Any recent soil test? Without one, a 3:1:2 ratio is usually a safe bet.

Feb feeding with synthetic fertilizer? Is this common? In my years on this forum I don't recall reading about winter feeding. Sounds like the fertilizer companies are trying to make their winter boat payments.

Doesn't have anything to do with the fert companies. The NCSU Agronomy gurus (at least at this university) changed the fall feeding to 2 times in the fall and one in mid-Feb (3 total lbs of actual nitrogen per thousand square feet per year) to carry through the summer. I suspect this to be for better results for everyone since they do this for ongoing research and the agriculture community.

Here is a link that might be useful: NCSU

Actually, here is a list of useful and helpful calendars for most varieties in this area, but can be tweaked for surrounding areas as well.

I was just curious about the consisitency numbers that I have 15-0-15 sine I had not used it before, but I think it's okay.

Here is a link that might be useful: turf maintenance calendars

I'm not questioning the guidance you're going by, but those links are from 2001. Why has nobody brought this up in all these years?

Also if you know what kind of grass he is referring to as 'carpetgrass,' that would help me evaluate the advice he's giving. Carpetgrass is the common name for many kinds of grass. The one I hear call that most often is St Augustine. If he is referring to St Aug, his advice does not match the practices found to be successful by the members of virtually all of the Internet forums. I guess it surprises me that a university would use a name that is so commonly used for so many different grasses without further defining it.

Don't know what kind of grass he is referring to as 'carpetgrass', but I may be able to find out. Regarding the 2001 date, they just refer the latest inquiries to that internet page because the data hasn't changed since 2001, but I agreeee...they could have updated to the current year. As you can see, their database is fairly massive with probably few folks/students to maintain it, but I'll see if I can contact him for some clarification.

dchall - as I promised, your explanation from NCSU:
Carpetgrass is the common name for ÂAxonopus affinis ChaseÂ. St. Augustinegrass is ÂStenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) KuntzelÂ. As a sidelight, St. Augustinegrass is known as buffalograss in Australia. Thus the reason for the latin (genus and species) names to correctly ID plants. These grasses are described on our website, www.turffiles.ncsu.edu. Both are warm season (C4) plants and should not be fertilized in late winter or early spring. They should be fertilized from April/May to August/September depending upon location. Their ideal temperature range is 80-95 degrees.

We do recommend fertilizing cool season (C3) turfgrasses such as ryegrasses, bentgrasses, bluegrasses and fescues in late winter/early spring to take advantage of the cool weather. However, most of the fertilizer in our area (approx.70%) should be applied in early and late fall. We also suggest avoiding fertilizing cool season grasses in mid summer but this will vary with location. For example, higher elevations in NC may require fertilization early and late summer. Temperature is one of the determining factors. Cool season grasses prefer temperatures of 6-75 degrees.

We recommend quick release fertilizers during the cooler portions of the year because slow release/organic fertilizers usually require microbial activity to release the nitrogen. Microbes are not that active in late fall and winter.

I think you can find the carpetgrass maintenance calendar and most calendars on the www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website.

Hope this helps.

jimtnc, thanks that's very helpful. The carpetgrass picture looks like a "weed" we get in St Augustine. What is puzzling is it looks like a bunch grass in the picture and not a sod forming grass. I always associate 'carpetgrass' with sod forming types.

Just to clarify, I did not mean to endorse that website. The helpful part was the definition and picture of the grasses. In general that website is very difficult to navigate.

Being an organic kind of guy I had to glance at their report on organic lawn care. Thirty-two pages! I've always had trouble writing more than a dozen. Turns out that report is more about selecting grass for the different locations in South Carolina than it is about organic lawn care. Judging by the organic information presented I would guess the report was written in the early 1990s. A lot has been learned about organic lawn and garden care since then. I'm still looking for something good on that topic.

