Best Overall
Espoma Organic Lawn Food Fall Winterizer
Best Bang For The Buck
Ace Winterizer All-Purpose Lawn Fertilizer
Best All-Purpose
Milorganite 6-4-0 Slow-Release Nitrogen Fertilizer
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summertime takes a bell on lawns , but wintertime Gunter Grass fertilizers help them grow newfangled roots and green up in spring . Do n’t let the name fool you . Winter fertilizer are apply in fall . They contain three macronutrients for smoke health — N , morning star , and atomic number 19 — but the percentages can vary . These percentages are shown on fertilizer bags or labels as the NPK ratio . ( For more detailed selective information on NPK ratio , scan the sectionNutrientsthat appears below our Cartesian product review . )
lawn need different kinds of fertilizers depending on the season and the type of grass . For cool - season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass , bent pasture , rye grass and fescues , shopper will want to pick out a wintertime fertilizer with a high share of N and a little potassium . Warm - time of year grasses , includingSt . Augustine , Bermuda , centipede , zoysia , and carpet grass , need one high in atomic number 19 but little or no nitrogen .
The best time to fertilize your lawn with a winter plant food is when the grass is starting to go dormant but it ’s still green . A wintertime fertilizer can add or restore nutrient and serve your lawn withstand harsh winter conditions , pesterer , and disease . ( When your grass begin actively grow again , trade to one of thelawn fertilizers . ) After researching more than 20 winter grass fertilizers , we found these to be the best of the bunch . Here are our pick for the salutary wintertime grass fertilizers as well as pros and cons to consider .
Before You Buy a Winter Grass Fertilizer
Before you go shopping , utilise a grease test kit or send a soil sample to your local extension service and tell them what eccentric of grass you ’re growing . Extension military service offices work with state universities to ply expert advice on local soil , pestilence , fertilizers , and more . Their ground run solvent reveal how much and which nutrients your lawn needs .
Some statesand municipality prohibit or confine the utilization of N and P in lawn fertilizer because they can lave off into waterways and stimulate an giantism of algae and other water plants . These decrease the oxygen in the water that fish and other aquatic life need to pull through . However , for those whose lawns want atomic number 15 but ca n’t expend it , organics like cony , poulet , or duck’s egg manure ; biochar , a charcoal - like material made by burning organic materials ; or compost may be enough alternatives . Green manure ( crops that are specifically grown to be plow under while they ’re still fleeceable ) can also add together organic material to the soil .
Nitrogen gives the lawn carbohydrates to flow it through the wintertime and spring . However , nitrogen can compound with oxygen to form nitrous oxide , a gas that contributes to world-wide thaw . Nitrogen can also get into waterways , get open and ground - level pollution . Some state of matter regularise the sale and/or use of nitrogen in lawn fertilizer by restrict the content of the fertilizer sold and/or the software rates of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn .
How We Chose the Best Winter Grass Fertilizers
We researched more than 20 winter supergrass fertilizers ground on user reviews , price , nutrients , and risk of fertilizer tan . We explore wintertime plant food that can be used onnewly seededor sodded lawns and those that can only be used on established lawns .
We examined organic and natural fertilizers versus inorganics , also called synthetic or traditional fertilizers . organic fertilizer can do as well as inorganics , improve land health , are nonburning , and are more often than not considered dependable and environmentally favorable . However , they may take longer to work and are often more expensive . Results from any plant food can vary depending on the weather condition , soil , eccentric of grass , and other factors .
Our Top Picks
respectable , strong lawn need a timbre wintertime lawn fertiliser to resist the dusty weather and grow vigorously in bounce . Read on to retrieve out why these are among the best winter lawn plant food .
Made of natural and constituent constituent , include feather repast , poultry manure , and slow - release nitrogen , this Espoma lawn food fortifies lawns for the winter to assist them grow dense and immature up betimes in spring . It contains extra atomic number 19 to help lawns suffering from the summertime stresses like groundwork dealings and drought , along with sulphur , which helps influence dirt pH. Espoma ’s lawn food is eco - well-disposed and nonburning , so it wo n’t leach out of the soil and into waterway and users do n’t have to worry about overfertilizing .
