Do you know, that the peak time for growth in New England for cool season grass types is in the fall?

As we wind down the year with lawn care services and get ready for the winter weather, your last service that you receive is essential to provide all the nutrients that your turf needs for next season.

Winter Fertilizer

A winter fertilizer or "Winterizer" is an application that is put down in late fall as the last lawn application for the year. It helps feed the grass and gives the lawn the nutrients it needs throughout the winter.

The importance of a Winterizer is prepping the lawn for the cold and windy winter temperatures ahead. This application is designed to help lawns store more nutrients for the winter so that when spring comes, the lawn wakes up healthy. It is a granular application made up of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and iron, all of which are very beneficial to helping a lawn grow green and full.

It is important to remember that your grass does not die in the winter, it goes dormant. The roots are still active and store nutrients to help your grass stay strong. Therefore, when you apply a Winterizer, the roots are more likely to withstand the harsh winter weathers ahead. 

Benefits

We know that the benefits of applying a Winterizer application is to help your lawn during the winter months, but exactly how does it help?

When your lawn is dormant, the grass roots still need nutrients. The stored nutrients encourage new and fast growth in the spring. Having nutrients fed into the grass helps to prevent against diseases, increases the chance of survival over the winter, and increases the overall greenness of the lawn.

Remember, a Winterizer application is not meant to benefit your lawn in the fall, but for the spring. You will not see substantial amounts of growth, or your lawn green up quickly from this application right away. This application releases nutrients slowly over a period of up to 90-120 days.

When To Apply Winterizer

Winterizer is very beneficial to the cool season grass we have in Massachusetts, such as Kentucky blue grass and rye grass. The roots will continue to grow until the ground freezes, so the best time to apply the Winterizer application is in the fall. This time frame can range anywhere from mid-to-late October, through early December.