NJ Lawns Community

Hey everyone, just closed on a house in Ridgewood last month and I've never maintained a lawn before. I have what the previous owner said is tall fescue grass. I'm panicked about getting the timing right for my first fall weed & feed application. I've read conflicting things online - some say October, some say wait until after the last mowing? My main questions: 1. When exactly should I apply it in Bergen County? 2. Will putting it down now (we're in mid-October) hurt the grass before winter? 3. What product do you guys recommend? I'm worried I'll mess up my lawn before I even get to enjoy it. Any help from the locals would be amazing!

Welcome to Ridgewood! Don't stress - you've got plenty of time still. Here in North Jersey, aim for late October to early November for your fall feed. Around Halloween weekend is usually perfect. The ground is still warm enough for the grass to absorb nutrients but cool enough that the weeds are slowing down. For tall fescue specifically, you'll want something with mesotrione (the crabgrass fighter) if you're seeing any weeds. I personally like Scott's Turf Builder with Weed Prevention, but if your lawn already has weeds popping up, hit those first with a separate weed killer then follow up with fertilizer 2 weeks later. The golden rule: don't apply if temps are consistently below 50F at night - that's when your fescue goes dormant and won't take up the nutrients like you want.

Adding to what GrassGuru said - timing really does matter, but also make sure your irrigation system is dialed in BEFORE you apply that weed & feed. You want moist soil but not soaking wet when you put it down. If your sprinklers are still running, I'd cut them off at least 24 hours before application. Also - and this is huge for our area - check your drainage. That reddish clay soil we get in parts of Ridgewood can cause pooling, and if your weed & feed sits in puddles, you're going to get burn spots. Ask me how I know lol...I made that mistake my first fall here. Depending on what part of Ridgewood you are (near the Train station vs by Route 17), your soil might be different. Worth doing a soil test if you haven't already - the Rutgers Cooperative Extension does free tests for county residents.

I gotta respectfully disagree with the late October timing depending on what kind of weed & feed we're talking about. If you're using a **crabgrass preventer** (the prodiamine or pendimethalin stuff) - THAT needs to go down EARLY, like next week ideally. It works by forming a barrier in the soil and needs several rain events to activate. Too late in the season and it's pointless for spring crabgrass control. But if you're just doing fertilization without the weed prevention component, you can push it into early November no problem. For tall fescue specifically, I'd actually recommend going lighter on the nitrogen in the fall. Your fescue is about to naturally harden off for winter and you don't want to push excessive top growth right before dormancy. Look for something in the 24-0-12 range rather than the heavy 30-0-10 stuff. Source: I'm a pro landscaper in the area, been maintaining properties in Bergen County for 15+ years.

@SoilScientist makes a solid point about the product type - I shouldn't have generalized. To the OP: what exactly did you buy? Check the label. If you grabbed the standard Scott's Turf Builder (the orange bag), that's a pre-emergent + fertilizer combo - in that case, I'd listen to theSoilScientist and try to get it down before we get too deep into November. But honestly, if I'm being practical - if you haven't bought anything yet, I'd skip the weed & feed entirely this fall and just do a straight fertilizer. Hit the weeds NOW with a post-emergent spray (Tenacity or whatever the big box stores carry), then fertilize in early November. That's easier for a first-timer to manage and less likely to cause problems. Next spring is when you hit pre-emergent to prevent summer weeds. Round here, that's usually around late March/early April when forsythia blooms.

Thanks everyone - this is incredibly helpful! I haven't bought anything yet so I can go get the right stuff. I live near Van Hoorenberg Park if that helps with the soil reference. Quick follow-up - is it too late to aerate as well, or should I try to do that before the weed & feed? I've read that you're supposed to aerate before fertilizing??

Late to this but YES aerate first - absolutely do that before feeding. Way before. Ideal window for aeration was actually September/early October here, but you might still be okay if we get a warm stretch. Do NOT aerate once temps drop consistently though - you can actually damage the turf if the ground is too cold. Short answer: if it's already late October, I'd skip the aeration this season and focus just on the feeding. Do it next year in early fall instead. Your lawn will survive with compacted soil for one more year than it will survive a bad fertilizer application.