Fall Lawn Feeding: 7 Fertilizing Tips
Fertilizing your lawn this fall will help it produce healthy, vigorous growth next spring. When and how to feed the lawn depends on the type of grasses you have and how cold your garden gets in the winter. Join professional landscaper Jerad Bryant to discover these seven expert tips for fertilizing the lawn in the fall.
Contents
Lawns are heavy feeders. They need plenty of nutrients to thrive, namely nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Nitrogen is the most important nutrient, as it promotes the lush grass blades that make the lawn soft, green, and dense.
Without enough nutrients, grasses will begin to decline. Harsh weather may cause patches to die out, and weak roots will be more susceptible to drying out in the summer or freezing in the winter. To safeguard the site against future issues, commit to a fall lawn fertilizing routine to replenish the grass.
Or, use an alternative amendment instead of purchasing fertilizer. We’ll cover how to use compost for fertilizing the lawn, and how to repurpose grass clippings into fertilizer. There are many different ways to go about fall lawn fertilizing, and we’ll discover them all!
These seven fall lawn fertilizing tips will help turn your lawn from brown and boring to alive and green in no time. Grab your fertilizer, step outside, and inspect your yard. If you haven’t fertilized the site in two to three years, it’s a good idea to do so this fall for future success.
Mow the Lawn First
Before any fall lawn fertilizing, start by mowing the lawn if it’s tall or overgrown. You don’t want the fertilizer to land on the grass blades, or it will burn them. You want the granules, powder, or liquid solution to reach the soil where the grasses’ roots are. Mowing tall grass creates spaces for the fertilizer to fall onto the ground.
Mow the grass to one and a half to three inches tall, depending on how high or low you like the lawn to be. Taller grass is more resistant to harsh weather conditions, while shorter grass is better for walking and playing on.
Some gardeners leave their lawn at four inches high. Choose a height that works for you and your outdoor habits. The higher you leave it, the less irrigation and weeding you’ll have to do to maintain the site. I prefer to cut lawns that I walk on to two inches tall, and unused ones to three or four inches.
Feed Cool-Season Grasses
Two major groups of lawn grasses exist for gardeners in the U.S. Cool-season species grow best in fall, winter, and spring, and they benefit from late fall lawn fertilizing. Warm-season species, however, prefer to grow from spring through fall, and they die back during the winter.
When fertilizing, first determine what kinds of grasses you have. Some lawns have a mix of both for all-year growth, while others enter dormancy in either the winter or summer. If you notice your lawn growing again in the fall when the weather cools, chances are you have cool-season species in the yard.
Fertilize cold-loving grasses at least a month before the first average frost date in your region. Use a high-nitrogen fertilizer with some potassium and phosphorus. Apply it according to the dosing instructions on the package.
For best results, use an organic fertilizer that feeds the soil. Synthetic, salt-based fertilizers strip the soil of microbes and beneficial organisms. Spread the powder or granules with a spreader. Handheld spreaders are great for small lawns, while drop spreaders are better for large ones. Water the site after fertilizing to make the soil moist, but not soggy.
Don’t Overdo It!
Different fertilizers have different levels of nutrients. If you accidentally overapply them, they can burn the grasses or cause tender growth that’ll be susceptible to cold damage in the winter. It’s better to use less fertilizer now and add more in spring, if necessary.
One way to know for sure how much to apply is to take a soil test. Many universities and local extension offices offer soil tests for cheap! Oregon State University does soil tests for $5 each in my city. Look to local sources to find a place near you.
Soil tests tell you the level of nutrients in the soil, and some tell you the pH. You can use the test to determine how much or how little fall lawn fertilizing is necessary this fall.
Feed Warm-Season Grasses Early
Warm-season grasses benefit from fall lawn fertilizing, though they need the nutrients well ahead of winter. You’ll want to feed them at summer’s end to replenish the lost nutrients from the growing season. Instead of preparing the grasses to grow, you’ll prepare them to enter dormancy for the fall and winter.
Fertilize warm-season grasses at least two months before the first frost date in your area. Avoid late applications, as they’ll cause frost-tender growth that’ll die when frosty weather arrives.
Warm grasses are common in southern states with long, hot summers. They will die back in the fall, turning brown or yellow. They may continue growing in frost-free mild climates, though they tend to enter seasonal dormancy after experiencing cold weather.
Apply Fertilizer at the Right Time
When you fertilize is just as important as how you do it. You want to apply the nutrients at the proper time so they seep into the soil. Do so in the morning or afternoon when the sun is low and the temperatures are cool.
Avoid fall lawn fertilizing in the middle of the day, as the warm temperatures and ample sunlight promote burning. Do so before or after midday to feed the grasses without burning them.
Also, avoid fertilizing before a heavy rainstorm. Excess rainfall causes the nutrients to run off the site, and it’ll push the fertilizer into gutters and sewers. This has drastic effects on wildlife and our oceans. Wait until a dry day so the product doesn’t leach out of the lawn.
Fertilize with Compost
Instead of fertilizer, use compost! Compost is easy to make at home, and it saves waste from going into the landfill. Repurpose your kitchen scraps, lawn clippings, and garden cuttings into rich, crumbly humus for your grasses.
Because compost is a thick mulch, it’s best to use a mulch spreader to help you put it on the lawn. A mulch spreader consists of a mesh barrel with a handle, and the barrel rolls when you push it. As it rolls, compost inside the barrel comes out through the tiny mesh openings.
Add enough compost to cover the soil with a one to two-inch thick layer. Don’t cover the lawn, and instead let the compost fall between the blades. Water the area well after applying compost to help it settle.
Use a Mulching Mower
You don’t have to remove grass clippings. With a mulching mower, you may maintain a closed-loop garden that recycles organic matter. The mower cuts grass clippings and fallen leaves into tiny pieces that decay on the lawn.
As the clippings decay, they release nitrogen that they have inside them. New grasses take in the nitrogen to grow perky blades, and the cycle repeats itself.
To work, a mulch mower has a plug instead of a bag. The plug keeps the clippings near the blades, allowing the mower to chop them up into tiny pieces.
If you have lots of leaves in the fall, this method may create too much litter that snuffs out the growth beneath. Ensure you can see the leafy grasses poking above the compost; they’ll poke through more as they grow taller in the coming days.
Key Takeaways
- Fertilizing the lawn in the fall prepares the site for future growth. It replenishes lost nutrients, encourages dense root growth, and prevents pests from arriving.
- Fertilizing isn’t difficult! Grab a spreader and add enough fertilizer according to the package’s instructions.
- If you’re unsure how much or little fertilizing you’ll need to do, take a soil test. It’ll tell you which nutrients are present and which ones you’ll need to add.
- Instead of using fertilizer, feed the lawn with compost, or use a mulch mower to chop clippings into the soil throughout the growing season.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to stop fertilizing in the fall?
Stop fertilizing a month before the first frost for cool-season species, and two months or more for warm-season grasses.
What is the best fertilizer to put down in November?
Use a high-nitrogen product with some phosphorus and potassium. Ensure there is potassium in it, as this nutrient encourages strong root growth that’ll resist winter cold.
Can you put fertilizer and grass seed down at the same time in the fall?
It’s best not to do this. Fertilizer can burn young growth, and it may damage sprouting seedlings. Wait until after the seedlings reach maturity for proper fertilizing.
