When should I fertilize my lawn for the fall? Should trees and shrubs be fertilized too? What fertilizer should I use? How much?
The important thing to remember is that the fall application of fertilizer is the most critical. If you were given the option of applying fertilizer only once a year to a lawn, the best choice would be a fall application. Fall fertilization is the key to prolonging fall color and promoting early spring recovery of the lawn. It helps produce a dense turf that resists weeds.
Fall fertilization is applied when shoot growth slows and the necessity for lawn manicuring lengthens from a weekly ritual to an every 10-14-day ordeal. Because of favorable environmental conditions (cool temperatures, short days, and high light intensity) nitrogen fertilizer applied at this time aids the photosynthetic production of carbohydrates. These carbohydrates are stored for use of the following growing season, providing earlier spring green-up and an energy source for turf grasses to recuperate from winter adversities. Now is the time to fertilize your lawns. Be sure to get it done by mid-October. It is not recommended to make fertilizer applications to your lawn in late October.The best nutrient ratios for fall fertilizer are 3-1-2 and 4-1-2. In the fall the nitrogen should be available to the grass quickly so that fertilizer elements can be taken into the plant and utilized rapidly while the plant system is still actively growing. Fertilizer used in the fall should be higher in nitrogen and lower in phosphorus. Grasses fertilized this way have shown greater survival during winter months.
1 pound of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn is enough. Fertilizer applications should be directed toward the lawn/landscape beds and away from the streets, walks, drives and other hardscape areas. Mis-application (not type of fertilizer used) is the most frequent cause of surface and groundwater contamination.
The question of the benefits of fall fertilization for trees, shrubs and groundcovers has been discussed for many years. The benefits of fall fertilization for trees, shrubs and groundcovers has been confirmed by researchers in the field across the nations.
