Should I fertilize my sward surrounded by the winter?
Answers: Terry,
You basically hold hit the nail on the come first yourself. Fertilizing in the late of winter, especially in Chi-town, would be a refuse of money, time, and nutrients even if it is an organic fertilizer made from animal bi-products. Fertilizer companies such as Scotts, Miracle-Gro, Vigoro etc, invention a special formulation which most call a "winterizer" fertilizer. Even though it have "winter" in the title, for best results it desires to be down and watered into the turf sometime between the end of September and the second week of November, depending on the climate and your growing zone. The turf will be starting to shutdown within the fall after the weather begin to cool and the amount of sunlight becomes smaller number and less. When this chemical sensitivity takes place inside the plants brain, it will begin to engage all the nutrients (stored as carbohydrates) available surrounded by the soil and store them to help it withstand winter weather. Any that is to say still available in spring, will be utilized for a hurried food fix and growth spurt. In order for this "storing" process to start, the nutrients must be available when the turf is still actively growing (right now it is dormant). So, you "can" put down the natural at this time, and it would probably last longer than a chemical fertilizer would, but you would more than predictable be wasting money. Both types of fertilizer will "leach" out of the soil with rain and melting snow and become off limits to your turf. Why not just dally until spring when the weather is more favorable for growth and the turf can benefit totally from the application? Hope this answers your question and sorry for one so looong winded, but a thorough explanation I felt, be needed for better understanding.. Good luck...
...$Billy Ray$
Go to a local gardening center and ask them. They will recommend the best to do for your nouns and climate!
More Questions and Answers...