Bermudagrass – Fertilizing Before Rain

Q: My bermudagrass lawn is in great shape. Should I lime and fertilize even if there is no rain in the forecast for several days?

A: Water is the only thing that will move the fertilizer down into the root zone of the grass. You’ll have to plan on irrigating afterwards or wait to do the fertilizer job before it rains. If you leave fertilizer on the ground without watering it will slowly lose its nitrogen component and you’ll waste your money. If you are not irrigating regularly, bermudagrass doesn’t use fertilizer rapidly. It can easily go eight weeks without being fertilized.