What is Nitrogen Blitz?

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Written By: Mark Marino, a Massachusetts Core Applicator License holder
and owner/operator of Lawn Phix,

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nitrogen-blitz

A popular topic this time of year for cool season lawns is Nitrogen Blitz. This dedicated approach to feeding your lawn in the fall can provide many benefits for the remainder of the growing season. Read some frequently asked questions, and answers, about Nitrogen Blitz below.

What is Fall Nitrogen Blitz?

Nitrogen blitz is spoon-feeding your lawn in the late summer/early fall with 0.25 – 0.5 lbs. of Nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. every two weeks. The idea of nitrogen blitzing is to put down a total of 1 lb. of Nitrogen per month for every 1,000 sq. ft. before the end of the season (when top growth begins to slow and stall).

Why should I Nitrogen Blitz my lawn?

Nitrogen blitz will force some growth, help thicken up your turf, and green up your grass. The frequent feedings of a nitrogen blitz helps reestablish thin lawns that struggled in the summer months by providing plenty of food for the remainder of the season. 

Plenty of stress has occurred after the heat and drought from the summer months. Cool-season lawns will slowly begin to self-recover with cooler temps. This is the time to feed the lawn and push some growth.

The extra nitrogen will help root growth even when the top growth has slowed down. Nitrogen that is not used this calendar year will be stored overwinter and help your lawn green up much faster the following spring.

When should I start to Nitrogen Blitz my lawn?

For cool season lawns, this will start sometime in late August/early September and run through the end of the season (e.g. Mid-October for my area of Massachusetts). You can add an organic fertilizer such as Milorganite on your first 1-2 applications, as these fertilizers contain slow-release nitrogen and often need the heat from the soil (and water) to activate. But after that, as temperatures start to drop, you will switch to fast-release nitrogen such as urea .

What’s the best fertilizer to use for Nitrogen Blitzing?

44-0-0 Humic Coated Urea (HCU) is the best option. It’s water soluble which allows for liquid spraying, or spreadable with a fertilizer spreader. Applying 3 lbs. over a 5,000 sq. ft. area would yield approximately 1/4 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. Try our lawn fertilizer calculator to help measure.

What else should I do when doing Nitrogen Blitz?

Make sure your lawn mower us ready to go! With all the nitrogen being applied, be prepared to mow often. Frequent mowings during nitrogen blitz will help ensure you’re adhering to the 1/3 rule (never mowing more than 1/3 of the grass blades at a time) and help thicken your turf.

Another thing to be mindful of during nitrogen blitz is that urea (or fast-release nitrogen) requires water to get into the soil, activate the nitrogen and allow the roots to uptake the nutrients into the grass. So be sure your irrigation is working, and keep an eye on the weather forecast. As the season progresses, frost is imminent. So time your nitrogen applications and watering schedule accordingly.

Finally, stop feeding when the grass begins to slow down its top growth. This indicates that the temps are too cool, and the grass will start to store the nutrients for the long winter break. This timing can vary depending on where you live, but for Massachusetts, this is sometime around Halloween. Continue to mow, preferably in the afternoon, a few weeks after your last nitrogen blitz application.

I’m located in Massachusetts and my nitrogen blitz feedings began last week. Generally my final applications to prepare my lawn for winter will be 10-0-14 Winter Fertilizer, a fast-acting lime, and a curative rate application of 14.3 Propiconazole just prior to the ground freezing.

If you want more in-depth details of nitrogen blitz, The Lawn Forum has many great posts and discussions around this topic. If you have any questions regarding your cool season lawn, please leave a comment below!

Nitrogen Blitz Calendar (5,000 sq. ft. yard example)

Date
Product
Amount (0.5 lbs. N/1,000)
Aug. 29 Milorganite/Organic 42 lbs. 
Sept. 12 Carbon Phix (20-0-12) 12.5 lbs
Sept. 26 Urea (46-0-0) 5.5 lbs
Oct. 10 Carbon Phix (20-0-12) 12.5 lbs
Oct. 24 Urea (46-0-0) 5.5 lbs.

(Note: these dates are contingent on your location. This table is used a general guide and one that could be used for Northeast, specifically Massachusetts. The products were rotated to show diversity in the fertilizers you can use).

 

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Author: Mark Marino
My name is Mark Marino, and I am the founder, owner, and operator of Lawn Phix. With a passion for lawn care and turf nutrition for over a decade, I've dedicated countless hours to correcting soil and perfecting lawns. Today, my expertise, backed by formal courses at UMass Extension Pesticide Education, allows me to offer top-tier lawn care services and advice. I am a fully licensed and insured lawn care applicator in Massachusetts, specializing in comprehensive turf nutrition, weed control, and lawn pest control. My license number is AL-0053865. Contact me at [email protected] or +1 (508) 500-8402.

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