| A. I have no idea and neither do
the people who make it! Really, the word “winterizing”
is a marketing tool, that has no valuable application to our soils,
plants, or weather. Manufacturers make these for gardeners north
of us (like to Canada) that have cool season grasses. Here, we have
warm season grasses.
In fall, our grasses slow down in response to shorter amounts of
sunlight combined with cooler temperatures. If we fertilize heavily
in August or September, all we do is encourage lush growth that
can lead to problems like brown patch, especially if we use synthetic
fertilizers that are immediately available to the plant.
Instead, take a serious look at your lawn in early to mid October,
when temperatures have really started to cool down. If it really
looks hungry, give it a very light dose of a fertilizer higher in
nitrogen, with a little potassium. A large amount will just end
up in our creeks. In most cases, we needn’t apply any fertilizer
right now.
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|  Coral
Vine or Queen’s Wreath (Antigonon
leptopus) This drought tolerant native of Mexico is a dependable
perennial vine with heart shaped leaves and a vigorous growth habit,
so give it plenty of room. In late summer and fall it produces striking
lacy clusters of vivid pink blooms that hang down like delicate
chains. It is virtually pest and disease proof, but does like well-drained
soils and a full sun to part shade exposure. Coral vine supports
our important pollinator insects like bumble bees. A white blooming
form is also available.
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