Preparing Your Lawn for Winter: The Best Fertilizers to Use in Cold Weather

The use of fertilizers is essential to maintaining and flourishing healthy lawns. They serve important nutrients like potassium, phosphate, and nitrogen that the lawn requires to grow. All of those nutrients have a special purpose. For instance, potassium helps plants withstand stress, particularly in severe weather, while phosphorus promotes growing roots and nitrogen promotes healthy and green grass growth.

Lawn care practices have evolved over centuries, with winter fertilization becoming a standard in regions with cold climates. Historically, gardeners and farmers discovered that certain nutrients could help plants survive and thrive during harsh winter conditions. The development of specialized winter fertilizers appeared from these agricultural practices, combining modern science with traditional wisdom.

When the weather gets cooler, grass undergoes a dormant phase, which causes its growth to considerably slow down. At this point, it becomes crucial to concentrate on keeping the lawn healthy going forward. Winter growth demands a different approach than spring and summer when healthy growth is encouraged by high-nitrogen fertilizers.

Winter fertilizers typically contain a higher concentration of potassium and phosphorus than regular fertilizers. Potassium strengthens the plant's cellular structure, increasing its ability to withstand cold stress. Phosphorus promotes root growth, which is crucial for nutrient uptake and overall lawn health. Nitrogen is included in smaller amounts to avoid excessive top growth, which can be vulnerable to frost.

Proper winter fertilizer application helps the grass survive and sets the conditions for a strong and thriving lawn in the coming spring. Winter fertilizers are essential for garden lovers to maintain a lively lawn. Explore the best fertilizers for all seasons at Growcycle, a one-stop solution for growers' cultivation needs. They offer hot-selling products and comprehensive ideas about growing healthy green lawns. 

Fertilizing the Lawn in Winter, Good or Bad?

When it comes to lawn care, timing is everything, and fertilizing is no exception. The question of whether fertilizing the lawn in winter is beneficial or detrimental depends on various factors, including the type of grass, climate, and specific lawn care goals.

Pros of Winter Fertilization

• Root Development: Certain types of grass, especially cool-season grasses, can benefit from winter fertilization. Applying fertilizer in late fall or early winter can promote root growth, which helps the grass survive the cold months and come stronger in the spring.
• Prepares for Spring: Winter fertilization can help ensure the lawn has the necessary nutrients to grow vigorously once warmer weather returns. This can lead to a greener and thicker lawn in the spring.
• Slow-Release Fertilizers: Using a slow-release fertilizer can provide a steady supply of nutrients over the winter months, ensuring that the grass has what it needs to stay healthy without risking nutrient runoff.

Cons of Winter Fertilization

• Nutrient Runoff: Fertilizing when the ground is frozen or covered in snow can lead to nutrient runoff, especially if the fertilizer isn't absorbed into the soil. This can harm local waterways and is generally considered environmentally irresponsible.
• Grass Type and Dormancy: Warm-season grasses go dormant in winter and won't benefit from fertilization. Applying fertilizer during dormancy can waste resources and potentially harm the lawn.
• Weather Variability: Unpredictable winter weather can affect the effectiveness of winter fertilization. Heavy rains or rapid snowmelt can wash away the fertilizer before the soil can absorb it.

Best Lawn Fertilizers to Use in Cold Weather

Winter Lawn fertilizers may be liquid or granular, and applying them to the soil is super convenient. Growers may need a suitable spreader to evenly apply granular fertilizers and a good spray for liquid fertilizers. Fertilizers with controlled or gradual release are preferable, as they release nutrients slowly into the soil, fulfilling the plant's nutrient needs during dormant conditions. 

Here are some of the best fertilizers for winter with different nutrient profiles to be used on the lawns and gardens;

1. Fertilome Winterizer Established Lawn 25-5-6

Fertilome Winterizer Established Lawn has the best nutritional profile for the winter. The 25% nitrogen ensures that green spaces remain vibrant even in the cold and helps promote plant growth. The 5% phosphorus content helps strengthen the roots to store nutrients for the harsh season. Fertilome 20# winterizer is a great pick for soils with phosphorus deficiency. 

