# Do you "winterize" your grass?



## cnet24 (Jul 14, 2017)

It would seem for most of us that we are at the tail end of the growing season, or at least in my planning window, we are coming close  . Do you do anything to your lawn to help "winterize" it? I know there are specialty fertilizers out there for this case, but always thought that they were really a marketing tactic.

For those with low cut bermuda- do you do anything special? Maybe let your grass grow taller? This is my first season with low cut bermuda and want to "winterize" the best I can.


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## Tellycoleman (May 10, 2017)

I am interested also to know what people are doing.
Last year (season 1) I maintaind at 1 inch into the winter. I had winter kill but i attribute that to my late establishment of my yard.
This year im at 0.55 inch and I am going to stay that way. However i have alot more root development and my lawn is thick as a blanket. Thaks RGS and PGR. Wish me luck.

I also am seriously considering a spring burn. The idea of a spring scalp with millions of bags of grass+ wear and tear on equipment+ 22k lawn gives me night sweats


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## Reel Low Dad (Jun 1, 2017)

I let mine grow to about 2ish inches. I planted in May and had a good bit of winter kill. I think it was just a first year thing on top of 4 warm up and re freezes.


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## Jacob_S (May 22, 2018)

In years past, about this time of year into mid Oct I just usually stop mowing all together and whatever growth still occurs into actual winter I let happen. This year though I plan to mow probably into Dec as it is usually still warm here in Dec. I put down the last app of fert I plan to do this season sunday morning. I will however continue use of the N-ext (soil activator pack)products I have possibly through Dec, basically take Jan/Feb off from use of those products. Only other plans I've got is one more round of celsius/dismiss probably this afternoon and I'll spray Dimension this weekend.
Time to kick back and enjoy burning fires and football.


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## dslab (Oct 18, 2017)

Tellycoleman said:


> so am seriously considering a spring burn. The idea of a spring scalp with millions of bags of grass+ wear and tear on equipment+ 22k lawn gives me night sweats


Terry, I am thinking about doing the spring burn as well. But I wonder how messy it will be with all the black and ash in the lawn for days/weeks?


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

I usually stop applying heavy doses of Nitrogen come October and try to get at least 1lb/K of Potassium down in October too so that the lawn can store it for the Winter. I will also keep the PGR apps going until it really cools off and keep it mowed. The mowing frequency will slow down for sure with cooler temps and the PGR but it's still good to keep it cut and have a nice even appearance. I will also put down an app of Prodiamine to get me through the Winter. Other than that I just let the lawn slowly go to sleep. Once everything is asleep for the year, I will usually do one final mow and trim to clean everything up so that it still looks good even though its dormant.


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## cnet24 (Jul 14, 2017)

Fistertondeluxe said:


> I let mine grow to about 2ish inches. I planted in May and had a good bit of winter kill. I think it was just a first year thing on top of 4 warm up and re freezes.


I think I am going to do the same. Right now my HOC is around 5/8" in the front yard and regulated by PGR. I am following GDD days and my current application expires in the next few days. I think I am going to let it come out of regulation and let the cooler weather naturally slow things down (if it ever comes!).

Thanks @Mightyquinn. What is the thought process behind laying down 1lb/potassium for the winter?


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

cnet24 said:


> Fistertondeluxe said:
> 
> 
> > I let mine grow to about 2ish inches. I planted in May and had a good bit of winter kill. I think it was just a first year thing on top of 4 warm up and re freezes.
> ...


The Potassium helps "harden off" the grass for the winter and may prevent some diseases from occurring come Spring time. Potassium is the second most used element behind Nitrogen that the grass uses so giving it a good shot going into Winter can help set yourself up for next year and reduce the stress on the plant.


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## Stellar P (Apr 13, 2018)

Anyone recommend a good fert that is higher in potassium and lower in nitrogen? I'm eradicating disease (Grey Leaf Spot in St Augustine) at the moment, so I'm backing off excessive nitrogen applications. A fert that is closer to 0 N would be good for my situation.


