Now’s the Time to Winterize your Lawn

As the seasons change and temperatures drop, it's time to focus on helping our lawns recover from the stress of summer, while preparing them for the rigors of winter. This is a crucial period for turfgrass management, especially for cool-season grasses, which typically experience a resurgence in growth during this time. Cool season grass varieties include Kentucky blue grass, perennial rye and turf-type fescue.  

Singly or in combination, these types of grass varieties make up most of our lawns. Fall fertilizing combined with humates aids in repairing and rejuvenating the turf, leading to improved overall vigor now, as well as preparing the grass for a strong start in spring.  

This is accomplished by first aerating the lawn, then adding organic material to soil in the form of humate. Aeration is important because it relieves compaction and opens the soil, which allows air, water, and fertilizer to penetrate the roots. 

You can do aeration yourself or hire it done. Just make sure you get a good core extraction, not just punch holes in the ground.   

Next, add granular humate to your lawn. Granular humate will break down clay, improve soil structure, and increase microbial activity in the soil. 

Humate will also help your grass take up nutrients more effectively and stay greener with less water. After applying Humate, water thoroughly, then select a winter-specific lawn fertilizer.   

The important nutrients for feeding fall lawns are Nitrogen and Potassium. The numbers listed reflect the percentage of each element in the bag.  

For example, ferti-lome Winterizer contains 25% Nitrogen, 5% Phosphate, and 6% Potassium. A twenty-pound bag contains 5 pounds of Nitrogen.  Since a twenty-pound bag of ferti-lome Winterizer covers 5000 square feet, applied correctly adds one pound of Nitrogen per thousand square feet. Potassium is important because it helps the turfgrass roots absorb and store the fertilizer you apply now.   

If you're looking for an organically based fall fertilizer, then RichLawn Winterizer is your best choice.  Produced locally, Richlawn Winterizer is organically based and has a 15-3-6 formula, again with emphasis on Nitrogen for root feeding and Potassium for nutrient uptake.  

This forty-pound bag of Richlawn® Winterizer will cover 6,000 square feet of lawn.   

 

Both brands will benefit your lawn now as well as next spring when the grass emerges from its dormant state, and there’s sufficient nutrients in the root system to feed it. Applying Winterizer fertilizer now means a quicker green-up, stronger top growth early in the spring season and a healthier lawn through the summer.    

After applying Winterizer fertilizer, water your lawn thoroughly to help the fertilizer get down to the grass roots.    

Speaking of watering, it’s important to water your lawn through the winter, if we don’t receive sufficient natural moisture.  Every four to five weeks when the temperature is above forty-five degrees, use a simple sprinkler attached to a hose to water your lawn. 

Water about noon and be sure to remove the hose from the spigot when you’re done watering.  Periodic watering through the winter will also benefit the trees and shrubs planted in or near your lawn. This is especially important where the lawn and trees are surrounded by sidewalks and streets.  

After the stresses of summer heat and drought, fall fertilization aids in repairing and rejuvenating the turf, leading to improved overall health and a strong start in spring.   

 

Now’s the Time to Plant Spring Flowering Bulbs

 

When you're looking for ways to add color and texture to your spring garden, spring-flowering bulbs are the best place to start.  

Available in a rainbow of colors, these bulbs start showing up in early spring when the crocuses poke their heads up through the snow, followed soon by the daffodils and then a parade of early, mid and late blooming tulips.   

Tulips, daffodils, crocus and hyacinths are known as hardy bulbs. They’re different from tender bulbs such as dahlias and gladiolus. Hardy bulbs stay in the ground year-round. In addition, hardy, spring blooming bulbs require a period of cool temperatures to establish roots before the ground freezes, making fall the right time to plant.  

Start the process by choosing bulbs that are firm and light tan in color. Save the tag or mark the bag so you will remember the variety. Observe the bloom time as noted on the box.   

Bulbs are available loose in individual containers or as pre-packaged assortments. Loose-packed bulbs allow you to mix and match color, height and bloom time. Pre-packed bulbs offer convenience.  The arrangement is ready for you to take home and plant. 

 

If you want a succession of spring colors, choose some from varieties that are marked early, mid and late blooming. Actual bloom time is dependent on where you plant your bulbs and how deep you plant them.  

Bulbs need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight to bloom properly. Bulbs planted near a fence or foundation for example, are going to bloom sooner because the reflected heat warms the soil up.  Hint. If your bulbs are coming up too early or you want to slow the bloom time, add 2" to 3" of organic mulch to the bed.   

 

Planting a succession of early, mid and late blooming bulbs in a dedicated bed makes a stunning sight in the spring.  

 

In addition to an exclusive bed or two, you could plant along borders or in a normally shady spot such as near a shrub or amongst perennials. Crocus and early season tulips will have bloomed before the perennials and shrubs begin to leaf out in the spring. An alternative would be to plant bulbs in pots and move the containers to the sunniest spot in your garden.   

As with anything you plant, better soil equals better results, so take time to add amendments to the ground where your bulbs will be planted.  For the best results, choose soil amendments that are produced locally, such as organic Earth Essentials Sheep, Peat and Compost or Cow and Compost.  You can use a spade or garden fork to prepare the ground.    

This is a good time to add some Dutch Bulb Food, then cover the fertilizer lightly with soil. This allows the bulb to root into the fertilizer. 

Once the site is prepared, place the bulb in the ground with the pointed side up, roots down.  

A good rule of thumb is to plant each bulb pointed side up, at a depth that’s equal to three times the bulb’s height. In other words, a two-inch bulb should be planted six inches deep.  Spacing between bulbs should be about a bulb’s width apart.  

Cover the bulbs and mark the spot where they are planted. Water the site thoroughly. Check on your bulbs through the winter and water as necessary.   

   

In addition to crocus, daffodils, tulips and hyacinths don’t overlook specialty bulbs such as dwarf iris and Dutch iris, allium and muscari. Planted now, these hardy bulbs will bring color to your spring garden for many seasons to come.