Benefits of Fall Fertilizing

Fall is officially here: time to fertilize! Wait, what? Why now? Fall is the ideal time to fertilize your lawn and garden to give it a strong, healthy start come spring. At Hively, we know the benefits of fertilizing your lawn during the cooler fall months; here are some great reasons to invest the time into your lawn now, so it looks great and requires less effort in the spring.

The Weather is Perfect

Cool mornings and evenings provide the perfect conditions for fertilizing. The fertilizer does best in cooler temperatures, and by avoiding the midday sun, your lawn will allow maximum absorption in the shortest time.

Fall’s morning dew is also ideal for helping your turf absorb all the nutrients in the fertilizer without washing it away completely like rainfall would. Just make sure to get your fertilizing treatment finished before the first frost of the season. Once the ground freezes, no more work can be done until spring.

The Right Fertilizer Lingers Throughout Winter

Fertilizer is designed to absorb into soil and continue feeding the roots of your lawn long after application, like a leave-in conditioner for your hair. By applying the right nutrients in the right quantities for your lawn, trees, shrubs, and flowerbeds, you’re giving the root systems the proper care to not only survive winter, but flourish in the spring. For more information about the right fertilizer for the type of grass in your location, visit your local garden center.

Prettier, Thicker, Stronger Grass

Through good fall fertilization, your grass will spend the winter with thicker, deeper roots, making its comeback in the spring all the more impressive. Grass that is treated in the fall not only looks better and has less weed infestations, but it is also stronger and more resilient against disease and drought.

Should Trees and Shrubs Be Fertilized, Too?

Yes! Just like your grass, your trees and shrubs go dormant in the winter, too. An extra boost to their roots helps them come back strong in the springtime and bloom even more beautifully.

Additionally, falling leaves can actually be a benefit to your trees. Decomposing leaves actually release important nutrients into the soil, giving you a free “fertilizer” for your trees! If you don’t like the look of the leaves all over your lawn and rake them away, however, applying a slow-release fertilizer with nitrogen has a similar effect without the unsightly appearance.

Upon first glance, fall fertilizing seems pointless, since your lawn is preparing to go dormant anyway. However, the extra boost of nutrients kick-starts root growth and allows your lawn to not only survive winter, but thrive in the spring. Need help determining what type of fertilizer is right for your lawn, or prefer to leave the fertilizing to the experts? Give Hively a call at 717-292-5696 and we would be happy to help!