When should I put winter fertilizer on my lawn?

Putting of winter fertilizer is the third most important stage when considering the lawn maintenance for the year. Therefore, its application time is crucial so, when should you put winter fertilizer on your lawn? 

Put winter fertilizer during the fall season when the growth of grass becomes dormant. While roots and turf are still in their active period, indicating the strong green color of the grass. However, the standard schedule for winter fertilizer is between mid-October to late November. 

Also, when the need to mow the lawn regularly becomes less, you are good to go with the fertilization process. 

When you are ready to begin with, the fertilization process, it is vital to figure out what winter fertilizer is and the type of grass you are working on. Also, a few other essential things to consider when putting winter fertilizer on your lawn.

Winter fertilizer is an asset of lawn that needs to be put on optimal time. It helps restore grass productivity beforehand for the winter season and lessens the risk of winter injury. So, you get to feed your lawn before putting it to bed for winter with a nutritious blend of fertilizers one last time.

We recommend you consult a professional to learn about the proper application time for fertilizer where you are located, because you could end up doing one of the following:

Applying winter fertilizer too early

It will result in lush grass growth in the fall season, causing enough winter injury to your lawn.

Applying too late

Your lawn will already become deficient in its preparation of root growth even before the ground hits a frozen state. It will eventually lead to snow mold appearing in the early spring and winter kill issues.

By following the exact fertilizer schedule, you reserve at least one month to store the development of grass before putting your lawn for the bed of winter. You can also consider putting winter fertilization after 4-5 weeks of fall-fertilization. 

It helps accumulate rich nutrients like Nitrogen, and your lawn remains in its active state and prevents the need for winter-repairing on the arrival of spring. 

The winter fertilizer is also abundant in potassium than most of the other regular fertilizers. Thus, it helps the grass tolerance rate to extremely cold temperatures and boosts the root system when applied on time.

Additional Tip

We suggest you put winter fertilizer by taking note of your last cut of the grass. And mow your lawn a bit shorter/1.5 inches than the regular 3 inches grass height. This way, you make the grass ready to rise back to the initial height in the spring.

Put winter fertilizer depending on the type of grass

We add winter fertilizer when the turf is still active, and the soil is moist. So it becomes essential to figure out the different types of grass that your lawn supports and get it fertilized on the appropriate schedule:

For cool-season grass, active root growth is found in early fall. These include: Bluegrass, Fescue, Ryegrass

For warm-season grass, the applying of fertilizer boost is best suitable in the spring season. These include: Bermuda grass, Zoysia and St.Augustine.

So, you can boost your lawn condition during the winter season by applying a blend of winter fertilizer in the fall season. You will raise a healthier and greener lawn with deep roots for the upcoming spring. 

All you need to do is figure out the perfect schedule!