When Should I Fertilize and What Should I Use (Zone 5b)

gle2011

4 years ago

If you have read my other post (More Confusion from Too Much-Too Little Water or Something Else Link) I have a lawn problem and am trying to get ready for the late summer / fall lawn maintenance.

I live in central Massachusetts; my questions is " When Should I Fertilize and What Should I Use?"

Thanks

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Comments (7)

j4c11
4 years ago
I would recommend fertilization in mid to late August for your area with 1 lb N/thousand using a high N lawn fertilizer such as Lesco 24-0-11. Continue to apply 1lb N per month through fall until your final application of winterizer.
dchall_san_antonio
4 years ago
Assuming you have fescue or rye grass and you use a chemical fertilizer like Scotts, then you should fertilize in late spring (Memorial Day), early fall (Labor Day), and late fall (around Thanksgiving, but more specifically it should be after YOUR grass has stopped growing but before the the ground freezes). The last app should be a high N fast release product. Do you have Kentucky bluegrass?

If you use an organic fertilizer you can use the same schedule and add an app on 4th of July. Organic fertilizers work biologically and cannot burn your grass even in the heat.

Using the holidays as reference can make the timing easier to remember.
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Schmoo, The stored nutrients are from the previous fall. Autumn fertilizing is supported by science. The imbalance would be created, for example, if the soil was already rich in phosphorous. If you applied a 'complete fertilizer' making phosphorous over abundant this would suppress plant growth by making micro nutrients unavailable. Here is Whitcomb, Establishment and Maintenance of Landscape Plants pg. 452 "The widespread practice of applying 10-20-10 or 10-10-5 or similar "complete" analysis fertilizer, without the aid of a soil test to see what is needed, is asking for problems." on pg 454 "The best time to fertilize most existing woody landscape plants is in the fall." He discusses how wet, cold, poorly aerated spring soil will not support optimal nutrient uptake.
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Cool. I will start using a whole tablespoon full. I just didn't want to burn my babies. It's funny that I have had my 4 real big plumerias for about 7 years now and for the first 4 years I did nothing to them but water them and the way I watered them before I knew any better was to use the hose and fill up the pot let the water run thu the soil and fill it up again. I never used any fertilizer or anything. Looking back now I think I was very lucky my plants didn't rot on me. However I alway did get lots of blooms back then even without fertilizer. I guess my cuttings were just real good ones.
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There are many different types and brands of fertilizers. What works for some may not work for others. And the variety of seed will also be different for different people. Even for full grown plants, most horticulturalists are in agreement that commercial fertilizers should be used at half the recommended rate stated on the product. Commercial fertilizers are salt fertilizers which can burn plants when too much is used. Be cautious, it is always best to dilute commercial fertilizers, especially with seedlings. If you start with a good quality growing medium that is designed for seed starting to begin with, you shouldn't need to use any additional fertilizer at all. Fertilizers contain salts that can kill the plants you're trying to keep alive, especially if it's allowed to build up. This is because the salt absorbs water more readily than plant roots, effectively starving the grass. Salt itself can also be toxic to plant roots by causing the buildup of sodium, bicarbonate, and boron. Salt injury can cause plants to be more easily susceptible to soil-based plant diseases. Nature has been growing plants year after year - for millions of years and seasons on it's own - without the help of humans to come along and fertilize with commercial products. Have a little faith in all the hard work nature has put into creating the seed in the first place. Keep it simple and don't try too hard. If you feel you still need to use some, stick with natural fertilizers such as seaweed/kelp, fish emulsion, etc. In the end, compost (comprised from at least five different sources) is the absolute best fertilizer you can use. You can't use too much of it, it's already at the proper pH, and it's free if you make it!
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gle2011
Original Author
4 years ago
Thank you both...

dchall the lawn is a fescue and KBG blend...

I thought I read KBG require more fertilizer.

Is that correct?
mishmosh
4 years ago
I don't think you have a lawn problem at all. Basically crappy genetic stock bowing out to the conditions. It'll likely come back fine this fall. How you manage the fall season is largely dependent on what is the predominant grass type in your blend. If just a cool season mix, treat it as such and take an average. So between high input KBG to as low as fine fescue, fertilize somewhere in between.

You have to cater your routine to what you have. Sounds like you are wanting more. That requires better genetic stock or going over the top with what you have in defiance of nature--that will require more pesticide use and cultural practices like core aeration.
gle2011
Original Author
4 years ago
mishmosh

It looks like a fescue and kbg blend. What's the fertilizing schedule for a blend?

Will an aeration and overseeding help?

Can I overseed with kbg
zeus201
4 years ago
Looking at your previous thread, your grass looks pretty good and should bounce back with cooler temperatures and nitrogen. You can try an overseed, but looking at your pics again, the turf looks decently thick so seed may not be able to germinate. Aeration is up to you

Like J4c11 said, common practice is add most of the N during the late summer / fall time. I have a northen mix as well and use an organic approach (milorganite, SBM, and alfalfa) for most of the season until fall time and will switch to synthetics. How much you put down is up you, time and the pocketbook.

If you want to be super aggressive with N, google "fall nitrogen regimen".
gle2011
Original Author
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Thanks Zeus, I googled fall nitrogen regiment. What program did you follow; there are several

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When Should I Fertilize and What Should I Use (Zone 5b)

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