These articles are written to apply to the northeastern corner of Illinois. Problems and timing may not apply outside of this area. With Labor Day weekend just about here, we begin the transition from summer to early fall.
Early fall is an ideal time for fertilizing lawns.
When looking at the fertilizer bag, the three numbers represent nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, in that order. The main concern for lawns is adding nitrogen that helps give a nice green color. Potassium is used for hardiness of the plant, however, and is commonly found in winterizer fertilizers. Phosphorus is generally not needed in significant amounts unless a soil test has shown a deficiency. An important portion of the product label is the guaranteed analysis that will tell more about the nitrogen and other nutrients in the package.