The Grass Doctor

When is the best time to fertilize the lawn and should I use "Weed and Feed" this early in the season?

The house is in Westchester County, NY. When should I apply fertilizer and should I apply a weed and feed or just straight fertilizer at this point? Any recommendations for brand/type of fertilizer? The lawn is in a mostly sunny location (ie. not much shade during the day). Thanks!

Public Comments

1. The million dollar question for many people is "when to fertilize?" To answer this question, you should consider these four factors: climate, grass type, the fertilizer being used, and how you want your lawn to look. Find all your answers for all areas of the country at this website: http://www.allaboutlawns.com/lawn-maintenance-care/fertilizing/when-should-i-fertilize-my-lawn.php
2. This is an excellent time to do it. You can use it pretty much all summer if you wish. They make stuff for fall feeding that's a little different formula for over-wintering your lawn and keeping the winter weeds down. I've used Scott's and Vigoro. Both work well.
3. Now is probably good. Make sure with weed-n-feed that you apply when the grass is wet. The little weed killer particles stick to the weeds and start their magic. Apply it when there's no rain in the forecast for a couple of days. If it rains soon after the application, the fert works, but the weed killer washes off. Spraying the grass with your hose just before you spread is a good idea. Apply on a calm day. Follow package instructions. Good brands.. I like Lesco.. you can usually get it at Home Depot. It has controlled release fertilizer and lasts longer than a product like the Scott's 4 step system.
4. If this is the warm time after winter then i I would use a fertilizer with a crab grass pre-emergent, then in about a month go to a weed-n-feed. Unfortunatley, here in CA we really don't a a winter to worry about. But seriously look Step 1 from Scotts for the first feeding of your lawn for the year.