Feeding is the single most important thing that you can do for your lawn this fall.
Doing so now will produce surprising results in the spring.

A remarkable outcome will show with the second feeding later in the fall.

This second fall feeding secures and locks in the gains in turf energy from the first feeding and holds them in place until next spring.

Late-fall feeding gives your turf everything it needs to prepare for the harsh winter months. The root system absorbs and stores these vital nutrients. Underground the root development continues up until the ground freezes.

When spring arrives, and the ground is safe from freezing, the grass will quickly tap this stored nutrition and stimulates growth and produces a vibrant, deep green lawn. A lawn fed twice in the fall will be the first to green up in the springtime.

Homeowners make three common mistakes:

• They do nothing and the grass starves, allowing the lawn go into the winter without any nourishment.



• Allowing leaves to asphyxiate the grass, preventing sunlight needed for photosynthesis.



• They stop mowing their lawn. Grass should be mowed right up until the time it stops growing.
  Maintain the same mower height setting throughout the whole season.

Leaves are quite heavy, and if you are use a mulching mower, you would be better to compost the grass clippings and leaves on a compost pile rather than leaving them on your lawn. This will help prevent smothering the grass.

Scott's Winterizer (22-3-14) contains a high amount of potassium (14) compared to other spring fertilizers. Scotts Winterizer is high in nitrogen [the first number] and potassium [the last number]. These are the most important nutrients for fall feeding. They work together to nourish the whole grass plant during that important root-growth period in fall. The phosphorus [the middle number] is the lowest, as mature grass plants do not require much phosphorus.

Extra tip: Spend the extra few dollars for a higher-quality fertilizer. There is a huge difference in how fertilizers work, even if they have the same nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium [N-P-K] numbers on the bag.

Fall is the best time to go after weeds like clover, ground ivy and dandelions. You save time by using a special winterizer weed and feed instead of just regular winterizer. Just be sure to apply your weed and feed to moist foliage on a day when rain is not in the forecast for at least 24 hours. Next spring your lawn will be nearly free of broadleaf weeds like dandelions.

Most lawns need an inch of water a week to thrive. If you are not getting the rainfall required, you may need to water your lawn. Use a rain gauge to ascertain how much rainfall your lawn is getting and how long you should run your sprinklers.

Lastly, aerate your lawn if it has more than a half-inch of thatch. Measure the dead, dark brown material that is between the roots and the grass itself. Aerating helps the thatch to decompose and opens the soil to more oxygen. Then leave the plugs on the lawn surface where they can break down and fertilize the lawn.

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