Contrary to what some homeowners believe, late summer lawn fertilizer application is not optional. After lawns endure the summer heat, they need a boost of nutrients from fertilizers to help them survive the coming fall and winter.
Most homeowners are eager to take care of their lawns in spring. But their eagerness seems to die off in the summer, and they end up neglecting their lawns. If you make the same mistake and forget to fertilize in late summer, your lawn might die as well.
Why apply lawn fertilizers in late summer
Whether your lawn still holds its green color or is already showing signs of exhaustion from the ravages of the dog days, the end of summer signals the time for renewal and replenishment. All the nutrients in your garden soil may have already been used up. And since your grass is no longer actively growing, it’s high time you repair your lawn.
Benefits of using late summer lawn fertilizers
Late summer is one of the best times to fertilize, as it will help with the recovery process come spring. In the North, you can start fertilizing your lawn at the beginning of August. But if you’re living in the South, you can wait until mid-August to apply the fertilizer. Regardless of where you live in the country, the important thing is to do it before the first frost.
Some of the benefits of using fertilizers especially designed for the late summer to early fall application include:
- Aids your lawn in storing vital nutrients during periods of dormancy.
- Promotes a healthy root system, which is important for enduring the cold winter.
- Readies your turf for the coming spring so they can recover from winter faster.
- Macronutrients like potassium can help your turf withstand the freezing weather.
Revitalize essential nutrients for your lawn
Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N-P-K) are the trio of macronutrients vital to your lawn. Apart from these, your grass also needs micronutrients to endure the cold winter months.
While you may have already added a healthy amount of these soil nutrients in the spring, your lawn has most likely used them up in the months leading to late summer. So, you must fertilize your lawn during this time to replenish all these nutrients:
Nitrogen
Feeding your lawn with a sufficient boost of nitrogen in the spring can help with its rapid growth. However, it’s not enough to last until next spring. By the time beach weather ends, the nitrogen level in your soil is most likely very low.
Even if your grass is not actively growing during late summer, it still needs a nitrogen-rich fertilizer to withstand the cooling temperature. Since the coming cold months bring their own winter-related stressors, you need your grass to toughen up and survive the approaching winter dormancy.
To supply your soil with nitrogen, you can choose between organic and inorganic fertilizers. Some homeowners select synthetic fertilizers because they have a fast-release formula and are typically more affordable than organic. But due to their rapid absorption, there’s always a risk of burning the grass if you over apply inorganic fertilizers.
Pro tip: For late summer lawn fertilizer applications, you should use a slow-release fertilizer instead of a fast-acting one. While they can be more expensive than synthetic solutions, organic fertilizers can provide your lawn with a slow and steady supply of nutrients for months.
Phosphorus
When you add phosphorus to your soil, the nutrient will be readily available for up to two weeks. After that, it starts to slow down. However, if you apply it in late summer to early fall, it can stay in the soil for up to six months. Delivery may be very slow, but your grass will always have phosphorus to consume during this period.
While your grass may not actively grow during fall and winter, it’s the time for early root growth and seed formation. So, resupplying phosphorus in the soil can help ensure your grass grows and matures quickly next spring, making it more resilient to weeds and insects.
Potassium
While phosphorus is not generally suggested in large amounts unless your soil test requires it or you’re seeding a new lawn, it’s a different story for potassium.
According to turfgrass specialist Roch Gaussion and extension educator Sarah Browning of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, “Potassium is used for hardiness of the plant, and is commonly found in winterizer fertilizers sold in fall.”
Potassium makes your grass resilient enough to endure the coming winter chill. But don’t wait until the cold season is at your doorstep. This nutrient needs to be added to the soil at least six weeks before the first fall frost date to ensure your lawn is ready for winter.
Micronutrients
Unlike the N-P-K trio, micronutrients don’t get much attention. But they are also important for your lawn. Minerals such as boron, copper, iron, chlorine, nickel, manganese, and zinc help your grass fight off lawn diseases, produce chlorophyll, and aid in processes like DNA synthesis and photosynthesis.
