The Valley of the Sun is really earning its name with the recent heat waves and record-breaking heat! It’s important to remember to keep your lawn and plants watered to keep them from getting scorched. But did you know that plants need more than water to maximize their strength, endurance, and beauty? In fact, watering without proper fertilization can have negative effects on your plant life. It can also effect the soil that plants draw water and nutrients from.

Without proper nutrition and watering, lawns won’t survive the Phoenix heat!

Why is watering not enough?

The tap water found in metro-Phoenix contains many additives that preserve quality and drinkability for human consumption. Unfortunately, these additives can affect the balance of nutrients and minerals necessary to nourish lawns and vegetation. The salinity (i.e., salt content) of the water is also a factor – salt may build up in the soil and hurt lawns and plants.

Quarterly professional-grade fertilization can bring out the best in your grass!

What are the benefits of lawn and plant fertilization?

The soil in the Phoenix area is generally pretty alkaline (for information on the soil type and quality in Arizona, click here), which affects the availability of certain nutrients plants use to grow and look their best. Quarterly applications of the right fertilizer can mean the difference between an average lawn and a lush one – or the difference between a live lawn and a dead one!

Also, plants rely on sunlight to complete photosynthesis (the process by which plants absorb sunlight with their chlorophyll and convert it to energy). However, the intense UV rays from the sun can degrade chlorophyll, compromising plants’ ability to absorb sunlight. Fertilization helps plants resist this effect, keeping them strong and healthy.

Even desert landscaping can benefit from professional fertilization!

What kind of fertilization is best?

Absolute Exterminating recommends and uses a granular, slow release sulfur fertilizer which works to break down the salt crystals and the alkalinity in the soil over an extended period of time. This makes more nutrients available to the vegetation while decreasing harmful elements that would otherwise compromise its growth and health.