Winterizer

[tracyalan]

Do any of you offer, or apply a winterizer for any customers? I have been telling my customers about it and wanted to see if everyone does this or not.
Thanks...Tracy

[americanlawn]

We sure do -- always have. Most land-grant universities strongly recommend a late fall fert. Even saying it's the most important application of all. Colorado State is a fine institution - you may want to check with them as well. Some guys use 46-0-0 quick-release. Others use a 44-0-0 w/some slow release. Others like heavy N plus some K.

Since you're in the Denver area, I'd strongly suggest a late fall winterizer app. My 2 cents worth. Especially cuz lawns get beat up with dry heat during the growing season.

[RigglePLC]

Scotts has already sold people on the idea. Just offer it to your customers--mention the benefits--they will buy.

If you read through the seed company sites, they often recommend the majority of the fertilizer be applied in the fall when the rhizomes are forming. Thicker grass results.

[Smallaxe]

Timing is my only question to what the Universities say.
Early Oct. I see results b4 winter. Late Oct. there is no more evidence of it being injested and used. Our U. Extension claims that you can put it down as late as Thanksgiving.

Winterizer is the most valuable time to apply. The thicker lawn that Riggle mentioned is best developed now , in the fall, and strengthened for spring. Unfortunately most applicators need money as soon as the snow is gone and will dump a new batch of N on the lawn.

So all the efforts the plant was making to grow root depth are wasted and the thatch only thickens.

[FERT-TEK]

Here you go. Everything you will need to sell the application is in here. Do what you want with it.

[Smallaxe]

Originally Posted by FERT-TEK

Here you go. Everything you will need to sell the application is in here. Do what you want with it.

This is the main point of the article that no-one seems to get:

..."Late-season fertilization lengthens the fall/winter green period and enhances the rate of spring greenup without stimulating excessive shoot growth, thus allowing the turf plant to maintain higher levels of carbohydrates than when spring/summer fertilization is used. Nitrogen applied during early spring increases shoot growth rates and decreases the levels of available carbohydrates in the plant, resulting in depressed root growth rates. Late-season nitrogen applications have no similar negative effects on root growth. No winter damage or snow mold injury occurred as a result of late-season nitrogen applications."

Not only do we depress root growth with springtime N but we add root growth suppressors to the turf as well, in the form of pre-m.
I mean "barrier"

[36metro]

What is recommended for a late fall fert blend in Michigan?

[starry night]

Me: recommended time for late season is about Thanksgiving. In Ohio, top growth of the grass is ended but it's still green. So heavy N in whatever form use. It has been said that if you were only going to fert once the whole year, late Fall would be the time.

[Smallaxe]

Originally Posted by 36metro

What is recommended for a late fall fert blend in Michigan?

Last year I used 46-0-0 slow release which worked ok, but was too much N. (Dog Spots appeared) Potash in the mix is probably a good idea, but there again, I think, it is needed more now - than just b4 freeze-up.

I am simply going with Milorganite this year, because it is a slow release that times with the weather. And has almost as much iron as N.

[whoopassonthebluegrass]

Bear in mind that, though the grass goes dormant above the surface, the root system continues to develop, clear up until the ground freezes solid. If you feed the grass as it is moving into dormancy, it will utilize that feeding for weeks, (if not months) after you've applied it.