Should you use inorganic or organic lawn fertilizer?
The debate between using organic vs. inorganic fertilizers is never-ending, but should there really be a debate at all? They are actually two sides of the same coin, with each fertilizer having its own specializations. The key here is to use the right type at the right time.
In fact, plants are not capable of distinguishing between inorganic and organic, as their main concern is the absorption of nutrients. So, if you apply a fast-release nitrogen fertilizer, even plants that already have enough of this nutrient will still absorb it. If this happens, it can be harmful to those plants.
Additionally, consider that overusing inorganic fertilizers has more potential for harm than using organic ones. Continual use of chemicals can result in overfertilization and soil damage. Plus, it can contribute to the already detrimental greenhouse effect in the environment.
To be responsible when fertilizing your lawn, remember to select the correct type of fertilizer your plant needs and apply it at the right time with the right tools. Also, balance the use of both types to reap the fast-acting, targeted benefits of inorganic fertilizers and the slow, steady, and holistic effects of organic fertilizers.
Best lawn care practices to follow in late summer
We cannot stress enough the importance of late summer lawn fertilizer application. With the right nutrients and correct application techniques, late summer provides a crucial opportunity to keep your lawn vibrant.
But apart from fertilization, it’s equally important to observe other lawn care practices to ensure your turf can endure the winter and give it a head start for the next spring. Some of the lawn care best practices to do in late summer include:
- Use proper mowing techniques. Anyone can run a lawn mower these days, but achieving a beautiful lawn can be very hard if you don’t know how to use it properly. And if you consider the specific height adjustments required by different grasses, it would be better to hire lawn mowing services instead.
- Aerate the areas with heavy foot traffic. In late August to early September, remember to aerate areas in your lawn with compacted soil. You can use machines with hollow metal tubes or tines and follow up with raking to break the soil cores. You also can call a professional lawn aeration company to do the job on your behalf.
- Dethatch early to help grasses recover. Dethatching in late summer is especially helpful for cold-season grasses. The timing allows your grass to re-establish its roots before facing a period of dormancy in the winter. Professional lawn dethatching costs around $145 to $247, which is not bad considering its benefits.
- Revitalize specific areas with seeding. Identify severely damaged or bare areas in your lawn and start seeding in late summer. This is an excellent time to establish new lawns and prepare the roots for active growth in the coming spring.
Pro tip: If you have pets, you should use a pet-friendly lawn fertilizer. Also, allow at least 24 hours for the fertilizer to be absorbed before allowing your pets to play on the lawn.
FAQ about late summer lawn fertilizers
How late in the summer can I fertilize my lawn?
The ideal time for late summer fertilization is August to September, but it would still depend on a number of factors specific to your area. The main idea is to fertilize your lawn before the first fall frost date.
What happens if I fertilize too late?
Unless you’re winterizing cool-season grass, applying fertilizer to your lawn way past the late summer to early fall window is like keeping your turf awake past bedtime. Winter is a time for dormancy, a time for them to sleep. But if you add fertilizer too late in the fall, you will weaken your grass, and it will not perform actively once spring arrives.
What fertilizer is best to use in late summer?
The actual fertilizer you need to use for your lawn in late summer to early fall will depend on your local ordinances and the results of your soil test. If you’re living in a community that does not allow the use of phosphorus in lawn fertilizers, you’ll need to get an appropriate bag with 0 phosphorus value in the N-P-K ratio, like 21-0-21 or 24-0-12.
Apply the right fertilizer in late summer
Late summer lawn fertilizers can help prepare your turfgrass for the cold months. This additional round of fertilizer also can boost the nutrients required for recovery in the spring. But with so many types of fertilizers and application methods to choose from, it can be overwhelming to do the job yourself.
If you want your lawn to stay healthy and resilient throughout the year, let Lawn Love connect you with a reliable lawn care pro in your area today.
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