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The first step is killing any current nutgrass plants, either through application of herbicides or sugar, by digging up the plants and rhizomes, or by using soil solarization. To discourage new nutgrass plants from forming, ensure proper landscape drainage and bring shade into areas of the lawn that are consistently damp.

Your lawn will have visible signs if it needs fertilizing. If your grass looks discolored, is slow growing, looks thin, or your yard has bare spots, then it probably needs to be fertilized to give it the nutrients it's lacking. You should also keep an eye out for weeds and pests because they can also be signs of a struggling lawn.

You should water your lawn two or three days before putting down fertilizer to ensure it can properly absorb it. It's good to apply fertilizer if the ground is moist, but you want to avoid overwatering or flooding the area because it can prevent the grass from absorbing the nutrients. Consider weather conditions when scheduling your fertilizer treatment and read the instructions to see how long you should wait to water after application.

If you notice your grass is growing quickly and it’s hard to keep up, cut down on how much you water and fertilize it. Another helpful method is to mow the grass at the highest setting your mower will allow. Mowing at a higher setting slows grass growth since the blades won’t need to repair themselves as quickly if they’re kept at a longer length.