Fertilize Cool Season Grasses in September
Why fertilize? Medium rate applications of nutrients help the turf roots, crowns and shoots to grow, reestablish themselves, and fill in voids in the turf stand. Without adequate fertilizer, the density of the turf will be greatly reduced, and can also become thin. Under-fertilized lawns become susceptible to diseases such as stem rust as well. The third negative outcome is that in addition to being less dense than desirable, weeds will invade or sprout from the open spaces, causing a need for extra work to control them.
