Key Takeaways
- Fall fertilization strengthens lawns after summer stress and prepares them for winter.
- Apply fertilizer 6–8 weeks before the first frost for optimal nutrient absorption.
- Choose between slow-release granular fertilizers or fast-acting liquid fertilizers.
- Healthy, fertilized lawns resist weeds, diseases, and winter damage more effectively.
As the days shorten and the temperatures grow cold, summer is certainly behind us.
Many plants, flowers, and grasses will get ready to enter a state of dormancy, but not all. That’s why you can’t rest on your laurels after a summer of enjoying a greener lawn.
Instead, it’s time to switch gears to autumn lawn care, especially fall fertilizer. Your yard benefits from feeding grass fertilizer before winter arrives.
Learn which facets of care to prioritize, including which types of fertilizer to use, when to apply it, and why.
Why Apply Fertilizer in the Fall?
Autumn’s cooler temps usually lead to dormancy, but not for your entire lawn.
For some, their growing season might have just begun, or perhaps it will continue for several more months of cool weather.
That alone is reason enough to dig out the fertilizer. These other benefits also ought to inspire you.
Strengthen Your Lawn After the Summer
Even if you have hardy plants with strong roots, summer heat can do a number on them. Prep up those grass blades by applying plant fertilizer as the seasons shift.
You can spruce up your grasses and plants after a long, sweltering summer, helping them build stronger roots.
Gear Up for Winter Temps
Of course, the summer heat isn’t all your lawn has to worry about.
As fall gives way to winter, your plants and grasses are in for cold temperatures, whipping winds, possible drought, and heaps of snow.
Lawn fertilizers will be your best friend ahead of this seasonal shift, enabling grassroots to withstand the effects of winter without killing all your plants.
Control Diseases and Weeds
Fertilization is also excellent at fortifying grasses and plants. Strong, healthy plants resist weeds like clover much better.
They’re also more disease-resistant, which is always good in this time between seasons. All those essential nutrients will benefit your greenery greatly.
The Best Time to Apply Fall Fertilizer
Hopefully, you’re now inclined to seek the best fertilizer for your grass as autumn begins. But, precisely when on the calendar should you plan to apply that fertilizer?
While it varies by region (and thus temperature) and plant species, you should set aside some time in your garden to apply fertilizer in early to mid-autumn.
If you want more specifics, estimate when the first frost will arrive and plan to fertilize at least six weeks before then. You can even be more generous and do it eight weeks before.
The timing of your fertilization is everything. The grass and plants need enough time to absorb the nutrients you feed them, especially if you don’t use a fast-acting formula.
If you apply fertilizer two days before the frost, it won’t have the full degree of effectiveness, which can hurt your grasses and trees in the long run.
Read More: A proven lawn fertilizer schedule that works
Selecting the Right Fall Fertilizer
So, which lawn starter fertilizer will facilitate the most root growth and healthy plants for your fall lawn? Let’s review.
First, fertilizers can generally be broken down into two categories: inorganic (typically the best) and organic fertilizer (better for the earth).
Inorganic or non-organic products are more chemical-based, whereas organic formulas rely on plant and animal products and byproducts.
Both types of fertilizer contain the three base macronutrients you’d expect to see in lawn fertilizer: nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus.
The difference is the sources. Since organic formulas use more natural ingredients, it’s not the end of the world if the fertilizer gets near some of your other plants.
You wouldn’t necessarily want that with inorganic formulas.
Besides the ingredients used in fertilizer, there’s also application types. For example, fertilizer can be in liquid or granular form.
The former is rather straightforward; it’s the usual nutrients but in a liquid canister with a hose or sprayer applicator. Granular fertilizer features chunks of fertilizer you apply to the soil’s surface.
The difference between the two has to do with more than merely the presentation.
Granular fertilizers are slow-releasing. If you fertilize your lawn in early fall, the granules will remain in the soil for longer, perhaps several months.
They break down more slowly. Liquids get absorbed immediately, which means you’ll have to fertilize more regularly to keep up a green lawn.
The right type of fertilizer for you depends on your budget, the size and layout of your landscaping, and how often you’d like to fertilize.
SunCo – The Answer to Your Fertilizer Dilemmas
While applying autumn fertilizer is a straightforward process, mistakes can still sometimes happen.
Over-fertilizing can severely damage your lawn, which is always a risk when using liquid products.
If you’re eager to get your fertilization schedule right all year long, contact our team at SunCo.
Our expertise will guide you through all your fertilization frustrations, helping you discover what your garden needs, when, and in what amounts for a healthy, happy lawn all autumn long. Chat with our experts now.