This long - last phosphate - free mathematical product can be used on any eccentric of turfgrass as well as on newly sod , newly seeded , or institute lawns . Users will desire to apply it when the lawn is juiceless and freshly mowed .
Get the Espoma winter grass fertilizer atAmazon , Walmart , orEspoma .
Despite its Winterizer name , this all - use nonorganic plant food can be used on any kind of turfgrass while the grass is actively growing . However , when used for fall feeding , this phosphorous - free Cartesian product helps grass green up earlier in spring . It promote vigorous , recent - season root growth so lawn can better withstand heat and drought in the add up summer .
To harvest the benefits of a fall feeding with this Ace plant food , affectionate - season gage such as Bermuda , zoysia , St. Augustine , centipede , and Bahia require an early declension coating . Cool - time of year grasses , like meadow fescue , bluegrass , bended green goddess and ryegrass , can be fertilized with this production from ahead of time to previous fall . Though this fertilizer can only be applied to established dope , not sod or newly seed lawns , it ’s still a swell lawn care bargain , at about half the cost of similar mathematical product .
Photo: amazon.com
Get the Ace winter grass plant food atAce Hardware .
Milorganite not only feeds lawns , but it also fertilise trees , peak , veggie , and shrubs , making it a great all - in - one choice . This 85 percent organic sluggish - release nitrogen plant food is made from course pass off germ that are heat dry after they exhaust the constitutional materials in wastewater .
The producer , Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District , sum microbes to sewer water from the metropolitan Milwaukee area . After the microbes have digest the solidness , the cleaned piss goes back to Lake Michigan , and what ’s left over is dry and formed into fertilizer pellets .
Photo: istock.com
Milorganite contains virtually no salts ( so supergrass is much less potential to burn ) , does not need to be watered in , and can be used as a carrier when you spread grass seed . This nonpoisonous fertilizer is also good than many other lawn care products to use around nipper and pets ( when used as directed ) , as it does not contain pesticides or weed killer . However , it can irritate dog ’ stomachs if consumed , so they should be kept off the lawn for 24 hours after software .
Get the Milorganite winter grass fertiliser atAmazon , Lowe’s , Ace Hardware , orThe Home Depot .
Best For Zero Phosphorus
Purely Organic Products Lawn Food 10-0-2
Made from natural , plant - establish ingredient like distiller ’ dry out grain and soybean repast , this fertilizer does not contain biosolids , manure ( which can often make for stinky fertiliser ) , or harsh chemicals . It ’s orthophosphate - free and have 2 per centum potassium to help prevent winter diseases and advertize grass health .
Suitable for all grass types in recondite shade or in a combination of Dominicus and shade , strictly Organic Products lawn food feed everything from lovesome - time of year grasses likeBermudaand zoysia to cool - season grass like bent grass , fescue grass , and rye . This lawn food requires a light watering after software and a moist lawn for 3 to 4 days for best results . The ironic granules then feed a lawn for up to 8 calendar week in the spring , summer , or fall . well still , this kid- and pet - friendly fertilizer allows anyone to reenter the lawn after app — no time limitation .
Get the strictly Organic Products wintertime Gunter Wilhelm Grass plant food atAmazon , The Home Depot , Walmart , orSimplyGro .
Photo: amazon.com
Best Weed And Feed
Scotts Turf Builder WinterGuard Fall Weed and Feed
This combination fertilizer does double duty for your lawn , killing 50 rough-cut weeds like dandelion , clover , purslane , and more while fertilise your lawn . When give late in the growing season , it helps lawn take in more water and nutrients so they can recuperate from summer drouth and stress . It also encourages them to form new and substantial ascendant so they can go harsh winter conditions .
