69°F
weather icon Clear

Fertilizing now will keep lawn lovely

Question: I remember you said to apply fertilizer to a lawn around Thanksgiving. But during that time, it was cold, and the fertilizer bag says to water frequently.

Fertilizing is different from seeding. I recommend fertilizing tall fescue with a high-nitrogen fertilizer around Thanksgiving. This helps keep the lawn green through the winter months. Once the fertilizer is applied, it should be watered in with a single, normal irrigation.

If you haven't done it yet, it may not be too late. Pick a warm winter day and apply a high nitrogen fertilizer.

Watering once a week after you apply a fertilizer is adequate but not adequate for seed. This is not the time to seed the lawn. That has to be done when temperatures are still relatively warm but not too hot -- usually from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 or thereabouts.

Bob Morris is a professor emeritus in horticulture with the University of Nevada and can be reached at extremehort@aol.com. Visit his blog at
xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Watch out for hornworms lurking in your garden

Anyone who has been gardening for a while has a horror story or two about hornworms, which infest many vegetables in the tomato family.

What can be done about high boron levels in soil?

Boron is one of the salts commonly found in desert soils. It can be present naturally or it can accumulate over the years in such places as horse corrals.

Do honeybees prefer pink flowers over white ones?

All of the so-called temperate fruit trees flower in the spring. The white-flowered types such as almonds, plums and pluots, apples and pears usually flower a bit later.

Is redbud tree a good choice for pool area?

My landscaper is recommending a redbud tree in the planter attached to my pool. I asked him if that’s a good tree to plant so close to the pool.

Can scent tell me what kind of plant this is?

You should smell a big difference between bay laurel and cherry laurel, which come from different plant families despite their similar names.

Does woody ‘rash’ on cactus indicate a problem?

Older streaks are from the accumulation of suber, or corky tissue. These “rashes” also may happen when a cactus is damaged by disease.