When should a late-fall fertilizer application be made to cool-season grasses?

• A. Just after the last mowing
• B. Before the first frost
• C. In early winter
• D. In mid-spring

Answer: (A)

Late-fall fertilization for cool-season grasses is about feeding the plant as it finishes its active growth and starts storing energy for winter. Just after the last mowing gives nutrients when the grass can still use them to strengthen roots and crowns before dormancy, helping winter hardiness and a quicker, greener resume in spring. If you apply fertilizer before the first frost or in early winter, you risk promoting new growth that won’t harden off and could be damaged by cold. Waiting until mid-spring misses the opportunity to build winter reserves. So the timing that best fits this goal is just after the last mowing.