One of the garden tasks that can be done at this time of year is fertilization. It can help your grass and other plants get the nutrients they need to have good new growth and prepare for dormancy in winter. However, you do not want to do it too late in the year. Your fall fertilizing should be completed by the end of November at the latest to avoid problems.
Why Is There a Deadline for Fertilization?
When a plant is given fertilizer, new growth is encouraged and enhanced since they have access to necessary nutrients. This can be a good process, of course, as you try to help your garden flourish. However, if tender new shoots appear and they are hit by frost and otherwise chilly temperatures, damage or even death of the plant (if extensive enough) can occur. Allowing time for the fertilizer to work and the plant to get new growth started will contribute to a higher success rate in your garden.
A good average cutoff date for fall fertilizing in this area (New York) is November 30th. Your grass won’t be trying to put out new shoots in the dead of winter when it is coldest and should have enough time to get a good start. If you do miss this deadline, simply wait until the temperatures start to warm up again in spring.
Give us a call today to get an appointment for your garden fertilizing needs this fall!
Image by Boston Public Library under a Flickr Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License