I was going to apply it this week-end; if it was okay to do it.

Something like the Casco Bay Islands? I spent several vacations on Great Diamond Island in the house of a friend of mine!

Winterizers optimally do best if applied at exactly the right instant--after the grass stops growing but before ground freeze and before it goes dormant for winter. However, growth rates have already slowed in most areas, so fertilizer applied now would have some benefit even if the timing is wrong.

I'd say go for it. Also make sure the lawn is neatly mowed for the winter when you leave as nitrogen fertilization can set off some snow mold. Shorter, appropriately mowed lawns have less problem with that.

Actually further south in the Wells/Oguniquet area.

How short would you mow the lawn?

And should I bag the last cut?

Thanks

If you get the fertilizer just right you will see the difference next spring. The lawns that were winterized after the growth completely stops should green up earlier than other lawns nearby. That might mean early April as opposed to late April. If you're using organic fertilizers, it won't make that much difference.

Really, any length of mow is fine. I go into winter with a 3" lawn, which is pretty tall. I just wouldn't leave it shaggily uncut. You can mulch mow, there's no need to bag.

The closest good forecast I can get is Portsmouth. It seems a bit warm for winterizer as of yet, but if you had to, you could. That's still true in Portland as well.

thank you very much.

Be sure to water the fertilizer in right after application. No need to bag the cuttings. If you have leaves, mow them into the lawn too.

bought a 32-0-10 winter fertilizer today and will be putting it down tomorrow.

do the numbers look okay to you?

It isn't a popular name brand does it matter?

That would go down at 3 lb/1000 sq ft. Brands don't matter.

Hi,

I am not sure what the "3 lb/1000 sq ft" ratio means with regards to if it is to much nitrogen or not enough.

Is there a lb/1000 sq ft ratio I should be aiming for?

thanks

Measure your yard. How many square feet is it? For each 1000 square feet, put three pounds of fertilizer in your spreader. For example, if you have 5000 square feet, use 15 lb. of fertilizer (3x5=15). If your yard is 3000 square feet, use 9 lb. of fertilize (3x3=9). Your particular fertilizer is giving you 32% nitrogen and 10% potassium. By using 3 lb of fertilizer for each 1000 square feet, you will be giving 1 lb. of nitrogen to each 1000 square feet. One pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet is a normal application. Weigh the fertilizer that you put in the spreader, set the spreader at a low setting, and go up and down and then back and forth in alternating directions until it's distributed. Then water it in well.

thank you for the explanation.

"One pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet is a normal application."

Question: If Milorganite is 5-2-0 does it equal approximately 0.5lb/1000sq ft?

If so; do I need to double the recommended application rate when using Milorganite for my regular growing season fertilizations?

5-2-0 means 5% N, 2% P, 0% K. If I remember correctly, the recommended rate of Milorganite on the bag delivers about 3/4 lb of N per 1000 sq ft. (I just did the math. 36 lb over 2500 sq ft delivers .72 lb of N). If you are using only Milorganite for fertilizer and want to put down 1 lb of N, you would use 20 lb of Milorganite for each 1000 sq ft. (20 X .05=1). Here is a U of Maine bulletin on lawn maintenance (and another on fertilization). You will note that they recommend no more than 2 lb of N for the year, with one application in early fall and a second possible application in late May. What do you mean by "regular growing season fertilizations"?

2017 plans:

apply a pre-emergent early May

Milorganite end of month applications May thru September, synthetic fertilizer at the end of October at seasonal cottage and mid to end of November at home

Milorganite is usually safe to use most anytime but summer is not a good time for fertilization. If you are applying it every month, you certainly don't need to increase the amount. If anything, consider decreasing the amount, especially in hot weather. I avoid all fertilizer, even Milorganite, during summer but it's much hotter here. You might think about U Maine's advice and use a bag rate of Milorganite in late May and put down a 1-1.5 lb of N mid August to mid Sept (which could be one application of Milorganite at 20 lb/K in late August or two bag rates applications, maybe mid August and early September), skipping June and July.