Though this two - in - one product can help make lawn charge more efficient , its herbicide content requires more deliberate use and software program . This mathematical product works substantially when spread in temperatures between 60 and 90 level Fahrenheit and on moist grass , helping it to stick to leaves of the locoweed . It also needs to set undisturbed ( no mowing , lachrymation , playing on lawn ) for 24 hours . Those with children and/or pets will then want to water in the weed and feed ; after the skunk has dry out , child and darling can safely reenter the lawn . After this merchandise has been go for , exploiter must also hold back at least 1 month before planting sod or dope seed .
Get the Scotts Weed and Feed winter grass fertilizer atAmazon , Lowe’s , Ace Hardware , The Home Depot , Walmart , orScotts .
Photo: acehardware.com
Best Synthetic
Scotts Turf Builder WinterGuard Fall Lawn Food
While this plant food promotes the inscrutable , inviolable roots a lawn needs in spring , it also deliver food that will help it recover from summertime stresses , including drought , heating system , and activity . The dependable time to apply it is in the declension , and it can be used on a wet or dry lawn . tearing in is n’t necessary , but a light lacrimation can deport faster result . This product can be used on any eccentric of grass , and it ’s safe to reenter the lawn immediately after using it .
One app in other fall is sufficient for warm - time of year grasses while two applications are idealistic for cool - season grasses , once around Labor Day and another 6 to 8 week later . Together with grass clippings , this fertilizer nutrify lawn and soil onward of a long winter .
Get the Scotts drop lawn food winter grass fertilizer atAmazon , Lowe’s , Ace Hardware , The Home Depot , Blain ’s Farm & Fleet , orScotts .
Photo: amazon.com
Jump to Our Top Picks
What to Consider When Choosing Winter Grass Fertilizer
As mentioned above , shoppers will first require to consider the eccentric of grass in their lawn before buy a wintertime grass plant food . Getting a soil test can help them peg down down their fertilizer alternative even further . Soil run solution can reveal what food the lawn lacks and direct them to a ware with the correct NPK ratio and rest of essential food .
Beyond nutrients , other important consideration include how the plant food is applied , the variety of the plant food ( liquid or granular ) , and the differences between organic and synthetical fertilizers . fertiliser with atomic number 15 should not be used near water since they can wash away and pollute the environment .
Grass Species
sess in the U.S. are classified as nerveless season or warm time of year , depending on where they grow best . They can vary by whether they ’re considerably suited for desiccated climates or humid ace ; by how much sun or nicety they need ; and how they bear up to pest , diseases , metrical unit dealings and other variety of role .
sang-froid - season locoweed like Kentucky bluegrass , fescues , dead set pot and ryegrass flourish in areas with cold winters and red-hot summers . They pip their peak in former spring and early downslope when the temperature are about 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit . Most are hardy and stay green all winter , except during freezing periods .
St. Augustine , centipede , zoysia , and Bahia are warm - time of year grasses for affectionate , humid climates . Buffalo and Bermuda are also ardent - season coinage , but buffalo Mary Jane grows in arid region while Bermuda needs humidity .
Photo: amazon.com
In the U.S. between the North and South , in a region called the Transition Zone , residents can grow warm- or nerveless - season forage .
Nutrients
Top - mountain pass lawn fertilizers contain two main macronutrients : nitrogen ( N ) and K ( K ) . Except where it ’s prohibited , phosphorus ( P ) may be tot up , too . There ’s not much difference between products labeled “ wintertime lawn fertilizer ” or “ wintertime lawn foods ” and those label as grow time of year fertilizers , except for the share of N and atomic number 19 they contain . “ Winter ” designate that the lawn fertiliser should be used at the end of the growing season or after the last time users have mowed for the year .
