Fall Feeding your Lawn

Hey guys, its time to fall feed your lawn!!

Moving into fall, our stressed lawns need some help. Along with the cooler temperatures and the moisture we have been getting, now is the perfect time to mend the damage that has been done due to grubs and the hot temperatures that encouraged our bluegrass lawn to go through a summer dormancy.

Fall is the most important time to fertilize. A lot of people think that the early spring or summer are important, but fall is the time that Mother Nature encourages the turf to put out roots. Roots are the reserves that store winter food and moisture to make sure that the plant survives the winter. I personally like to see people fertilize twice in the fall. Once in September and the other the end of October or first part of November. Fertilizing two times encourages more roots. If we have a long dry winter, the more roots you have, the better chance you won’t have to reseed your lawn.

What do the three numbers in fertilizer mean?

It means the percent of that number that is in that bag. The numbers represent nitrogen/phosphate/potash.

So a bag that has the listing 20-10-5 means that 20% of the bag is nitrogen (makes it green and grow), 10% is phosphate (for roots and blooms), and 5% potash (sturdy stems and disease resistance) the rest of the % to get to 100% is a filler. Fertilizers for Colorado usually also have sulfur and iron added to temporarily change the PH of the soil for uptake in the plant. Most desirable turfs like it on the acidic side and our soils are naturally alkaline.

It’s important to have some kind of balance between what you are looking for in the plant you are trying to feed. CU studies show that our soils usually have adequate phosphates and potash but are usually low in nitrogen.

Synthetic fertilizers are usually cheaper and give your plants a quick rush, where organic fertilizers are usually more expensive and are a slower release in nutrients. Synthetics, if misused in the heat, will burn. But they work better than the organics when the soil temperature is cooler. Most organic fertilizers packaged for fall and winter usually have a blend of organic and synthetic so that it works better for most home owners.

There are numerous brands and varieties out in the market. One that comes to mind, that is made locally and works very well, is a Richlawn product called Pro-Rich Winterizer. Whichever brand you choose, follow the directions so that you put down enough without overdoing it. Make sure that the fertilizer is watered in.

Know that there isn’t a date that your lawn goes completely dormant. Mother Nature tells your turf what to do by guiding it with the soil temperatures. Some weeks it will slow down and with warmer soil temperatures your lawn will grow. Water at the appropriate time will help it winter over better. Watering is also a great miticide.

Putting down a grub killer in the fall is also important. Grubs, like Japanese beetle and others, actually hatch in the fall while feeding on the roots of your turf all winter and spring, long before they turn into the adult stage.

Being proactive by fertilizing, bug control, and watering in the fall/winter can save you a lot of money and time instead of trying to fix the problem come springtime when you should be enjoying your lawn.