Selecting the best lawn fertilizer for fall is important to keep your yard healthy through winter’s sleep. The growth stimulated now will do less to create lush, deep-green grass. However, it will do more to reinforce your lawn’s defenses so it will look its absolute best next season. The harsh conditions of summer—attacks from insects and invasive weeds—and other stressors can damage your grass roots and leave your lawn vulnerable during the freezing winter months. Prevent further damage with a nitrogen-rich infusion before those cold temperatures hit.
Consider the following when looking for the best lawn fertilizer for fall:
The best lawn fertilizer for fall will help prevent winter weeds from taking root.
Along with fall pre-emergent pesticide applications, just adding more nutrients to your grass can help beef-up its defenses against invasive plants. Healthier lawns do a better job of choking infiltrators out. Winter weeds are a big problem for Georgia lawns, so don’t underestimate the benefits of both types of products. If you only want grass sprouting on your property next spring, you have to plan now to control broadleaf and other intruders.
Granular products are easier to apply evenly.
Professionals have the tools and training to apply a liquid fertilizer evenly to an entire lawn. However, when homeowners attempt this, they often end up with spotty application. You’ve seen the effect this has in yards with curious stripes of light- and dark-colored grass. This also causes areas of thick, lush grass running in a line next to thin and struggling strips. Lesson learned? Consumers should stick with easy-to-apply granular products, and use a drop spreader to ensure an even distribution.
Cool- and warm-season grasses have different fertilization needs.
Our area is unique in that people here grow cool-season grasses like fescue right alongside Bermuda grass and other warm varieties. The problem is these two types of grasses have distinctly different needs for fall fertilization. If your yard has fescue, bluegrass, ryegrass or another cool-season variety, be sure to pile on the nitrogen. The formulas for the best lawn fertilizer for fall for these grasses are 25-5-5, but using 45-0-0 at 2 lbs/1k sq ft. or 18-0-0 at 5 lbs/1k sq ft will also do an excellent job of stimulating root growth. Only use low-nitrogen “winterizing” fertilizer formulas close to 8-18-22 with warm-season grasses like Zoysia or Bermuda. Alternatively, you can work with a lawn care service with access to higher quality fertilizing products consumers aren’t allowed to purchase, as well as the equipment and knowledge to put them to best use.
Contact Think Green Lawn Care when selecting the best lawn fertilizer for fall. We can help assess the health of your yard and create a comprehensive care plan leading to the lushest grass possible next season, or we can help with simple, one-time tasks you don’t have the time to handle on your own. Visit online or call (678) 648-2556 today to make an appointment.