While 6% potassium in this fertilizer is the most crucial component, it helps build resistance in plants against extreme frosts and certain other plant diseases. Growers with cool-season grasses such as Bentgrass, Fine Fescue, and Kentucky Bluegrass in their lawns may rely on this for fertilizing their lawns, trees, and shrubs. A 20 lb pack of Fertilome 20# winterizer can effectively fertilize a 5000 square feet area. 

The fertilizer helps maintain already established green spaces, but Fertilome 20# Winterizer may not be good with soils enriched in nitrogen and phosphorus. To avoid such conveniences, growers are recommended to perform a soil test.

2. Lesco Professional Turf Fertilizer

The nutritional makeup of Lesco Professional Turf Fertilizer makes it the most effective winter fertilizer. With a 24-0-11 formula, the fertilizer offers 24% nitrogen, 0% phosphorus, and 11% potassium. Applying 5 lb of Lesco Professional Turf fertilizer is sufficient for a lawn of 1000 square feet.

A relatively higher nitrogen ratio prevents plant wilting during extreme cold by maintaining the chlorophyll content. The absence of phosphorus makes it more eco-friendly by protecting the soil from excess nutrients. The high potassium content makes plants resilient to winter stress. 

The nitrogen and potassium in this fertilizer improves root growth and strengthen them further to withstand the cold season challenges. Though it is a good pick for cool-season grasses, it may not be the perfect choice for lawns already having excess nitrogen or facing a phosphorus deficiency. 

3. Simple Lawn Solutions - High Potassium Lawn Food Liquid Fertilizer

Simple Lawn Solutions—High potassium lawn food liquid fertilizer 0-0-25 offers a unique nutrient profile, with 0% nitrogen, 0% phosphorus, and a high content of 25% potassium. It is best for growers who don’t prefer a high nitrogen or phosphorus content in their winter fertilizers. The mild winter or late fall is the effective time to apply it, but growers should avoid it in extreme winters as it will accumulate on the lawn surface. 

This high-potassium liquid fertilizer makes plants more resilient to changing weather and winter stress, and it is a go-to fertilizer for plants lacking potassium. Growers with different grasses, including Bermuda grass, Bahia grass, Annual Ryegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, Saint Augustine grass, and even more, can consider this to fertilize their lawns. The manufacturers offer a sprayer that further increases the convenient fertilizer application to lawns and gardens. A 32-ounce bottle can provide sufficient potassium to up to 3200 square feet of the lawn. 

The 0% nitrogen content makes it the best winter fertilizer, as growers will not have to worry about grass burning due to excess nitrogen. Its sole focus is on enhancing the plants’ cold tolerance with high potassium levels.  

4. Fertilome Winterizer Established Lawn 10-0-14

Fertilome 20# Winterizer Established Lawn has a nutrient ratio of 10-0-14, lower nitrogen, and relatively higher potassium levels with a 0% phosphorus content. This granular fertilizer's nutrient balance is perfect for well-established green spaces. 

Lower nitrogen content helps retain the plants’ color, but it is not significantly significant in fostering plant growth, which makes it a good winter fertilizer. High potassium levels are also good for ensuring plant resilience to cold and other interruptions and helping the plant recover from stress quickly. 

People who maintain their lawns via best gardening practices and regular fertilization can use Fertilome #20 as the last touch-up before the winter dormancy hits. The best time to apply this is late fall or early winter, so the roots get maximum food storage to survive upcoming stress. One pack contains 20 lb of this granular fertilizer, and 4 lb can cover 1000 square feet of a lawn to fertilize. 

5. Green Thumb GT58105 Winterizer Lawn Fertilizer

Green thumb GT58105 has a nutrient profile of 32-0-10, with higher-than-usual nitrogen content, no phosphorus, and high potassium. Its high nitrogen content makes it a go-to pick in the season of active plant growth. The fertilizer has this nitrogen in a 50% controlled release condition, thus allowing the plants to store half of their nitrogen content for long-term uptake. To improve the lush green grass maintenance role of nitrogen, an extra 2% iron is also present in it. 

High potassium levels strengthen the roots and ensure disease-resistant plants. The fertilizer is effective at 0% phosphorus only if the lawns to be fertilized are previously well-established with good phosphorus levels. However, soils with little to no phosphorus will not show maximum efficiency with this fertilizer. 

