When to Apply Scotts WinterGuard Fall Lawn Food?

When to Apply Scotts WinterGuard

Scotts WinterGuard is an excellent lawn care product that will fertilize all grass types to help prepare your turf for winter weather. Unfed lawns will not have deep roots and may not survive a cold month or two after an extreme summer. But an application of WinterGuard fall lawn food can help keep green lawns lush all year round.

Timing is key to helping your lawn fertilizer work the best it can, as strong roots are needed for cold weather, and fall is the only time lawn grass has to recover from damage from summer heat and fight cool-season lawn weeds.

Read on to learn precisely when to apply Scotts WinterGuard and Scotts Turf Builder lawn food for the best winter lawn possible.

In This Article:

When Should Scotts WinterGuard Be Used?

Scotts Winter Guard lawn fertilizer can be used anytime in the fall once summer droughts and turf dormancy have ended. As the temperature drops, grass will start to focus on healing and repairing instead of just surviving. Hard summer use could have led to bare spots and damaged turf, and fall is the best time to fix these issues.

WinterGuard fall lawn food is best used at the beginning of fall when your grass is hungriest for nutrients and actively growing. Other lawn care products can be used later in the autumn to address weeds and early spring growth. Scotts Turf Builder Fall Weed and Feed applied a few weeks after WinterGuard fall lawn food can add an effective weed killer to your entire lawn.

Scotts Turf Builder and Scotts Weed & Feed are most effective when temperatures are between 60 and 90 degrees and after weeds have emerged for the winter. Stresses of weeds like coast dandelion, black medic, evening primrose, curly dock, ground ivy, wild carrot, and yellow rocket can lead to weak grass and dead turf during harsh winter conditions. Scotts Turf Builder with Weed Killer and slow-release nitrogen lawn fertilizer can be applied in late fall when you stop regularly mowing.

What is a Lawn Winterizer?

Scotts Turf Builder WinterGuard Fall Weed & Feed 3: Covers up to 5,000 sq. ft., Fertilizer, 14 lbs., Not Available in FL

A lawn winterizer is a combination product that provides lawn fertilizer and weed killer for stronger grass and a healthy-looking lawn. While there are many lawn care solutions, Scotts Turf Builder lawn food is one of the best complete lawn treatments available. A lawn winterizer needs to not only prepare a lawn for cold weather but also provide the nutrients to repair after summer damage.

During the summer, drought and heat stress are common conditions for all turf types. While warm-season lawns can deal with dry conditions better than cool-season lawns, wear and tear from parties and yard use can still be evident in resilient lawn grasses. Adding the right nutrients to repair damage from heat and combating lawn weeds are the main advantages of using Scotts Turf Builder in the fall.

Beneficial Ingredients of Scotts WinterGuard

Scotts WinterGuard Fall Weed Turf Builder has nutrients and weed killer to help get a lawn ready for colder months and offset winter damage. A dry summer will have left lawns exposed and brittle, and the autumn growing season is when lawns can bounce back. Listed below are the main ingredients in the various Scotts turf builder WinterGuard weed and feeds and lawn fertilizers.

IngredientsEffectPurpose
NitrogenGrass blade growth and developmentGive grass the nutrients they need to grow and repair after hot summer damage
PotassiumRoot health and growth, as well as better use of other nutrientsAllow healthy root growth and keep turf from dying during frost and winter months
Micronutrients Repair and refresh weary lawns Give the grass the nutrients it needs at the root level to grow and repair all the individual plant parts and prepare for cold weather.
2,4 DSelective herbicide Works on stubborn weeds like dandelions and won’t harm most turf grasses.
Mecoprop-PBroad-range weed killerEliminates many weeds that commonly infest winter lawns

Nutrients for Lawns

Most winterizing feed products have high amounts of nitrogen and potassium. Nitrogen is important for a healthy appearance, strong blade composition, and good growth patterns. Weak lawns cannot survive harsh conditions and will look yellow and dead during summer and winter stresses. All the micronutrients found in Scotts WinterGuard Weed and Feed will help your lawn flourish all year round.

Herbicide

Feed herbicide to your lawn once weeds have emerged, and remove winter weeding from your lawn routine for good. Scotts Turf Winter Guard Fall Weed & Feed can prevent your lawn from becoming a clover field during the winter months. Apply it in late fall and let the range of herbicides work on invasive cool-season weeds that want to take over your lawn.

Do Not Use Scotts WinterGuard Weed and Feed On:

Bentgrass, carpetgrass, dichondra, floratam, lippia, and St. Augustinegrass lawns

Easily Apply Scotts WinterGuard With These Tips

Scotts Turf Builder WinterGuard Fall Weed & Feed 3: Covers up to 5,000 sq. ft., Fertilizer, 14 lbs., Not Available in FL

Scotts WinterGuard Weed and Feed is easy to apply for complete lawn care and control. Scotts works on wet or dry lawns and can be applied either right after or before the rain (as long as it’s not too heavy of a rain and washes the product away). For best results, apply on a calm day, as the wind can affect uniform coverage.

Use Scotts Spreader or a drop spreader to quickly go over small and medium-sized yards. Sweep or blow any winterizing fertilizer that makes it onto paths or driveways, as prolonged exposure can stain surfaces. Adjust and set spreaders between 3 and 6 for the best results and the least amount of wasted lawn fertilizer.

Scotts WinterGuard relies on water to bring the fertilizer down to root level, where it can have the maximum effect during cool periods. The faster the roots have access to the quick-release nutrient components in the fertilizer, the sooner the grass will recover and continue to grow. Slow-release fertilizer in the mix will be available when spring growth begins, so extra water during winter dry spells is crucial after a fall application.

If there are bare spots from summer damage, you can add grass seed when applying Scotts WinterGuard Turf Builder. Use slightly less fertilizer than the product label recommendation to avoid accidentally burning areas of the lawn. Excess nitrogen in fertilizers can runoff off lawns where they enter groundwater systems and can lead to nitrate buildup and negatively affect wildlife.

Make sure to only use the amount that your lawn can handle and water it in immediately to prevent loss of nutrients and erosion of fertilizer.

Last update on 2024-09-05 / Affiliate links / Somes Images and Data from Amazon Product Advertising API