So while I have not been very helpful on your original question, I can say that I will be fertilizing with ordinary corn meal on Washington's Birthday. I have early spring fungal issues and the corn meal seems to help. I still do not think there is a need or reason to fertilize with chemical ferts in the winter. There are no active roots to take up the chemicals so why do it? They are just going to wash away in the spring rains.

jimtnc, is your grass still green? I don't think there's a lawn in town here (NE KS) that still has green grass. I didn't think that grass was able to take in the Nitrogen if it wasn't photosynthesizing. So, putting it down on dormant grass would be a waste, even with quick-release.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the "winter feeding" in Feb. was aimed at the cusp b/w Winter and Spring in the plains and piedmont of NC?

My grass is still green, and barely still growing...not much, but a tad. I just put out more grass seed and fert last weekend and I can see some germination signs. I really have more weed activity than grass growing, but the roots will still grow.

It was 75 yesterday and the day before...not bad for Feb. So, even though we get some very cold days (usually late Dec and Jan) over the winter at times, our average high temp this time of year is +50, with the soil temps slightly lower. It's still winter here, but not like most of you are used to. You have to remember that we are still in the SOUTH here, folks. :-)

The winter feeding (mid to late Feb) is to put the fert in place to give the waking-up root systems a good kick for the rest of the warm months. Look at the soil temp map below and remember at what soil temps plants begin to get active, then judge for yourself. These temps will moderate the next few months, but way above where most of you are.

Here is a link that might be useful: soil temp map - push here

I got one question my lawn turning some part yellow is winter hear in portland oregon I just was wondering what can do and I haven't fertilize yet when will be a good time thank you

jimtnc, wow, that's a warmer winter than most people (including myself) think of for that area. We've had a warm spell for the last week or so, but I'm afraid it's coming to an end. I wish we had soil temps as warm as yours this time of year. We're still in the mid to upper 30s for soil temp. right now. It'll probably be another 6 weeks before the grass starts waking up here.

I got another response from NCSU in my area, so I'll post that just to pass the info along so we can closed this thread, and you can believe what you wish...I'm not the one doing all the work to improve things for us so ws can have nicer more productive lawns and outside areas.

From NCSU: "Hi Jim  Art asked me to help you out. First, IÂd like to clarify that we are talking about fertilizing cool-season grasses in February. IÂm not sure who is questioning our recommendation, but I suspect they may live in a colder part of the country. Our recommendations are based on both scientific data and years of field trials and extensive observation. In central NC, tall fescue certainly is not dormant in February, and depending on temperature, may start to be fairly active. Right now, our soil temperatures are in the mid 40Âs, which is plenty warm for roots to be actively absorbing N. Maybe not as fast as at 55, but still active. Slow release fertilizers usually donÂt perform as well at these temperatures as do quick release N, and ammonium sources work better than nitrate sources at the cooler temperatures. But the premise that cool season grasses are dormant and therefore not absorbing N in February (at least in central and eastern NC) is simply incorrect. Would it be better to wait until later in the season to fertilizer tall fescue? Perhaps the turf would absorb the N faster if we waited, but we donÂt recommend too much later than February (although IÂve gotten away with it in late March) because our spring can be fairly short, leading to summer temperatures fairly early in the season. This puts the tall fescue under temperature stress early as well. We donÂt want to stimulate a lot of new, lush growth in the late spring, just as the temperatures are rising, because that type of growth is easily damaged. By fertilizing earlier, we give the plant ample time to use the N for new growth during favorable climatic conditions, and also toughen up some before the plant has to deal with heat stress.

I hope this answers your question."

Thanks, Jim. This is great stuff for us NC folks. For what its worth, I put down 6lbs of N this weekend for my 6k sq ft. We'll see how it goes...

Even people a thousand miles away appreciate you posting this, Jim, thanks.

The NCSU theory supports Indiana's Purdue University idea of quick release nitrogen, in the form of urea, as the final fall feeding for the same very reason - soil temperatures in the root zone. Surface temperatures may not support top growth, but down below in the root zone the roots are active and can uptake nitrogen.

Good point Gary. I would think this applies more in the south than in the tundra, for example.