When To Apply Urea To Lawn [And How To]?

Although it is ideal to have a lawn with lush green grass, it is not always the simplest thing to accomplish. To aid in maintaining their lawns, many people use fertilizer, and one type is urea. Want to know when and how to apply this kind of fertilizer to your lawn? We got you! We’re here to help you as we share what we've researched from the experts.

The ideal time to apply urea fertilizer on your lawn with cool-season grasses is during late fall and late summer. While for warm-season grasses, it is during spring. Generally, it is best to apply it in the early morning with temperatures between 32°F and 60°F.

To apply urea, try the following ways:

  • Broad application
  • Foliar application

In this article, we'll discuss in-depth about urea fertilizer, especially what it does to your lawn. Also, we'll find out the details of each way of applying the fertilizer, the practices you should take into account when applying it, and more. So keep on reading.

Urea fertilizers in researcher hand, to research on nutrient and fertilizer management - When To Apply Urea To Lawn

What Is Urea?

Urea (46-0-0) is a crystalline substance that you can apply as a solid or liquid spray and is sold in granulated form. As a synthetic-organic fertilizer, urea is created from both organic and inorganic substances. When used as a nitrogen-based fertilizer, it frequently replaces ammonium nitrate in the agricultural sector.

Click here to see this urea fertilizer on Amazon.

Both fast-release and controlled-release urea formulas are available. Fertilizers that release urea quickly restore the lush green color of your lawn.

While formulas with controlled release, like urea form and sulfur-coated urea, promote growth without the risk of scorching your grass. The fungus disease dollar spot is most easily prevented and managed in lawns using urea.

What Are The Signs Of An Unhealthy Lawn?

Ground level view of a well maintained and recently cut lawn seen within a large garden just before sunset - What Are The Signs Of An Unhealthy Lawn

Thick, evenly green, weed-free grass is a sign of a healthy lawn. Healthy grass will feel like a velvety carpet when you run your palm over it.

Alternatively, unhealthy lawns will encounter one or more of the following:

  • Minimal or no thatch (made up of roots, grass stems, clippings, etc.)
  • Yellow, brown, and dead spots because of unbalanced soil pH.
  • Strange pale green or white grass circles appear in apparently healthy grass due to fungal growth.
  • Weeds overgrowth on your lawn.

What Does Urea Do To Lawns?

What Does Urea Do To Lawns weedicide spray on the weeds in the garden. spraying pesticide with portable sprayer to eradicate garden weeds in the lawn.

Urea is a highly well-liked option for people looking for an organic way to take care of their lawns. High quantities of nitrogen in this fertilizer can make your lawn appear greener and promote healthy growth.

Throughout the growing season, it's a good idea to fertilize your lawn regularly to enhance the soil's fertility and promote lawn growth. This fertilizer is simple to use and available in a variety of forms. 

The urea fertilizer is highly well-liked for use on grass, vegetables, and other plants. Ammonia, which can burn your lawn, is a naturally occurring component of urea, which both humans and animals create. To get around this issue, there are urea products on the market that were created synthetically.

Applying urea properly can offer a lot of advantages for your grass. This organic fertilizer will enhance your grass's health and look and assist you in developing a lush lawn. Fertilizer with the formula 46-0-0 has a nitrogen content of 46% and no phosphorus or potassium.

When To Apply Urea To Lawn?

Holding chemical fertilizer - When To Apply Urea To Lawn

A lawn is a ground that is covered with grasses and other hardy plants, like clover, that are mowed to a short height for aesthetic and recreational purposes. When planning to apply fertilizer on it, specifically urea, you need to know that your lawn may have two types of grasses. They are cool-season and warm-season grasses.

The ideal times to apply urea fertilizer for cool-season grasses are late fall (early October to early December) and late summer. Most of their leaves have ceased growing but are still green in the late fall.

While for warm-season grasses, apply urea fertilizer in the spring and, if necessary, six weeks prior to the start of the anticipated fall frost. Most warm-season grasses emerge from winter dormancy and begin to green up in the early spring. They quickly use the applied nitrogen fertilizer because they are actively developing.

The best time to apply urea fertilizer is in the early morning on a quiet, cold day with temperatures between 32°F and 60°F. The rate of ammonia loss is reduced at cool temperatures. 

The soil freezes at temperatures below 32°F, making it difficult for fertilizer granules to incorporate into the soil. Applying urea in conditions over 60°F on a windy day is not advised due to its high volatility.

