- Best time to fertilize: late summer to early fall<\/a><\/li>
- Second best time to fertilize: late spring<\/a><\/li>
- When NOT to fertilize your lawn<\/a><\/li>
- Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li><\/ul> \t\t\t<\/div> \t\t<\/div><\/div>
Best time to fertilize: late summer to early fall<\/span><\/h2>
![\"Golden](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/AdobeStock_294750386.jpeg\")
Shubby Studio<\/a> | Adobe Stock Free | License<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> The University of Minnesota recommending putting down an application of nitrogen fertilizer between early August and mid-October<\/strong>. The conditions in fall are ideal:<\/p>
- The air temperatures are between 55 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, which is optimal for grass growth.<\/li>
- Fall\u2019s morning dew gives your grass moisture to help it absorb the fertilizer.<\/li>
- The soil temperatures are between 50 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit, which is ideal for cool-season root growth.<\/li> <\/ul>
All cool-season grasses should be fertilized in fall<\/strong>. Doing so helps them recover from the summer heat while giving them the nutrients needed to survive the upcoming winter, where they go dormant. They\u2019ll store the nutrients to survive the cold and ensure they grows green and healthy once spring arrives.<\/p>
Pro Tip:<\/strong> Fertilize your lawn two to three weeks before the ground freezes. This allows the grass to fully benefit from the fertilizer while avoiding winter damage.<\/p>
Second best time to fertilize: late spring<\/span><\/h2>
The second-best time to fertilize your cool-season lawn (regardless of grass) is in May to late June. Like in fall, the conditions are ideal for a spring application of fertilizer if:<\/p>
- the soil temperatures are between 50 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit;<\/li>
- the air temperatures are between 55 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit;<\/li>
- the grass is actively growing.<\/li> <\/ul>
Just as a fall application of fertilizer helps it survive winter\u2019s intense cold, a spring application of fertilizer helps it survive the summer heat. It will stop growing during that time and go dormant.<\/p>
When NOT to fertilize your lawn<\/span><\/h2>
![\"yellow](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/AdobeStock_440138705.jpeg\")
vannovostro<\/a> | Adobe Stock Free | License<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> Avoid fertilizing your lawn during the following times:<\/p>
- Early spring: <\/strong>Fertilizing your grass too early will encourage it to grow when it should be dormant, weakening it.<\/li>
- Mid-summer or during a drought<\/strong>: The heat can cause the fertilizer to burn your lawn.<\/li>
- Before a heavy rain: <\/strong>Too much rain can wash away the fertilizer before it has a chance to sink into the soil.<\/li> <\/ul>
Frequently asked questions<\/span><\/h2>
What kind of fertilizer should I use?<\/span><\/h3>
If you didn\u2019t get a fertilizer test, the best type of fertilizer for Minnesota lawns is one with a grade of 24-0-12. A fertilizer with a grade of 24-0-18 is also worth considering, as it gives your lawn extra potassium to help it get through winter.<\/p>
Pro Tip:<\/strong> Minnesota lawns usually don\u2019t need phosphorus – in fact Minnesota bans fertilizer with phosphorus in it unless you are fertilizing a new lawn or a soil test indicates a need for phosphorus. Look at the three numbers on the fertilizer bag – the middle number (phosphorus) should be \u201c0\u201d.<\/p>
How many times a year should I fertilize my lawn?<\/span><\/h3>
Fertilize your lawn three to four times a year, starting in spring. Read our article on month-to-month lawn care in Minnesota to learn more.<\/p>
What is the best time of day to fertilize my lawn?<\/span><\/h3>
The best time of day to fertilize your lawn is in the morning or early evening. You\u2019ll avoid the midday heat, allowing your grass to better absorb the fertilizer without burning.<\/p>
Hire a professional<\/span><\/h2>
Fertilizing your lawn is a big deal, but you don\u2019t have to do it all yourself. Contact a lawn care professional<\/a>, and we\u2019ll fertilize your lawn for you or answer any questions you have.<\/p>
\t\t\t\t\t\tSources<\/strong>:<\/p> \t\t\t
<\/span><\/div> \t\t<\/div> \t\t\t- Fertilizing lawns | UMN Extension<\/a><\/li>
- Lawn care calendar | UMN Extension<\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <\/div> \t\t<\/div> <\/div>
- Main Photo Credit: Randy Runtsch<\/a> | Adobe Stock Free | License<\/a><\/li> <\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Fertilize your lawn in early August to mid-October for best results. Fertilizing in May to late June is also effective.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":28986,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[202],"tags":[586,375],"class_list":["post-28975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-minnesota","tag-lawn-care-mn","tag-lawn-fertilization"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/AdobeStock_287656140-1.jpeg","author_info":{"display_name":"Stuart Kushner","author_link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/author\/stuart-kushner\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/78"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28975"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28975\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44491,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28975\/revisions\/44491"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Lawn care calendar | UMN Extension<\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <\/div> \t\t<\/div> <\/div>
- Mid-summer or during a drought<\/strong>: The heat can cause the fertilizer to burn your lawn.<\/li>
- Early spring: <\/strong>Fertilizing your grass too early will encourage it to grow when it should be dormant, weakening it.<\/li>
- Second best time to fertilize: late spring<\/a><\/li>