A little Unsure

[RAlmaroad]

This past weekend I put down 8K of centipede sod along side of the whole block. These are in front 4 houses that I sorta take care of in SC. Homeowners pay the cost but I generally oversee the application. I had the home owners to scratch in a little starter fertilizer into the soil--Ditches had been filled and sandy soil was really loose. We got water on it within an hour and is being watered regulary about two (2) times a day--That's not the unsure.
Would it be advisable to give the grass a winterizer about mid October? Since it's late in the season and with the starter fertilizer already on the soil, I'm thinking that it doesn't need anything until the Spring Weed preventer about Mid February? Any thoughs would be appreciated.
There's really two things going on right now. We put down pre-emergent Dimension + (0-0-7) for winter weeds about now (End of Sept.) on existing centipede and St. Augustine. and was also wondering if it would even be advisable on doing that on the new sod. Sorry for being so stupid but I generally put the sod down in during the first of summer.
Thanks for any help
Roy

[mkroher]

I will offer my advice. I know we live in two different zones, but what I do, is make sure the sod has been established and mowed many times. Any more fert would just give it top growth, and rooting concentration would be neglected. I wouldn't use a winterizer, it's too easy to drop a heavy dose of N, and it's fast release. Up here, our phosphor levels are way too high to even think about using starter fert. If your pH is way off the phosphor isn't available anyways.

I would definitely feed it, just go easy on the N. That's just my advice; I'm sure others would say I'm wrong and offer their own advice.

-Mike

[indyturf]

That sounds like good advise!

[RAlmaroad]

Generally is almost all areas of the coast the phosphorus levels are OK. We generally put some potash (K) in the fall. Nitrogen is not much good on these grasses (Centipede) as they go dormant about end of October. We do get a healthy crop of winter weeds and should have had already either Atrazine or Dimension .10 and a little potash (0-0-7) on the ground. I'm a little behind.The soil is so sandy that it is hard for the nutrients to stay at root level. We have to heavily irrigate with sprinklers to keep the soil moist as the water too leaches very badly. Lately, I have been overdressing most of the yards with cow-manure and top soil to give it a little micro-nutrients. Sure does make a difference in the grass.
Thanks again,
Roy

[lawnspecialties]

Just my .02 in here as well.

If it were me, all that sod would see until next year is tons of water. Getting root establishment is critical and deep watering should be all it takes until frost.

As little fertilizer as centipede needs anyway, I'd be concerned putting any more nitrogen on it being this close to dormancy. :)