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

Stellar P said:


> Anyone recommend a good fert that is higher in potassium and lower in nitrogen? I'm eradicating disease (Grey Leaf Spot in St Augustine) at the moment, so I'm backing off excessive nitrogen applications. A fert that is closer to 0 N would be good for my situation.


SOP - potassium sulfate.


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## ken-n-nancy (Jul 25, 2017)

Spammage said:


> Stellar P said:
> 
> 
> > Anyone recommend a good fert that is higher in potassium and lower in nitrogen? I'm eradicating disease (Grey Leaf Spot in St Augustine) at the moment, so I'm backing off excessive nitrogen applications. A fert that is closer to 0 N would be good for my situation.
> ...


Just to add a little more information on Spammage's recommendation...

SOP is the abbreviation for "Sulfate of Potash" which is potassium sulfate. It's the go-to potassium fertilizer for turf.

The N-P-K of this product is 0-0-50. You'll usually need to go to a garden center, golf course supplier, or agricultural fertilizer supplier to find it. The latter will normally sell it in generic 50-pound bags for about $20 to $35 depending upon your area. Not even all garden centers or ag suppliers will carry it, unless you're in an area which grows chloride-sensitive crops (such as potatoes, grapes, most berries. avocado, almonds, etc.) I get my SOP at Agway, but I don't think they exist in Texas.

It's a little easier to find MOP = muriate of potash = potassium chloride. The N-P-K of muriate of potash is 0-0-60. It is less expensive than SOP (which is why it's more common and the easier to find) but it is harsher on grass. It is more commonly found at garden centers and agricultural fertilizer suppliers than SOP, and will be less expensive. (Maybe $15 to $25 for a 50-pound bag.)


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## Stellar P (Apr 13, 2018)

Spammage said:


> SOP - potassium sulfate.





ken-n-nancy said:


> Just to add a little more information on Spammage's recommendation...
> 
> SOP is the abbreviation for "Sulfate of Potash" which is potassium sulfate. It's the go-to potassium fertilizer for turf.
> 
> ...


I live in an area close to a lot of agricultural farmland, so I'm sure I'll be able to find the SOP within a 10-20 min drive. I'll call around to locate. Although it's nice to save a buck, I don't want to apply anything that has a chance to negatively alter my soil condition.

From what I've read, the basic principle of Potassium sulfate, is to aide in root development (prior to low winter temps in our case). I plan on doing a prodiamine application this weekend, and its my understanding that it is a "root pruner". *Are root pruning pre-ems and Potassium sulfate strategically applied at varying times in order to prevent/limit root damage?*


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## thatlawnguy (Aug 16, 2018)

By no means am I an expert but all I plan to do this year is ramp down my nitrogen as the temperature cools and the growth slows. My logic is that all year I've worked to bring my soil nutrients up to optimal levels so I don't need to hit it with extra K before it goes to sleep because I spent the whole year ensuring there is adequate K in the soil whenever it needs it (K also helps with drought and disease resistance not just winter kill). My soil CEC is high so I'm not too concerned with leaching and losing what I've built over the year so if it needs K to prepare for the winter it is there. My goal with nitrogen is to prevent it from being chlorotic but not to push growth (I'm guessing I'll wrap it up in early November with either .25# or .5# N/1000 depending on the weather).

-tlg


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## reidgarner (Jun 18, 2018)

1 lb of K per K to feed the roots and help the plant store carbs for the winter. Some P wouldn't hurt either. I use a 5-24-25 from Regal around Oct 1 and then hit it with another 1lb of K from SOP during the winter.

If you have had issues with SDS or Zoysia patch, apply a systemic fungicide labeled for those diseases as soon as soil temps hit about 75, and then again 28 days later.

I've never thought letting it grow taller will accomplish anything other than making the spring scalp more labor intensive. I just keep it at the same height. Never had a problem with winter kill even with sub 10 degree days.

Apply Pre-m for Poa and winter broads before soil temps drop below 70.

