Fertilizing lawn in fall unwise

Once a month or so I respond to questions asked by readers. If you have any gardening questions or suggestions for columns, send them to the address or e-mail below.

Q: I continue to see ads for lawn fertilizers. Is it a good idea to fertilize your lawn this late in fall? D.M., Bangor

A: In short, no. Most lawn experts recommend a final application of fertilizer in late summer. Once the weather turns to fall, Mother Nature begins to call all plants, including grass, to dormancy. An application of fertilizer is counterproductive to that natural cue. Fertilizer encourages a flush of tender new growth in the lawn, putting it at risk for overwintering and disease.

Perhaps the best recommendation is to take a soil sample from your lawn this fall in an effort to identify the level of fertility your lawn requires. The soil sample will provide specific recommendations on fertilizing and liming. With this information, you’ll be set to take action in spring.

For information on how to collect a soil sample and get it analyzed, contact your local Cooperative Extension office. If you aren’t sure where it’s located, call the main Extension office at the University of Maine at 800-287-0274.

Q: I purchased a perennial sweet pea this spring at a local nursery. It is covered in pea pods that are full of seeds. Can I save the seed and sow more sweet peas? How do I treat this plant in fall? Do I cut it back? M.S., Ellsworth

A: Seed from the sweet pea may be saved and sown. Some gardeners sow the seed in fall in a cold frame and let it stratify (a cold treatment essential for germination) over the winter and germinate in spring. Alternatively, you could harvest the seed and store it in an airtight container in your freezer until springtime planting. In general, seeds germinate in two to three weeks at 68-86 degrees F.

Chances are your sweet pea is a hybridized variety. Therefore, your seed most likely won’t result in offspring that have the same physical attributes of the parent plant. Expect the flowers from the plants that arise from seed you’ve sown to have different color, for example.

Growing plants from seed is one way to obtain additional plants. Dividing the parent plant is another way to increase the numbers of sweet peas you have. Unlike growing plants from seed, division results in a plant identical to its parent. If you want the particular traits of your sweet pea, you might consider dividing the plant in spring or in subsequent years.

As for autumn treatment of the parent plant, wait until the foliage has died back and turned brown. Then trim the stems back to just above ground level.

Q: Every fall I plant bulbs and at least half of them are eaten by mice or some other underground critter. Any advice on how to keep the damage down? E.D., Unity

A: Some folks say an application of bone meal in the planting hole will discourage mice from eating bulbs. Also, planting bulbs on the deep end of their acceptable range also may minimize damage. For tulips, this might mean planting them at a depth of 8 to 10 inches rather than 6 to 8 inches.

Diana George Chapin is the NEWS garden columnist. Send horticulture questions to Gardening Questions, RR1, Box 2120, Montville 04941, or e-mail them to dianagc@ctel.net. Selected questions will be answered in future columns. Include name, address and telephone number.