June 10, 2020 / AAMG / 0 Comments; Question: When and how much should I fertilize my lawn? A well-fed lawn is healthier, which means it has a better root system to combat heat, cold, drought, mowing, foot traffic, and other stresses. We Can All Prevent Pedestrian Crashes and Fatalities... 3 Easy Steps to Report Streetlight Outages... Understanding Election Results and When Votes Are Counted... OmMade Peanut Butter to Expand in Reston with State and County Funding... Board Chairman McKay Talks Elections, Coronavirus, Social Justice and ... Fairfax County Weekender — Oct. 18-20, 2019. Resist the temptation to apply a weed-and-feed product. Just don’t feed it at the wrong time, and don’t give it too much. Everyone knows fertilizer is important. Another resource is Home Turf: a Healthy Virginia Lawns program. It is best to set your blades for a mowing height that will remove only the top one-third of the grass blade. It is governed by climate, which is a function of longitude and latitude. When to fertilize lawn after mowing? Here’s why: In the early spring, as most plants awaken from dormancy, they want to grow roots. Generally, winterizing is best in October or early November when the temperature is around the upper 40ish… But if you want to take full advantage, apply fertilizer to your lawn in early September. For best results, follow the recommended Virginia Cooperative Extension fertilization program for cool season grasses shown below. Don’t ever fertilize during a drought when the plant will not have access to sufficient water. The most important time to fertilize your lawn is in the fall to help you lawn develop a strong root system. For just $10, the Virginia Cooperative Extension will analyze your soil sample and return the results to you. Keep your lawn looking its best by working on it all year round. It also feeds weed species and can lead to disease and insect problems later in the season. When should I fertilize my lawn in spring and fall? The best time of day to fertilize is in the morning or early evening. And, yes, the time of day that you fertilize your lawn this fall matters as well. Also be sure to keep your mower blades sharp to produce a cleaner cut that slices through grass rather than pulling it by the roots. Fertilize only when the plants show signs of needing fertilizer for azalea. 1. Is it OK to fertilize in spring? Here's some tips from the pros at Consumer Reports. Your first fall fertilization should be in late September to early October and then apply a second treatment of fertilization in November. The commercial character Sandy Scotts tells you to “Feed your lawn; feed it.” That advice is not bad. Once you know your lawn type, or if you already know, then go to the appropriate lawn care schedule for Cool Season Grasses or Warm Season Grasses. Lawn Fertilization in Virginia, Publication 430-011, Virginia Cooperative Extension, ©Copyright Fairfax County Master Gardeners Association, Inc | All Rights Reserved. Fertilizer sources that contain more than 50% WIN can be applied up to 1.5 lbs N/1000 sq ft; those that are predominantly WSN should be applied at no more than 1 lb N/1000 sq ft. The exact timing to fertilize varies based on weather conditions and climate zone; however, the final fertilizer application should be done sometime in November in most regions. Beyond the advertising blitz, there is another temptation to apply fertilizer at the wrong time. Fairfax, VA 22035, Directory of Virginia Green and Clean Lawn Care Companies, Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, Home Turf: a Healthy Virginia Lawns program, Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District website. But it's also the best time of year to fertilize your yard and give it the best chance to thrive next spring and summer. After you cut the grass, let the turf clippings lie on the yard since they are mostly composed of the grass’s leaf tissue and reduce decompose rapidly. Don’t Fertilize Your Lawn in April By Gil Medeiros, Fairfax Master Gardener Everyone, it seems, wants you to fertilize your cool-season lawn in April. Below are some tips to help you determine which lawn type you have. It has never looked happier. For the majority of cool-season lawn owners, apply fertilizer anywhere from September through early November. You should however check that the fertilisers used are safe for use around pets and animals. If you are frustrated with your lawn in Virginia and want to improve its look and quality, find out when is the best time to overseed it from the experts at Jonathan Green, and discover how properly feeding both your lawn and soil will create a neighborhood showpiece! Posted on October 21, 2019 in All News, Environment, Think Spring!, To Know. It saves energy, reduces pollution and burns calories, too! You can generally transition from an establishment fertilizer schedule to a regular fertilizer schedule after the first 30 days of establishment are up. You turn off the TV, but it still doesn’t end. What happens when you feed the grass in April with a lawn fertilizer that contains 20 to 30 percent nitrogen? Therefore, the major advertisements of nationally marketed fertilizers, and the splashy promotions in the big-box stores are correct for some parts of the country. It is the accumulated wisdom of eons of survival. By Gil Medeiros, Fairfax Master Gardener Recommended N levels from now through the end of May on cool-season grasses should not exceed a total of 1.5 lbs/1000 sq ft for Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, or perennial ryegrass, and no more than 1 lb for fine-leaf fescue. If you must fertilize in the spring, limit it to a light feeding (0 phosphorus) after the initial flush of growth has subsided in May. Not here. 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