Growers consider it a good choice to fertilize lawns in winter due to its convenient usage. People having cool-season grasses in their well-maintained lawns can consider applying it before the winter frost starts. 

Proper Way To Fertilize Lawn In Winter

Fall and summer are preferred times for growers wanting to fertilize their lawns. However, depending on grass type and certain other factors, the plants may need to be fertilized other than in the fall and summer. Applying fertilizers during winter is a critical thing to do. Growers may follow the given below steps to ensure effective fertilizer application during the winter;

• Know the Lawn Requirements

With changing seasons, plant nutrient requirements also change. During winter, nutrients may get locked due to freezing temperatures, causing plants to deplete certain nutrients. Growers need to assess these specific requirements while applying fertilizers to the plants, and a soil test is a good option. The preferable time to test the soil is late fall, which makes the nutrient profile of the lawn clear so growers can choose a fertilizer accordingly. 

• Choose a Suitable Winter Fertilizer

During winter, cool-season grasses focus more on combating the cold stress than showing rapid growth. A fertilizer with minimal nitrogen and a high potassium content works best. Fertilizers with water-soluble Nitrogen are ideal for growers as they fulfill the plant's sudden energy needs, making them more resistant to cold and other possible harms.

A good phosphorus content also strengthens plants in winter, but well-fertilized plants may have enough phosphorus storage. If the soil test shows no phosphorus deficiency, choosing a low-phosphorus fertilizer helps avoid nutrient excess.  

• Preparing The Lawn Before Winter

Cleaning, mowing, and watering the lawn are important to maintaining a healthy and lush green lawn. Properly preparing the lawn makes it useful to apply fertilizers, as they will harm the soil instead of benefiting it. Growers should clear up all the trash and leaves from the lawn before applying fertilizer to allow the soil to absorb fertilizer directly. Also, mowing the grass up to around 2 inches helps effectively absorb fertilizers. 

• Fertilize on a Dry Day

The most important aspect of fertilizing the lawn is considering the effective time for fertilizer application. Lawns should not be fertilized when rainfall is expected. When fertilizing the soil during winter, growers should consider a day with relatively higher temperatures.

On a mild winter day, the minimum temperature for an effective fertilizer application is 40 degrees Fahrenheit. During extreme cold conditions, fertilizer will have difficulty absorbing into the deeper soil layers. Growers should not apply the nutrients if the lawn is covered with snow as it will hinder the absorption and thus harm the grass. 

• Watering the Lawn

A gentle watering right after fertilizer application provides enough water for the soil to absorb maximum fertilizer. However, more than enough water can wash the nutrients out of the soil, so growers need to be careful while proceeding. It is even recommended to water once more before the frost starts to increase nutrient absorption, but only minimal watering will benefit the lawn. 

• Ensure Uniform Fertilizer Application

Fertilizers show maximum efficiency when they are applied using best practices. Without evenly spreading the fine layer of fertilizer, the lawn can't have a healthy and growing lawn. For this purpose, a drop or broadcast spreader is the best choice, particularly in winter when the excess moisture is a potential problem in fertilizing. 

Do’s and Don'ts of Fertilizing Lawn In The Winter

When it is the right time to apply fertilizer to the lawns, growers should consider doing some things while avoiding others to ensure fertilizer efficiency in the soil. Here is given a to-do list for fertilizer application;

• Go for Controlled-Release Fertilizers

An ideal winter fertilizer should contain some nutrients with a controlled release capacity. During winter dormancy, when plants are not getting nutrients, these stored amounts will help them survive. When instantly released into the soil surfaces, water-soluble nutrients, particularly nitrogen, will cause over-fertilization, leading to grass burn or other plant issues. 

• Prefer Fertilizers With Micronutrients

Winter fertilizers with micronutrients are excellent for maintaining healthy, resilient lawns during the colder months. These fertilizers typically contain essential trace elements like iron, manganese, and zinc, which help support root development and overall plant health. Using a winter fertilizer with micronutrients ensures the lawn remains green and ready to thrive in spring.