I usually keep mowing regularly until it goes completely dormant. I still like to mow every 3-4 weeks throughout the winter with a rotary to vacuum up leaves and keep it looking nice and golden brown. Dormant muda tends to start looking dingy and gray if you let it go too long without mowing.


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## ken-n-nancy (Jul 25, 2017)

Stellar P said:


> From what I've read, the basic principle of Potassium sulfate, is to aide in root development (prior to low winter temps in our case).


Oops -- just realized I wandered into the Warm Season Lawns area -- the title of the post led me amiss. (Up in New Hampshire, a warm season lawn doesn't have a chance of surviving the winter and would only have about 3 weeks in the summer that are hot enough for it to really thrive...)

Anyway, everything I said in my prior posting was equally relevant for warm-season and cool-season grasses, so we're okay.

Potassium (K) is traditionally recommended as a "winterizer" as it helps grass (both warm and cool season) survive colder temperatures without winterkill than the grass would tolerate if it were potassium-deficient. So, if your Bermuda or St. Augustine or Zoysia would normally tolerate a low temperature of 25F and still survive, having excellent potassium levels might enable the grass to survive another 5-7 degrees lower, so it could survive a 20F temperature, or maybe even 18F instead. That might make the difference between death and survival for a lot of your grass if you get one of those rare cold snaps.

Having good potassium levels also increases cold temperature survival for cool season grasses, too, but in comparatively cold climates like NH, we need a grass that can survive to about -20F (or colder) without winterkill problems. Below are the actual temperatures recorded in my town (Bedford, NH) during the first week of January this year:
*Actual Temperatures, Jan 2018, Bedford, NH*







However, high potassium levels also increase the likelihood of snow mold, particularly if the grass remains snow-covered for more than about 45-60 days, which is a problem for me, but very unlikely to be a problem for you in Texas unless we suddenly experience another ice age. 

So, as a result, I don't make fall applications of potassium on my cool-season lawn, because the increased risk of snow mold for me is a bigger risk than the benefit of getting increased resistance against winterkill.

For you, though, snow mold is a non-issue, as you won't have 30+ days of continuous snow cover on your lawn, but likely will get some benefit from an extra 5-7F degrees of resistance to cold temperatures for your grass.

I'll quietly slink back off to the Cool Season Lawns forum again...


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## Cory (Aug 23, 2017)

I have only had one winter with Bermuda but I gave it a good dose of 0-0-60 last year and am doing it again this year split between September and October at the rate NC State suggests in this Bermuda athletic feild calendar https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/bermudagrass-athletic-field-maintenance-calendar


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## Seth_13 (Sep 18, 2018)

I laid Bermuda sod 4 weeks ago. I'm wondering what route I should take with this being a new lawn, and the fall weather approaching quickly. Should prepare to winterize or treat my yard another way? I've watered everyday and the sod is established throughout the yard. I'm in northeast Arkansas with roughly 8k sq ft. Thanks!


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## Rockinar (Jul 21, 2017)

I just mow it one day, then ignore it till March.


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## kaptain_zero (Jun 2, 2018)

Up here in Winnipeg, we just hope the snow stays away until the end of October, so we can get most of the leaves off the lawn. I really hate it when the lawn gets several inches of snow before the leaves finish dropping off the trees, it makes for a royal mess to clean up in the spring.

As for any special treatments... this is the first in probably 20+ years my lawn has seen any fertilizer at all, and, it's finally starting to look better.... I just hit it with some 33-0-11 a week ago and some starter fert 3 weeks before that (12-36-15). We have this lovely "gumbo" clay soil... it shrinks so bad when it's a dry summer that small pets can fall in between the foundation and the soil! This year, it was about a 2 to 3 inch wide gap, mostly gone now that we got a couple inches of rain last week. I have to keep fighting the urge to back fill with soil.... once the rains come, it would push the foundation walls in, if it didn't have that expansion gap.

So, by the end of October, the mower will be put away for the winter and it won't come out until the end of April at the earliest....


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