Do You Need to Fertilize Your Yard During Winter?

If you are wondering whether you need to fertilize your Ann Arbor Mi lawn for the winter, the answer is yes. Lawn fertilization is a year-round endeavor that shouldn’t cease just because the temperatures dip and the snow starts falling.

Winter Fertilizer Basics

Head on out to your local store and pick up some winter fertilizer to maintain the health and aesthetics of your yard during the winter. Winter fertilizer is specially formulated to preserve your grass’s integrity during the cold months. Fertilizer contains a number of ingredients though three are prominently displayed on the front of the package. Take a look at winter fertilizer and you’ll see three numbers. They represent potassium (K), phosphorous (P) and nitrogen (N). Each ingredient plays a critical role in maintaining the health of your lawn throughout the harsh winter. In general, the typical formula of the average lawn fertilizer is 29-3-4. Winter fertilizer usually contains more potassium and nitrogen than the standard variety.

Why Your Lawn Needs Winter Fertilizer

Ask any lawn care expert and he will testify that winter lawn fertilizer is the most important fertilizer application of them all. This special blend helps the grass roots collect and hold nutrients as they grow until the ground reaches a freezing point. The nutrients are stored until they are needed either during the winter or after the cold temperatures have subsided.

When to Apply Winter Fertilizer to Your Lawn

Your Ann Arbor Mi lawn will require winter fertilizer about a month and a half after you apply the fall fertilizer. The best time to apply the winter blend is in October or November. At this point, new roots have formed and the ground will soon freeze. However, these roots are empty and require nourishment. The winter fertilizer is made with high levels of nitrogen to stimulate the collection and storage of important carbohydrates in advance of the soil’s freezing. The excess nitrogen supplied by the winter fertilizer is stored across the duration of the winter, helping your grass make it to the spring growing season. Winter fertilizer also contains extra potassium to bolster the grass roots so the blades can better tolerate the brutally cold winter weather.

Preserve the Beauty and Fortitude of Your Grass With Winter Lawn Fertilization

Winter fertilizer does much more than merely prepare the grass for the cold. It also serves as nourishment for the grass to keep it in solid shape throughout the winter. Grass that is fertilized for the cold months will emerge healthy and a lush shade of green once spring rolls around. Treat your lawn to winter fertilizer and it will also experience a more rapid “green-up” growth period in the first few weeks of spring.

Winter Lawn Fertilizer is Worth the Money

Now that you understand all of the benefits of winter lawn fertilization, you should not hesitate to fertilize your lawn for the winter. The little bit of money that winter fertilizer costs will pay off with in the form of gorgeous, strong blades of grass that withstand Mother Nature’s nasty winter wrath.