Nitrogen keeps grass green

Question: I planted sod about two months ago. How do I keep it this lush, green color a through the cold months?

The key will be getting it fertilized right about Thanksgiving time with a high nitrogen fertilizer. Lawns need nitrogen to stay green when temperatures drop. The nitrogen helps keep it green to less than 20 degrees Fahrenheit if this is a fescue lawn.

If this is Bermudagrass, you have to overseed it with perennial ryegrass now. The overseeded cool season grass like perennial rye will grow through the warm season lawn and keep the overseeded lawn green all winter.

The best fertilizers for lawns have numbers like 21-7-14, high in nitrogen, low in phosphorus and moderately high in potassium.

Bob Morris is an associate professor with the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.