Lawn Fertilizer Recommendations

[bjamison]

I'd like to fertilize my lawn this week. Don't have a soil test, doubt I would get one.

I'm looking for some general advice as to what N-P-K mixture I should use on my lawn. My lawn is no show piece and probably never will be - but I'd like to put down some fertilizer, over seed and get the whole lawn green and thicker this year.

I don't know where it came from, but I've got a bag of 10-10-10, 19-19-19 that I'd like to use, just to get it out of my basement.

I've had folks (who may or may not know) tell me just to get 10-10-10, put it down and save a lot of $$'s and other that tell me to go high on the Nitrogen and low on the phosphorus and low on the pot ash.

Around my neck of the woods, it still fairly cool and a goodly amount of moisture in the ground, rain in the forecast - no drought like later in the summer months.

What would you recommend?

Also - which is it, in fertilizer that causes a deck to rust? The Nitrogen, phosphorous or pot ash - or all three?

 

[nbartee]

I'm not an expert either but you can't go wrong using what you have. Your soil may be lacking something specific but only a soil test will tell you. I highly recommend that. As the weather warms, then I would lay down some high nitrogen stuff. Coupled with some nice spring rains, you should be off to a good start.

 

[mgwin]

Bill,

Unless you want to mow your yard 2-3 times a week, don't put down fertilizer. If you want it nice and green, use plenty of lime. You cannot put too much lime on a yard. I used to invest around 2-3 hundred dollars every year for grass seed, fertilizer, and lime. I had a "carpet" looking yard until the summer, when it would turn hot, and dry, and burn it all up. In order to keep my yard green all summer, I would have to buy a big irrigation system which would cost thousands, so I decided to just let it go. I still try to put down some lime though.

 

[dtanner]

Most people cut there grass to short. I used to cut it at 3" . Cut that short lets the sun get through the grass and dry it out to fast. Cutting the grass 4.5" allows the grass to fall over covering the soil and preventing a quick dry out.I got green grass on most my lawn and will add more line a fertilizer again this year.The guy I cut the grass for in town is lawn crazy . he had a section dozed up and added 4" of sand and 4" of top soil and then seeded it. Last year every three days I would cut about 3" to 6" off it with the mower deck set at 4.75" . Everybody around him never needed to cut there brown grass but I still had to cut his once every 4 days. He wants to pay I will cut it . Gives me Cub money!

 

[bjamison]

Thanks everyone for your replies! I put down the fertilizer I had and over seeded everything. I found a used plug aerator and aerated the lawn with it prior to putting the fertilizer and seed down. Enjoyed a day off and a little seat time too!

 

[proessler]

Bill , the optimum time to seed a lawn is in the fall, because weeds are not germinating , temps are usually cooler & fall precip. But if you have thin or bare areas no better time to get those areas green, now. A starter fert/low in N works best for new seed or sod to get root system to develop faster. But what green or top growth needs most is N to sustain itself. Just as a farmer wants a good crop of alfalfa/hay, he fertilizes to obtain a good crop. So to have a healthy lawn, fertilizing if only once a year, fertilize in the fall, because that's also when the grass plant sends out rhizomes (lateral under ground roots) to spread out the grass plant & thicken the turf. Lawns in our area can use about 4# N per 1,000 SF(4 apps) per year for optimum growth/health. But UW Madison turf research center( O.J. Noer) has done field trials showing that leaving clippings on turf during the year requires 25% less N than removing grass clippings does to maintain health.
You can get Milorganite (6-2-0) from your local Ace Hardware that is organic & produced in Milwaukee . No problem burning lawn with it.
Finally, don't forget to water daily on those seeded turf areas. If your ground temp is warm enough, germination in 7-10 days.

Mowing height on our predominately bluegrass lawns is 3". Too short & weeds get sun & Grow. A longer grass blade absorbs more of the atmosphere & keeps ground cooler & shades weeds out. Just as if a tree was missing 50% of its leaves , it wouldn't be as healthy as if it had 100% of its leaves. Mow grass as tall as you can tolerate.

Good Luck!

 

[digger]

If John Lang was still around, He'd tellya that goat poop is the ONLY thing to put on your yard!

 

[jbaker]

hmmm, Ive got 8 goats and 1 is due to have kids in a month,,Ive got plenty of goat poop if you want it

 

[proessler]

I'm sure you could add the goat do-do to Milwaukee Metro,s treatment plant & have Milorganite 6-20-0...

 

[bjamison]

Charlie - no goat poop in the yard, but a fair amount of dog poop. Actually, that dog poop is not really in the yard, it's stuck to the tires on my tractors...