The majority of fertilizers on the market is composition of three main chemical elements, (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium). All of these elements are important for plant growth.
This is why you typically see an NPK label on the front of any fertilizer package.
Simply, The NPK label stands for the composition of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium in the fertilizer.
Each of the elements is represented differently and should be applied depending on what the soil is lacking, plant type, and season.
Winter fertilizers (winterizers) in general would be high in Nitrogen and Potassium. More specific, the N to K ratio should be 2:1.
For example – You may see the NPK values on the label sometimes are expressed as 24:2:12. Notice that Phosphorus would be minimal since it is not needed in winter.
Winter Fertilizer Numbers
It is very likely that your garden or lawn needs Nitrogen and Potassium during the winter months.
This is because high phosphorous levels in the soil support the development of micro plants such as algae, which you don’t want in your garden.
Furthermore, more often than not, your soil has a lot of phosphorous just at the beginning of the winter months.
Your best all-round solution during the winter months is to use a slow-release fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 10:2:20 NPK.
Here it is important to note that the amount of Nitrogen as mentioned above, is low because you do not want your lawn to grow too much in the winter months.
Nitrogen assists in producing leaves, again not what you want during the winter months because it makes your plants susceptible to diseases and frost overload.
The goal during the winter months is to not have your leaves and stems grow as much as possible because your plants are trying to conserve as much energy as possible.
For your plant to survive the winter months, it needs to develop a well established root system.
Therefore, it is important for your plants to have a large amount of Potassium, not only to support root systems but also to help fight stress from bad winter weather.
Consequently, the Potassium applied during the winter months should be much more than you would put out in the spring.
Before you feed your garden, and in order to be effective, the winter months NPK ratios must be such that you provide your plant with sufficient nutrients, even through the winter months.
Remember fertilizer changes based on ratio depending on the manufacturer.
Sure, Fertilizer A may produce a NPK ration of 24:2:12 and Fertilizer B uses 28:2:8 to produce the same nutrient but you have to decide what works for you.
When To Apply Winter Fertilizer
Recognizing the relevance of unique nutrients for the correct nutrient application will allow you to operate and handle the lawn or garden more effectively.
An example of this is a winter fertilizer, which will provide appropriate nutrients for your plants to successfully persevere the winter.
But in contrast to the name worn by the fertilizer, a winterizer is to be applied at the end of fall.
This should be applied to lawns when the grass begins to slow down its growth over the cold weather. However, in most cases, this timeline is usually short lived and many gardeners will not notice it.
As a Rule of Thumb – make sure you apply the fertilizer when the leaves are green, healthy, and the roots are strong enough to uptake the fertilizer nutrients.
If this is done too late in the season, the grass would certainly not be capable of experiencing the fertilizer active uptake of contents, due to roots being weak, and dormant grasses or seasonal grasses, which would not uptake the nutrients.
Giving the grass a late season fertilizer booster is certainly the key to having a healthy overall lawn and garden health and provides a considerable boost to help your plants survive the harsh climate through winter months.
But not everyone should consider utilizing a winter fertilizer strategies, as we do experience different winter climates across the USA.
For example, those who are oriented up North and experiencing all four seasons up there usually would be utilizing the accurate winter fertilizer strategies on their lawns and gardening scenarios.
Why Are Winter Fertilizers Essential?
Winter fertilizers are formulated to allow plants to thrive in the winter.
So, it is important to apply winterizers to cool-season plants.
It is not necessary to apply warm-season plants winter fertilizers.
The plants are grown in southern section of the country and do not go dormant, as the temperature does not get too cold and generally, the plant’s survive the winter all on their own.
Plus, if your lawn has warm-season grass, it is possible that it will go dormant at the very beginning of winter, but the plants have enough reserves to survive the colder month.
If you want to see a healthy sprout in the spring, you may want to boost the soil with a winterizer, however, in most cases, it is not necessary.
In Any Case – Testing your soil in the fall will give you information on the health of your yard. If the potassium level is years, than you do not need a winter fertilizer.
If its low, boost your plants with an NPK fertilizer high in K.
Vital Tips For Using Winterizers
As with other lawn/garden care practices, it is important to keep in mind considerations that have mainly to do with the product itself, timing, and soil condition.
The following considerations may help you when developing a plan and applying a winter fertilizer.
- To start, get a soil test performed to see what your lawn’s level of Potassium is. You may want to take soil samples from different areas of your yard for testing.
- Moreover, Nitrogen and phosphorus are equally important, but potassium is no doubt more important than the other two. For example, if you use a fertilizer with a 12:2:6 (NPK) ratio. While the numbers may change depending on the fertilizer you are using, just keep the ratio.
- You will then apply the fertilizer late in the fall, so plan on applying the winterizer in November. If you then fertilize in December, the conditions may be harsher and fertilizer will not be as effective.
- Finally, apply at the recommended amounts on the label, or even treat yourself to a little less fertilizer and save a few bucks. Just make sure you are not over fertilizing your lawn.
Final Thoughts
Applying a winterizer to your garden or lawn is important during winter.
The fertilizer will help your plants survive during the cold season. Some areas, particularly down south, do not need a winter fertilizer.
Before you apply, make sure you understand the winter fertilizer numbers.
Because the plants mostly will be dormant during the season, they will not need much nitrogen and phosphorus compounds.
Instead, you will want to apply a fertilizer with a higher amount of Potassium to help promote root development.
Remember to apply the winterizers when the ground has not frozen, and apply it when the plants are still active.