Yes, you should still fertilize your lawn even if it is mowed weekly, because mowing and fertilizing serve completely different purposes. Mowing controls grass height and encourages lateral growth, but it does not replace the nutrients that grass consumes as it grows. Without fertilization, even a well-mowed lawn will gradually thin, lose its deep green colour, and become vulnerable to weed invasion and disease. Martin Services provides fertilization and weed control across Powassan, North Bay, and surrounding communities as a complement to our mowing services.
What Mowing Does and Does Not Do
Weekly mowing is essential for lawn health — it keeps grass at the optimal height, encourages the plant to spread laterally rather than just grow tall, and mulching the clippings returns some nutrients to the soil. However, the nutrients returned through mulched clippings only replace a fraction of what the grass uses during active growth. Think of it like exercise for your body — regular exercise is vital, but you still need to eat. Your lawn needs both the regular maintenance of mowing and the nutritional support of fertilization to perform at its best.
Why Northern Ontario Lawns Need Fertilization
Soils in the Powassan and North Bay area tend to be acidic and low in organic matter compared to the rich agricultural soils found in Southern Ontario. This means local lawns start with fewer available nutrients in the soil and deplete what is there more quickly during the compressed growing season. A four-application fertilization program — spring green-up, early summer, late summer, and fall winterizer — provides the steady nutrient supply that keeps grass thick enough to crowd out weeds naturally. Without this support, lawns in our area thin out faster and require more weed treatment to compensate.
The Combined Approach
The best-looking lawns in Northern Ontario combine weekly mowing with a seasonal fertilization program. Mowing keeps the grass at the right height, fertilization keeps it thick and green, and the combination creates a dense turf canopy that naturally suppresses weeds, resists disease, and recovers quickly from the stresses of our climate. Martin Services offers combined mowing and fertilization packages that simplify the process — one crew, one company, one schedule. With 35 years of experience, we tailor fertilization programs to local soil conditions and the specific needs of each property.
Want to add fertilization to your lawn care? Call Martin Services at (249) 506-9211 for a free estimate.