We had our lawn renovated nearly two weeks ago, and a tall fescue-blend sod (Defiance) was laid.

No type of starter fertilizer was spread under the sod. When I asked one of the workers about fertilization (specifically if I should use Scotts WinterGuard in mid-November) the answer was, "Yeah, that's fine."

Since then, I've come across all sorts of advice:

1. Fertilize with a higher "N" number.

2. Fertilize with a higher "P" number.

3. Fertilize with a higher "K" number.

4. Use triple 10 or triple 16.

5. Use a 3-1-2 or 4-1-2 ratio fertilizer (I suppose this would be close to WinterGuard, although the phosphorus content seems low at 22-2-14).

6. For sod laid in the fall, don't fertilize at all until next spring (and, if that's true, what do I use then?).

I am confused to say the least. The sod is really doing well and has already begun taking root, but I would like to make sure I properly prepare it for the winter.

It can be confusing with so many products on the market. The very best thing to do to customize your lawn treatments would be to get a soil sample from the lawn area and have it analyzed at your local Extension office and apply phosphorous and potassium according to the test results. As long as the lawn looks good, adding about a half pound of actual nitrogen for every 1000 square feet should be adequate.
To get an accurate soil test you have to get a representative sample from the area where most of the plant roots are. Turf, flowers, and vegetables produce feeder roots in the top 4-6 inches of soil, so that’s where the sample should come from. You’ll also want to keep samples separate if you are sampling distinctly different areas of the garden.

A bulb planter is a good tool for taking core samples for soil tests. Start in one corner of the area to be samples and take 8-10 samples from different locations in the are where you are sampling. Mix all the cores together in a bucket and spread them out onto newspaper to dry for a couple of days.

You only need about a pint of soil to take to your local extension office for testing. You will be required to fill out some forms at the extension office, they will want to know what plants you are growing and what the general growing conditions are like, so that they can make the proper soil recommendations.

Thank you very much for your quick reply!