Late fall fertilization will provide better winter color of the stand, quicker green-up in the early spring, and an increase in root growth. Late fall applications of fertilizer are more important to the health of lawn grasses than spring applications more commonly practiced by most gardeners.
To ensure optimal health, fertilize heavily in the fall and lightly in early spring. You can choose either slow- or quick-release fertilizer types, but be sure to apply the treatment before the temperatures peak in summer, when these grasses will most likely go dormant.
A: The blend of nutrients is usually different between fall and spring fertilizers, not to mention the other products that may be added. In your case, you also have a weed-killer in the unused fertilizer from last fall.
If done too early you could be inviting damage from the winter weather, such as snow mold. The best time to fertilize can depend on the climate, but typically September and October are usually the best months to apply fall fertilizer.
Fall fertilizer is specially designed to stimulate the growth of new roots. It has a precise balance of potassium and phosphorous that helps nurture deep roots.
Using a lawn food made for spring feeding will not harm your fall lawn, but it will not be as beneficial as a "fall and winter" lawn food that has more slow-release nitrogen.
Ideally, you'll want to mow and rake before fertilizing, so that excess lawn waste is removed and the fertilizer will have an easier time reaching the soil.
While this fall lawn fertilizer dose is important, an application at the end of October or early November is essential. At that time, apply a fertilizer with a formula of 13-25-12. The push of phosphorus will stimulate root growth through November and even into early December.
When To Fertilizer Your Lawn in the Fall. The best time to apply your last fertilizer application is between August 15 and October 1. Ideally, your last lawn feeding should take place six to eight weeks before the average first frost in your area.
Apply fall lawn fertilizer 2 to 3 weeks before the ground freezes. To find an exact date, look for the first frost date in your area. That date is typically a good time to fertilize since the ground hasn't frozen yet. More generally, mid-October is a good time to apply lawn fertilizer.
Benefits of Fall Fertilizer
Fertilizing in the fall gives your grass a head start for next spring by causing an earlier spring green-up. Your lawn will have an easier time greening up because fall fertilizer prepares the grass by having a consistent flow of nitrogen that's slowly released throughout the winter.
Choosing a lawn fertilizer blend
A complete fertilizer with a high ratio of both nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) is essential for root growth, winter hardiness and disease resistance. An ideal fall fertilizer blend will have a nitrogen to phosphorous to potassium (N:P:K) ratio of 24-4-12.
Watering after fertilizing washes the fertilizer off of the grass blades and into the soil, where it can get to work nourishing your lawn. It's also important because if fertilizer sits too long without being watered in, it can burn the grass.
Although some fertilizers benefit from slightly moist grass, if your lawn is too wet, it will fail to properly absorb the nutrients. This includes both granular and liquid fertilizer products. You should avoid applying foliar fertilizer to wet grass because it could lead to nutrient burn.
Ideal Time to Fertilize
Applying fertilizer (and water) in the afternoon will cause the moisture in the soil that is preventing the lawn from burning to evaporate as the sun beats down on the lawn. It's also important for grass to dry out slightly before the nighttime temperatures.
After overseeding, apply a lawn fertilizer that works best for your type of grass. Slow-release fertilizer provides nutrients gradually, for as long as three months in some cases. Lightly water your lawn immediately after overseeding.
The November fertilizer application is the second most important time for cultivating a cool season bluegrass or tall fescue lawn, with September being the most important application. The November application helps the lawn flourish in several ways.
In fact, a lawn fed twice in the fall will stay green longer into winter and be the first to green up in the spring.” When it comes to what form of fertilizer to use, it all comes back to your objective. “Something like a sulfur-coated type product is good to use earlier in the fall,” Miltner says.
As a general rule, you should not fertilize your lawn when it is dormant. Lawn grass can go dormant when it's too cold, or too hot. At the cool end of the spectrum, you want to be sure that your air temperatures are consistently 60 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer.
When is the Best Time to Overseed? Late August to mid-October is the perfect window for fall overseeding. Mother Nature has it figured out, after two million years of overseeding the prairies, we follow her calendar. In their natural growth cycle, grass plants form seed heads and re-seed themselves.
A high-nitrogen fertilizer, such as Pennington UltraGreen Lawn Fertilizer 30-0-4, helps lawns establish vigorous roots, increase energy reserves and survive winter. Overseed thin lawns. Fall conditions are ideal for germinating cool-season grass seed. Overseeding thin lawns pays off with thick, strong, spring grass.
At Master Lawn, we typically say to wait 24 hours before watering your lawn after fertilizing. But it is important to make sure that it does receive a good watering session soon after that 24 hour waiting period. Watering helps the fertilizer to activate and to break down and begin feeding nutrients to the lawn.
Fertilizer and Water
A day or two before applying fertilizer, water your lawn thoroughly. After grass dries, apply fertilizer. Then lightly water again. This second watering is vitally important, because it washes fertilizer off grass blades and into soil.
When fertilizing a lawn, it is best to apply fertilizer after the lawn has been mowed so it has a few days to absorb the fertilizer.
It's preferred that a quick release fertilizer be used in the fall on turf so that the turf is able to pick up the nutrients quickly before it enters fall dormancy.