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.
Fertilize
Fall is a great time to grow grass, and thus is also a great time to feed your lawn! An application of Winter Survival Fall Lawn Food is great at this time. Fertilizing twice in the fall, once in late August and once in late October, will keep your lawn green throughout the rest of the year.
Fall Fertilizer Timing
For the majority of cool-season lawn owners, apply fertilizer anywhere from September through early November. The further north you garden, the sooner you'll feed your lawn. Fine-tune the timing for your locale by talking with your local extension service or garden center.
Fertilizing in the fall helps plants be hardier when the temperatures drop. We also recommend applying fertilizer in the late fall, toward the end of October or early November. This application will catalyze one last frenzy of root growth and really give your plants some staying power through the cold months.
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.
Treat weeds and feed your lawn with Scotts® Turf Builder® WinterGuard® Fall Weed & Feed3 in the fall for a better lawn next spring. This weed killer plus lawn fertilizer controls over 50 listed lawn weeds, including clover, dandelion, plantain, morningglory, chicory, eveningprimrose, and purslane.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The November application also provides for early spring green-up without excessive top growth. Simply put: a beautiful green lawn with less mowing. But applications of fertilizer in late winter or early spring are converted directly to top growth.
“Use a high-nitrogen fertilizer, such as 25-5-5, or something with a similar formula.” When applying the winterization fertilizer, one pound of nitrogen should be applied per 1,000 square feet.
Knowing when it is too late to aerate and overseed your lawn depends upon the type of grass grown there. For warm-season grasses it is too late to aerate once the growing season has passed in late summer into early fall. For cool-season grasses, late fall into early winter is too late to aerate.
Can I put too much fertilizer on my lawn? There is the idea of “too much of a good thing,” and that definitely applies when it comes to fertilizing your lawn! Applying too much fertilizer to your lawn will cause the nitrogen and salt levels in the soil to increase rapidly, which can damage or even kill the grass.
You should fertilize your lawn a day or so after a light rain or using a sprinkler. This prevents the application from being washed away. The moisture gets your soil damp and ready to receive nutrients. Do not apply fertilizer before or after heavy rains.
The theory behind late fall nitrogen fertilization of cool season grasses is very simple. Apply low rates of N fertilizer (40 to 50 lbs/acre) in the late fall (mid October to late November) when cool temperatures have reduced top growth, but root growth is still active.
As a general rule, warm-season grasses will need four times per annum feeding. Apply the first dose when you see new growth starting - this should be done around March/April time frame for most areas with mild winters which helps their young leaves grow healthier faster than if they were left untreated all season long.
Inspect the fetilizer's ratio—While nitrogen and potassium are essential for winterizers, many also include phosphorus (P). Some of the best winter lawn fertilizers incorporate a formula with an NPK ratio of 16-4-8.
We recommend waiting 24 hours after fertilizing to water your lawn, which will give the fertilizer time to settle. After the 24 hours are up, it's important to give it a good soak—not just a quick spritz with your hose—to activate the fertilizer and help the critical nutrients absorb into the soil.
“Once spring arrives, your lawn will quickly tap into these nutrients for a beautiful burst of green. 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.”
Fall is the best time to feed with Scotts® Turf Builder® WinterGuard® Fall Lawn Food. This fall fertilizer builds strong, deep grass roots for a better lawn next spring, delivering the nutrients needed to help recover from damage caused by summer heat, drought, and activity.
In the North, give grass a headstart on strong root growth by using Scotts® Turf Builder® WinterGuard® Fall Lawn Food twice in the fall: once around Labor Day and a second time 6 to 8 weeks later.
Fall is also a great time to get perennial weeds like dandelions and clover under control. If weeds are an issue in your lawn, use Scotts® Turf Builder® WinterGuard® Fall Weed & Feed3 for your fall lawn fertilizing so you can control weeds while feeding your lawn.