Garden Column for Salisbury Post
Darrell Blackwelder
September 19, 2003

    Fall fertilization is very important for maintaining a beautiful cool season lawn. Fescue lawns are cool weather lawns that grow best in fall and even in the winter. Now is the time to take advantage and begin fertilizing cool season fescue and bluegrass lawns.
    The soil should be tested to determine the nutritional needs of cool season turf. Testing should be done every three years to determine lime and other nutritional needs. Soil testing kits are available from the Extension Service located on Old Concord Road.
    Carefully measure the area before applying fertilizer. Lawns with the best results are the ones carefully measured before application. Careful measurement also saves both money and our environment.
Turf type fertilizers with slow release fertilizers are excellent for constant feeding over the fall and winter months. These fertilizers are generally formulated in 5,000 and 10,000 square footage bags. These premium fertilizers seem more expensive from the initial cost, but a cost comparison with grade fertilizers prove that the turf fertilizers are actually about the same price. These fertilizers are sold in a 4-1-2 ratio such as 16-4-8 or 21-3-6. Other premium fertilizers high in phosphorus are sold as starter fertilizers such as 11-22-6. Root systems of newly seeded fescue lawns benefit from high phosphorus starter fertilizers.
    Fescue grows best with two pounds of actual nitrogen per one thousand square feet of lawn in the fall and one pound of nitrogen in the spring. Each bag is labeled with the percent of nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK), on the side or front of each bag. For example, a fifty pound bag of 10-10-10 contains 10 percent actual nitrogen or about five pounds of nitrogen. Grade fertilizers such as 10-10-10 or 17-17-17 quickly release nutrients with rapid growth occurring soon after fertilization. These fertilizers are consumed rapidly by quick growing turf or leached through the soil by heavy rains. Rapid turf growth is short lived.
    Below is fertilizer rates needed for 1 pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet: Remember, this is the one pound rate; fescue needs 2 pounds in the fall and 1 pound in the spring.

Fertilize lawns by splitting the applications in September, October and November for best results. A good way to remember is to fertilize near the holidays, Labor Day, Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Many homeowners and professionals use a combination of slow-release and grade fertilizers for extra growth or quick starts. Getting turf off to a good start in the fall increases chances of withstanding droughts in the summer. Fertilization now becomes more or an art than a science. More complete information can be found on the Master Gardener Web Site at www.rowanmastergardener.com and look under "Caring for Your Lawn".