Synthetic vs. Organic
Although it might not seem to be an important conclusion when select between constituent or inorganic fertiliser , the ultimate choice does affect the soil and , of course , a shopper ’s budget . Because constituent fertilizer are made of living organisms , such as peat moss and fowl manure , they ameliorate the soil ’s grain , ability to hold moisture , and fertility . constitutive plant food feed beneficial bug and encourage earthworm and good microorganisms to move in over time , which benefits the soil , grass , and other plant .
wintertime organic fertilizers are also less likely to take shape crusts over the soil , so piss can move in and out more easily . Some organic fertiliser are more expensive than synthetic substance , but they may allow for purchaser to use fewer pesticides and reduce the amount of extra N they might have to add . This means owners could collapse even or save some money . Although thebest organic lawn fertilizerswork as well as inorganics , their nutrient are released slowly , so they can take longer to show results .
Synthetic fertilizers are primarily made up of daystar , atomic number 7 , and potassium , along with element like magnesium , calcium , and sulfur . Nitrogen fertilizers are often made from celluloid ammonia , while bones and phosphate rocks are generator of phosphates . Potassium come from potash . Although synthetic substance typically play faster than organic fertilizer , they can combust lawns and other flora if they ’re overused . They can also release chemicals into the grunge and waterways that harm humans , especially if they move into drinking weewee , and the environment .
Photo: amazon.com
Liquid vs. Granular
wintertime lawn fertilizers are available as liquidness or as granular pellets . The primary difference is that eatage can absorb and use fluid nutrients faster than farinaceous ones . Granular fertiliser do n’t release their nutrients until they ’re dissolve in rain or when they ’re water , so it takes longer for them to work .
Liquids are sold full strength or as concentrates that are thin . They ’re apply to a garden pump nebulizer or an attachment at the end of the hose . Though they ’re fast acting , they generally require more frequent diligence than granular fertilizers .
Granular plant food are pocket-size , dry shot made to distribute over the lawn in mechanically skillful spreaders . Users can employ a shaker - type container if they have a small lawn . mealy fertilizers usually last longer than liquid and do n’t have to be reapplied as often .
Photo: amazon.com
Coverage and Application
Fertilizer travelling bag labels cater the square footage that the bag can cover , so that part is loose . Keep in mind , however , that lot size is not the same as lawn size . To determine lawn size of it , take off the household , private road , walkways , plant beds , and patio / deck of cards from total lot sizing . For a jolting estimate , assume that lawn size is about half the stack size of it ; quartern - Akka lots have a lawn size of about 5,000 square invertebrate foot , for example .
With regard to app , most winter lawn fertilizers should be applied late in the growing season , around the last fourth dimension users mow for the twelvemonth . For best result , always follow the directions on the bag or label .
Tips for Using Winter Grass Fertilizer
There are a few ways that shoppers can insure their lawn gets the most out of winter gage fertilizer . Together with the maker directions , these software tips can help them get a immature , riotous lawn come spring .
FAQs
That ’s a lot of information about wintertime grass fertiliser . If you still have enquiry , read the answers to the most frequently asked queries below .
Q. How do you keep grass in the winter?
Aerate , rakehell , and/or dethatch your lawn at least once a year to help more air arrive at the roots and help keep snow mould from make . The estimable way to help your pasturage through the winter is to keep it goodly before the temperature drop . Knowingwhen to fertilize your lawnin each time of year of the year encourages strong root and lush top growth during warmer weather .
Q. What is the best winter treatment for lawns?
Test your land before care for it for the wintertime so you’re able to apply the right nutrient in the correct amounts . The trial run can also betoken whether you postulate to work in amendments like compost or potassium hydroxide to amend the soil conditions and grain .
Q. What is the difference between fall fertilizer and winter fertilizer?
Sometimes there ’s not a big divergence , but in general , fall fertiliser stimulate the increment of young , deep roots while wintertime lawn fertiliser aid the base take up food and store them until spring .
Q. Does fertilizer work in the winter?
Yes . Gunter Grass root take up wintertime lawn fertilizers and use them until the soil freezes . Then they stack away any additional nutrient until bounce .
Everything You Need for a Lush and Healthy Lawn
preserve your dope unripe and your plants thriving does n’t just take a green ovolo — it starts with the right-hand dick and supplies .
