Fertilization & Watering Tips
Fertilize shrubs, trees, and groundcovers in your landscape
During the first week or two of September, fertilize your evergreen and deciduous shrubs, trees and groundcover plants with a well-balanced shrub and tree food containing micronutrients. Alternatively, you may use an organic or natural plant food. Fall fertilization should be timed so that it is done at least 2 months prior to the typical first frost date in your region.
Fertilize fescue or bluegrass lawns in mid to late September
Feed your fescue or bluegrass lawn with a high-nitrogen lawn fertilizer when daytime temperatures are averaging 80 degrees F or below. Nitrogen is the first number in fertilizer. These days, most bags of pelletized lawn fertilizers are sold by how much square feet of lawn area they will cover. To know how much fertilizer to apply, measure your lawn area(s) for square footage. To determine total square footage, measure and then multiply length x width of lawn area(s).
SEE: How To Measure And Calculate Square Feet Of A Lawn
Apply pelletized lime at this time to Fescue, Bermuda, and Zoysia lawns
Maintaining proper soil pH is one of the most important keys to establishing a healthy, green lawn. You can dump all the fertilizer you want on a lawn but the nutrients won't be absorbed by the grass roots unless the soil pH is right. Most lawn grasses, including Bermuda, Zoysia, Fescue, and Bluegrass grow best at a soil pH between 6.5 to 6.9. Soil pH will naturally decline over time and become more acid due to excessive rain, acid rain, irrigation and soil erosion. Pelletized lime improves fertilizer effectiveness by correcting, or "sweetening," the soil, reducing acidity. This makes your lawn greener and healthier. It also adds calcium and magnesium, two important nutrients essential for lawn and garden growth. How to know if your soil has low pH? If you have bare spots, excessive weeds, or your grass isn't as green as you would like it to be, you probably need an application of lime. If your soil's pH is acidic (below 6.7) you are wasting the fertilizer you apply. These days there are specially formulated pelletized limestone products, such as Green N' Grow, that work to hold the essential calcium and magnesium nutrients of lime in the root zone longer, reducing the quantity of lime required to correct low pH levels. These products produces longer lasting greener lawns using less product, saving you time and money. When using these specially formulated limes the recommended rate for acidic soils in 6 pounds per 1,000 square feet of lawn area. Otherwise, if you are using standard pelletized lime, apply 40 pounds per 500 to 1,000 square feet.
SEE: About Soil pH And How To Adjust It
Fertilize Roses if you haven't done so within the last six weeks
After a long and hot summer, your roses might look a little worn out and in need of some TLC. The best thing you can do is deadhead them (remove any spent blooms and stems) and feed them in September. We recommend a good rose food or organic plant food.This will be the last feeding of the year for roses. You won't be feeding them again until early spring next year.
Apply phosphate to your perennial plants
A dose of bone meal or other products containing only phosphate will help to build root systems over the winter resulting in stronger, healthier plants next year!
Check soil moisture
If needed, make sure to provide water to lawns and plants that may be suffering from heat and dry conditions. Only one more month or so to cooler temps and less watering!
