Putting Turf To Bed: Late Fall Fertilization
Crisp, cool air, autumn-colored leaves, and in some regions, the chances of early snowfall—fall is not around the corner anymore. It’s here. And that means it’s time to put turf to bed for the winter; of course, we are talking about late fall fertilization and proper dormancy.
GETTING THE TIMING RIGHT
A key component of fall fertilization is timing. Applying fertilizer too early can cause injury or leave customers dealing with snow mold in the spring. But if you wait too long, you risk dealing with frozen ground or snow, which is not ideal for application. Finding the right window for fertilization is vital, but this isn’t a one size fits all approach. Weather conditions, climate zones, and variety of turfgrass will dictate when you should fertilize. Still, timing comes down to growth rate, which has typically stopped or slowed considerably with most turf varieties in early to mid-November.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT FERTILIZER
Choosing a proper fertilizer is just as important as knowing when to apply. Fertilizers with a high ratio of both nitrogen and potassium are essential for turf dormancy. These elements help with enhanced rooting, disease resistance, wear tolerance, and can toughen the turf up for cooler weather. You will want to choose a slow-release fertilizer with a high nitrogen ratio. We recommend our ProScape 16-4-8 Ammoniacal 1% Fe SGN 150 or ProScape 20-0-5 30% MESA 1% Fe fertilizers.
DON’T OVER-DO IT
Overfertilization can be as detrimental to turf as not fertilizing enough. Ideally, the turf will have already been fertilized in the late summer months. If this is the case, you’ll only need a light fertilization in the fall. Ensuring you are applying the right amount of fertilizer is key to welcoming back healthy turf in the spring. If Mother Nature is not on your side and the ground freezes before you can get an application down, applying a small amount of fertilizer in the spring may be necessary.
Late fall fertilization is a critical practice to ensure turf green-up in the spring and can provide an added benefit of less foliar growth in turf than spring applications. If you are looking for other fertilizer options, you can visit our website or contact your local LebanonTurf distributor. They’ll be able to get you set up with these products quickly and can have any product available within a matter of days if it’s not already in stock.