The reaction of urea fertilizer begins in 24 hours and ends in 3–7 days. Apply the fertilizer as soon as there are no forecasted periods of heavy rain but only brief showers of half an inch or less of rainfall during the next two days.

How To Apply Urea To Lawn?

Pouring of chemical fertilizer on farmer hand over green background - How To Apply Urea To Lawn

Using urea fertilizer on your soil in the right way can help you get as much benefit out of your fertilizer as possible. Following are the options you can choose in applying the urea to your lawn.

Broadcast Application

Urea is packed and distributed as tiny, solid pellets or granules. To apply urea granules uniformly to the lawn, use a broadcast spreader. Alternatively, though it would be less precise, you might distribute the pellets by hand.

Click here to see this broadcast spreader on Amazon.

Water the lawn which will enable the soil to soak about 1 inch of water. The nitrates that your plants require are first converted from urea into ammonia gas. 

Since gasses from the soil's surface can quickly escape, applying fertilizer while the ground is wet will aid in incorporating the urea into the soil before the chemical reaction starts. The soil is better able to trap more ammonia in this manner.

Foliar Application

Due to its solubility, you can apply urea as a foliar by dissolving it in irrigation systems or water. For this task,  you need a pump sprayer as it is not practical to spend hours trying to fertilize your lawn, especially if you have a large area of it.

Click here to see this pump sprayer on Amazon.

A pump sprayer is a quick and effective way to apply an even amount of fertilizer to your plants or lawn in a short period of time when planning a foliar application. 

For an appropriate solution, you need to get a 0.5% concentrated solution by mixing one tablespoon of urea and one gallon of water. In any other case, combine four tablespoons of urea with one gallon of water to create a 2% concentrated solution for grass that is lacking in nitrogen.

After that, shake the liquid well before transferring it to the pump sprayer. Then, spritz the mixture on the grass. To absorb any remaining foliar solution into the soil, water it right away with one inch of water.

Practices In Urea Fertilizer Application

When fertilizing your lawn, it's simple to make mistakes. To avoid such mistakes, below is some information you need to know and consider.

Soil Test

Perform a soil test to evaluate the pH, amount of available nutrients, and those in need of replacement before using urea or any other fertilizer on the grass. 

Take around 12 soil samples from various locations on your lawn to a nearby lab for analysis. They'll offer you a report on your soil and suggest the best fertilizers to use in the right amounts.

Application Rate

The usual application rate is one pound of nitrogen fertilizer per 1,000 square feet. When fertilizing the lawn with urea, use this rate.

Over & Under Fertilizer

Too much fertilizer is a typical issue that can damage the ecosystem and burn the grass. However, your grass will grow more slowly, get thinner, and become malnourished if you apply too little fertilizer. Even while many stores advise applying fertilizer four times a year, most lawns can manage with two applications.

Nitrification Process

Hydrolysis happens when urea is added to moist soil. Urease, an enzyme, aids in converting urea to ammonium carbonate. To create ammonia gas, ammonium is further reduced. Nitrification simultaneously produces nitrates, which are absorbed by the roots. It takes 3 to 7 days to finish this process.

Importance Of Watering

Make sure the soil is moist but not dry before adding urea fertilizer to make it easier for the granules to dissolve and prevent ammonia from escaping into the air. A day or two prior to application, water the lawn.

Risk Prevention

When handling urea fertilizer, keep in mind that it might irritate and itch the skin if it comes into contact with the skin. When applying, put on safety gear such as face masks, goggles, and hand gloves.

Click here to see these gloves on Amazon.

Unsuitable Placement 

Sweep urea granules back to the lawn whenever they land on surrounding patios, roads, or sidewalks. Spray any foliar that has been applied to undesirable channels with a lot of water to remove it.

Fertilizer Storage

Urea should be kept in a tightly closed container and kept in a cold, dry location with enough airflow.

Wrapping Things Up

Gardeners frequently choose urea because of its high nitrogen content, which makes it ideal for fertilizing lawns. However, this urea-containing fertilizer can dehydrate the ground. When using this fertilizer, be sure to give your lawn enough water. 

Your yard's condition will be enhanced by the application of urea. After application, you'll see that your lawn becomes greener and appears to be in excellent health.

When applying this fertilizer, you should be mindful of the weather. Only do it on days when the temperature is cooler than normal. Also, avoid using this product when it's windy.

If you want to find out more about equipment for your lawn, check out some of our articles below.

5 Best Lawn Mower and Weed Eater Combos

How To Aerate A Lawn With Spike Shoes

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