Fertilize newly laid Bermuda sod now??????

Heather – posted 10 November 2004 15:58

We recently had sod laid (Bermuda) and I am wondering if I should fertilize it now with Lawn Starter or something of that sort to get the roots to take hold for a good winter carry over?? Thanks so much!!!

Buck – posted 11 November 2004 08:20

Unless you are way south this is not the time of year to apply any high N fertilizer to bermuda. The last thing you want is a growth spurt as it goes dormant. I’d suggest getting in touch with the turf farm that provided your sod and find out what they already have on it and what they suggest at this point in time.

turfie – posted 11 November 2004 08:58

If your sod was recently put down, water is more of a limiting factor than fertlilizer. If you are in a location with cold winters, bermuda will go dormant soon, and you don’t want to apply much nitrogen to encourage shoot growth. However, this would be a good time to apply potassium to help the roots build carbohydrate reserves and tolerate the cold. You may use muriate of potash or potassium sulfate. The latter will have less potential for burn.