FERTILIZING LAWNS |
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In Pennsylvania you should fertilize your lawn 2 to 3 times per year: Memorial Day, Labor Day
and Thanksgiving (skip Thanksgiving for twice a year schedule). This timing is
conducive to the natural growth cycle of turfgrass, and using the 'holiday
schedule' makes it easier to remember! The difficulty with designing your own lawn fertilization program is being able to address the potential need for weed and insect controls. That's why it's often simplest to use something like Scott's or an Agway "1-2-3-4" program. Combination products with the 1-2-3-4 schedule are popular -- they usually have "everything" included if all 4 steps are needed and applied according to label directions. Always Read the Label. Going Organic? If you don't want to use herbicides, insecticides and chemical fertilizer, then consider using an organic fertilizer such as the old golf course favorite, Milorganite. Processed Milwaukee sewage sludge creates a 6-2-0 analysis fertilizer with 4 percent Iron. Other organic fertilizers are on the market. Overall, expect to pay more for organic fertilizers than chemical fertilizers. A successful lawn fertilization program promotes vigorous growth that chokes out invasive weeds. However, over-fertilization should be avoided since it will produce excess thatch and contribute to the severity of many turfgrass diseases. Therefore, it's always best to have a well-designed and timed fertilization program, without overdoing it. We strongly recommend beginning with a soil test when seeking the best possible results. |
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Two
basic types of |
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Uses:
Application of fertilizer & weed control "combination
products." Advantage: Precision Disadvantages: * Harder to apply fertilizer without leaving missed areas or "skunk stripes." * Finely ground products such as pulverized lime tend to "bridge" over spreader outlets. |
Uses:
Application of straight fertilizer without "combination
products." Advantage: Speed Disadvantages: * Harder to apply fertilizer accurately along beds and pavement. * Difficult to use on narrow sections of lawn. * Pavements must be cleaned following use. |
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Less expensive fertilizers contain all 'quick release' nitrogen which becomes soluble as soon as it is watered into the lawn. Quick release nitrogen has a short duration and applications aren't usually effective for more than 4 weeks. |
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W.I.N. -- WIN NITROGENSlow release nitrogen is generally more expensive and comes in many forms. The slow release part is listed on the label as 'WIN' or 'Water Insoluble Nitrogen'. There are several ways manufacturers can produce slow release nitrogen.Organic fertilizers such as Milorganite have very slow release nitrogen since it requires microbial activity in the soil to make the nitrogen available to plants. |
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More lawn pages: |
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