It's a Great Day to Fertilize Your Lawn!

Today would be a great day to fertilize your lawn.  The rain predictions are looking pretty good for this weekend, and not too stormy, so you won't need to water the fertilizer in.  Even if you don't fertilize any other time of year, take a few minutes to fertilize your lawn in the early fall.  It gives your grass that little extra boost that it needs to build up a good root system this winter.  So when it wakes up next spring, it will have a jump start before the heat of summer hits!

Just use an all-purpose lawn fertilizer, and be sure to apply at the label rate.  At this time of year, "weed-and-feed" products would be a waste of money (since weeds are going dormant too), so purchase a product that is only fertilizer.  Also, if you have trees planted in your lawn area, the herbicide in weed and feed products does damage them, so don't ever use these products around lawns with trees. 
Lawn fertilizers are high in nitrogen, which is the mineral element that plants, including turf grass, need in the highest amount.  Some lawn fertilizers are labeled "winterizers," and are higher in phosphorus and potassium.  Here in Central Texas, our soil generally has plenty of these two nutrients, so just stick with an all-purpose lawn fertilizer that's high in N, but lower in P and K, even when preparing your lawn for winter. 
Even though it's a great time to fertilize your lawn, you should avoid fertilizing your other plants at this time of year.  Trees, shrubs, and perennials will put on a flush of new growth with that added boost, and that may be just in time for them to get nipped by our first frost, especially if it arrives early.  So just continue to water your landscape plants as needed, and let them begin to respond to the shortened days and cooler temperatures by beginning to move into dormancy. 



Augie watches vigilantly, to make sure that I follow the label directions.