I always put down my last app. of fertilizer after Thanksgiving. That is normally the right time of year that top growth has stopped and you no longer have to mow. I try to fertilize the first week of October and then again after Thanksgiving. We had a fairly warm winter last year and my lawn remained green all winter long.

Yep, around turkey day. Some years it's a little warmer than others, so in that case I wait a few weeks until the cold settles in...usually in Dec most years. They (NCSU) are now recommending to only apply twice in the fall, and then another in mid Feb. Apparently, they've done some testing to indicate that would be a better schedule. Who knows??

Between Thanksgiving and the first week of December. Depends on the weather during those weeks. I fert twice in the fall, the other being during the overseeding in late September.

You can use the following if in zone 7 NC:

1.- Labor Day Weekend (if overseeding, Starter Fert.)

1-B - If not overseeding, Oct. 1st or last weekend in Sept.

2.- Thanksgiving Day/weekend(24-2-13 or 13-2-13)

New Year

1.- Valentines Day (pre-emergent combination, usally 29-3-4)

2.- Tax Day (lower nitrogen like 13-2-13)

3.- July 4th (organic only if you must fertilize, Milorganite or similar)

That's 6 feedings per year (on the high side) but you can get rid of the summer feeding and Thanksgiving or Labor Day so you can stay within 4 feedings total.

KBG produces excessive thatch if overfertilized which leads to disease during the summer months. Fescue and Perennial Ryegrass can be fertilized 6 times a year with little to no
consequenses.

Most lawns in NC are Fescue/Bluegrass, so I recommend the 4 feedings per year for optimal performance.

If you not overseeding, skip Labor Day weekend application and fertilize on Oct. 1st, then Thanksgiving Day.

I hope this helps.

Auteck

Good info, Auteck.

If I recall, NCSU advises to never fertilize after 3/15. Thoughts?

That's probably a wise idea, unless you want to throw out some Milorganite at different times. I did and got a fungus from too much fert, so I don't add anymore after mid-Feb.

Glad I read this thread. I'm in Raleigh, NC, I fertilized in mid september just as the weather was starting to cool. I was thinking about fertilizing this weekend, but I think I'll hold off a bit. I tend to put down quite a bit of fertilizer(I use Espoma Organic) in the fall and don't fertilize at all in the spring. I had good results with that this year.