering Improper watering can lead to many lawn problems. Frequent light waterings can be more harmful than not watering, because the soil is wet only near the surface, and this does not encourage grass roots to grow deeper into the soil to reach water during periods of low rainfall.