Winterizer

[Smallaxe]

Has anyone taken over an underfertilized lawn then, after fertilizing, notice how long it takes for the grass to green up? My observation with regular, non-special granulated is about 2 - 3 weeks, depending on moisture.
What is the latest anyone has noticed color change in the fall for the winterizer?
Should there be a color change in the fall with the winterizer?
Thanks in advance for all opinions.

[Kiril]

It could depend on alot of things, but primarily quantity and type of nitrogen and growth rates.

[lawnsbytim]

With an organic fert., I will see a green up to the end of Sept in WI. The October applications have less green up.

[Smallaxe]

Originally Posted by lawnsbytim

With an organic fert., I will see a green up to the end of Sept in WI. The October applications have less green up.

So do you believe the application is working to store carbohydrates in the root and stem when there is no change in the blade?

[Kiril]

Originally Posted by Smallaxe

So do you believe the application is working to store carbohydrates in the root and stem when there is no change in the blade?

Only if the N application can be correlated to growth rate and an increase in photosynthate production.

[Smallaxe]

Originally Posted by Kiril

Only if the N application can be correlated to growth rate and an increase in photosynthate production.

That is the question: Can the late October, even November, application be correlated to any new growth? (in Wisconsin)
It does not show up in the green blade, can it be assumed to be showing up in the roots? Thanks.

[Kiril]

Don't judge your fertilizer effectiveness by color alone.

If the turf is dormant, or close to it, I would not expect to see any significant effects from fertilization. In short, timing is everything. If the turf is not actively growing (transpiring), then your fertilizer application is for the most part wasted, especially where leachable ions are concerned. If your not observing a visual change in growth rates due to the late season N application then you probably missed the boat, or something else is going on in the soil.

UWEX recommends September and October fertilizing. When in October depends on whether or not the turf is actively growing and can vary from year to year. Your best timed late season application will put on fertilizer at a time that allows the turf to utilize it just prior to going dormant, probably 1-3 weeks before dormancy depending on the type of fertilizer used.

[Kiril]

I'll also add that if your getting an explosion of vegetative growth after your winterizing application, you over fertilized.

[lawnsbytim]

Everything I read says that there is nutrient uptake by the roots after the blade growth stops. I will see earlier green up in the spring even with lawns I winterized late with organics. If it gets late in October, consider a bridge fertilizer as the temps may be too low for microbial release of a straight organic.

[Smallaxe]

Originally Posted by Kiril

Don't judge your fertilizer effectiveness by color alone.

If the turf is dormant, or close to it, I would not expect to see any significant effects from fertilization. In short, timing is everything. If the turf is not actively growing (transpiring), then your fertilizer application is for the most part wasted, especially where leachable ions are concerned. If your not observing a visual change in growth rates due to the late season N application then you probably missed the boat, or something else is going on in the soil.

UWEX recommends September and October fertilizing. When in October depends on whether or not the turf is actively growing and can vary from year to year. Your best timed late season application will put on fertilizer at a time that allows the turf to utilize it just prior to going dormant, probably 1-3 weeks before dormancy depending on the type of fertilizer used.

Thanks Kiril,

I tend to to agree completely. I was not able to bring up the particular UWEX url, because I can't get pdf on this machine for whatever reason.
My observations made me think that the later application was indeed being wasted.
This helps me time the applications this fall. It is added difficulty in that that the grass is now greening up and growing like crazy since the drought is broken. At least temporarily.