Winterizer Fertilizer – When to Apply and How

winterizer when to apply Winter is one of the toughest times for our lawns, and ensuring that the grass gets through the colder months and has enough food to flourish in spring is important.

Luckily, winterizer is designed to do just that. Knowing when to apply winterizer fertilizer and what brands to choose are critical in ensuring the success of your prized lawns.

What is Winterizer Fertilizer?

“Winterizer” is a term that has been used for almost 30 years now by some of the biggest fertilizer brands. The term refers to special blends of fertilizer that are designed to be applied to lawns from mid August through to the end of November.

Depending on what brand you choose, each winterizer contains different ingredients, but most well known brands contain mostly Nitrogen Fertilizer.

Check the label

The label on your winterizer should list the nitrogen as a quick releasing water soluble nitrogen (WSN). Avoid fertilizers that list water insoluble nitrogen (WIN).

Winterizer is designed to do two things:

Help your lawns store food for the winter
Ensure that there is enough food stored to encourage rooting and growth in the spring

It should be noted that winterizer is not designed to encourage the growth of grass, it is simply designed to prepare your lawn for the winter and ensure it has enough food to start its rapid growth in spring.

Winterizer Fertilizer – When to Apply

You should apply winterizer when the grass stops growing in the fall, but while it is still active in the root system. You can tell that your grass is still active by the the strong green color.

Your location will depend on when exactly this is, but it is usually mid-late November. On rare occasions it could even be early December.

Rule of thumb

When you stop needing to mow your lawns regularly, it is time to apply winterizer.

How To Apply Winterizer

It goes without saying that you should read the instructions that come with your winterizer, however the following are some general tips to get the most out of it.

Use a fertilizer spreader to ensure even coverage.
It is generally advised to use a little less than the label instructs, this reduces the chance of any un-adsorbed nitrogen leaching into groundwater.

Our Recommended Winterizer

When it comes to choosing the best winterizer it really comes down to personal choice, however I have always had great results with Espoma EOFW30 Fall Winterizer. I get consistent results and my lawn stays nice and healthy throughout the year, no matter the conditions (even when the nights are below freezing).