• Low Nitrogen is Good for Winter

Nitrogen is primarily responsible for plant growth and ensuring a lush green color. During winter, plants need more resistance than growth. When water-soluble nitrogen fertilizer is applied to lawns in the cold season, the excess nitrogen harms the grass. So, gardeners should pick winter fertilizers with controlled-release nitrogen in lower amounts. 

• Keep checking the Soil Moisture

Soil moisture is one of the notable factors responsible for fertilizer absorption into the soil. Dry soils accumulate nutrients on the soil surface, preventing their absorption into the roots. It is recommended that soil moisture be monitored very often during winter and that the soil is sufficiently moist before applying fertilizer. 

• Avoid Overlooking Fall Lawn Preparation

Preparing the lawn to absorb maximum fertilizers is important before fertilizer application, ensuring maximum fertilizer efficiency. Growers need to prepare their lawns before applying fertilizers, and these preparations include aerating the compact soil, watering it sufficiently, and carrying out proper lawn cleaning. Overlooking any of these steps in the fall will not let the winter fertilizer perform its best in the soil. 

• Avoid Using Excess Fertilizers

Applying more than the required fertilizers is not beneficial to the plants. Conversely, an excessive flow of nutrients directly into the plants might result in over-fertilization or even phytotoxicity. Winter fertilizers need to strengthen roots and help store food in the soil to withstand the severe cold.

• Don’t Fertilize a Neglected Lawn 

When a lawn or garden faces heat or cold stress, is deficient in nutrients, or is poorly maintained, growers should not apply fertilizer as the initial recovery measure. In a neglected lawn, if growers apply fertilizers, they will harm the soil, cause thatch build-up, and show poor absorption in the soil. Moreover, they will give rise to weed attacks, thus disturbing the lawn even more. Before fertilizing a neglected space, growers should give it proper time to recover from the stress.

FAQs

When should fertilizers with high nitrogen contents be considered?

Nitrogen-rich fertilizers are the ideal choice when plant growth is the goal. Nitrogen improves plant growth and gives the plant its green color, so it is best to apply high-nitrogen fertilizers in spring and summer when plants are growing actively. However, fertilizers for fall and winter should have moderate to lower nitrogen levels. 

How do you know the difference between a fertilizer and a winterizer?

Fertilizers promote plants’ growth and provide all the essential nutrients. Different nutrients in a fertilizer work together to nourish a green space and maintain its healthy appeal. Winterizer is the fertilizer that works to prevent plants from challenging winter. It makes roots stronger while maintaining minimal plant growth during harsh winters.   

Is it good to grow a mix of cool-season and warm-season grasses?

Growing cool-season and warm-season grasses together is not preferable. The two require different nutrients, and their lawn care and maintenance differ. The other will suffer in the efforts to maintain one type of grass. This condition will lead to plant damage, patchy areas, and lawn maintenance issues. 

The Bottom Line

The upkeep of beautiful, healthy, lush gardens and lawns all year round depends mainly on winter lawn maintenance. The grass will remain healthy and resilient even during cold and difficult weather when the proper winter fertilizer is used. Lesser nitrogen and more potassium containing fertilizers ensure roots and support general health while helping plants prepare for the winter challenges. During dormancy, controlled-release nutrients are also very helpful since they give the plants a slow, consistent flow of nutrients.

Growers should know their lawn requirements, select the right winter fertilizer, and apply fertilizing techniques correctly. Growcycle can be the best choice for fulfilling growers’ needs for winter fertilizers. They offer winterizes of varying nutrient makeup for different lawn types. People may also find the best cultivation guides and durable products related to gardening, lawn care, and maintenance. 

Disclaimer: This material is for informational purposes only and should not be relied on for legal, medical, financial, or any other form of professional advice.

About the Author

Victor Miller

Environmental Journalist Focused on Sustainable Agriculture

Victor Miller is an environmental journalist at Growcycle, where he covers the latest news, trends, and innovations in sustainable agriculture. He has a deep passion for storytelling that emphasizes ecological balance and responsible farming practices.

Before joining Growcycle, Victor worked for several agricultural and environmental publications, reporting on significant environmental issues and interviewing key figures in the sustainability sector. His work has been featured in various industry journals and online platforms.