Fall Nitrogen 101 (aka Winterizing?)

[Zareth]

Sure it counts if HD and Lowes have it. Neither are available around here from those stores, and the keyword "Urea" finds nothing online at either. Please post a link to the online product, or a picture of the product at the store(s) so members know what to look for.

This has a very small pill size, urea is the only Ingredient yet the analysis is different..



[ Post made via Android ]

This is available at my lowes or HD sometimes branded as hypo hyponix instead.

[TimmyG]

A coincidence that ammonium nitrate is 34-0-0?

[Zareth]

A coincidence that ammonium nitrate is 34-0-0?

Maybe. I thought ammonium nitrate wasn't sold much because.. bombs..




[ Post made via Android ]

[1977212]

A coincidence that ammonium nitrate is 34-0-0?

Maybe. I thought ammonium nitrate wasn't sold much because.. bombs..




[ Post made via Android ]

I believe that's only powder form

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[andy10917]

This has wandered far from the "Big Box and Garden Center" supplies only limitation yet again. I will remove posts in the Lawn Basics 101 that ignore the limitation.

[mbaldwin]

If Menards counts, this might be an option.
Menards® Premium Lawn Food
30-0-3 with 9% slow release N. The Menards winterizer is 22-0-10. I'd think the one I linked to would be a better option.

Michael

[Mike2016]

If Menards counts, this might be an option.
Menards[REGISTERED SIGN] Premium Lawn Food
30-0-3 with 9% slow release N. The Menards winterizer is 22-0-10. I'd think the one I linked to would be a better option.

Michael

Funny - I was just eyeing that up the other day!


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[RockinMyLawn]

In layman's terms, you drop urea (100% fast release fertilizer but not sold in HD or Lowes) after labor day, for 1 pound per 1000 sq ft (this provides 0.5 pound of nitrogen per 1000 sq ft) every week until the first frost. Then you wait till the top growth has completely stopped (happens usually in November for your area, we don't give out exact date because every region in every winter is different) then you drop 2 pounds of urea per 1000 sq ft.
If you overseed or renovate, then it's half the amount.
You could also use milorganite but not both 'cause that would be too much. Another thing to keep in mind is that milorganite won't work when the temperature becomes too old, so it's a matter of sticking with urea from the beginning or change to urea later on.

Would this be still true as it pertains to timing?

If one over-seeded now (late September) & waited for the sprout & pout period to end - which could be upwards of 30+ days - then you are broaching the 'Pause' period - of no Urea.

If that's the case, then the next & only Urea drop - dependent on region - would be during top growth stop period in December & be considered final Urea drop for the year.

So would you still go that conservative in deployment rate?

[seiyafan]

In the pause period the growth is slowing down but it's not stopped, so I'd say a little urea is still preferred in this case, but as for how much exactly I don't have an answer for that.

[Owlnsr]

If you live in the transition zone, I don't think you need to be concerned as much with the inclusion of potassium in some if he big box store fertilizers.

The studies people reference are really aimed at the northern lawns that see long periods of snow cover on the turf. The snow acts as insulation, protecting the turf from drying winds and actually keeping things warmer than if there wa no snow over.

However, the long period of snow over also means that there is no air circulation; moreover, there is constant period of moisture as the snow melts. I think that the insulation/heat + lack of airflow + constant moisture = breeding ground for disease. Somehow, Potassium multiplies that (but it's unclear HOW).

If you live in the transition zone, I think that the potassium would actually benefit your turf as much as nitrogen. The grass here doesn't stop growing like it does in the North... I usually cut my Central VA lawn even in January. Our "winter" here is usually mid January through late February/early March.

Without the insulation of snow, your turf will be more exposed to the drying winter winds. I think the Potassium would benefit the turfs ability to survive as much as Nitrogen. You aren't going to really have any other time to apply Potassium other than the Fall in the transition zone because you do NOT want to feed in the spring or summer. If you do, you would only want to feed something organic & light (like Milorganite --- which doesn't have potash).

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[lawndad]

If you live in the transition zone, I don't think you need to be concerned as much with the inclusion of potassium in some if he big box store fertilizers.

The studies people reference are really aimed at the northern lawns that see long periods of snow cover on the turf. The snow acts as insulation, protecting the turf from drying winds and actually keeping things warmer than if there wa no snow over.

However, the long period of snow over also means that there is no air circulation; moreover, there is constant period of moisture as the snow melts. I think that the insulation/heat + lack of airflow + constant moisture = breeding ground for disease. Somehow, Potassium multiplies that (but it's unclear HOW).

If you live in the transition zone, I think that the potassium would actually benefit your turf as much as nitrogen. The grass here doesn't stop growing like it does in the North... I usually cut my Central VA lawn even in January. Our "winter" here is usually mid January through late February/early March.

Without the insulation of snow, your turf will be more exposed to the drying winter winds. I think the Potassium would benefit the turfs ability to survive as much as Nitrogen. You aren't going to really have any other time to apply Potassium other than the Fall in the transition zone because you do NOT want to feed in the spring or summer. If you do, you would only want to feed something organic & light (like Milorganite --- which doesn't have potash).

[ Post made via iPhone ]

I live in south Nj which is on cusp of the transition zone. I have used the Scotts winterizer with potassium before and didn't notice any major issues in the Spring. I have disease pretty much all summer of some form so not sure if that was from this product or just normal...





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[andy10917]

There are only a couple of studies that indicated a relationship between Potassium and Snow Mold incidence, but since there is plenty of time in the year for applying Potassium, we (ST6) decided to err on the side of caution. Like most things, we can always find people that got away with "other than optimal" practices, but that doesn't mean we recommend those practices. Remember, even in Russian Roulette, 83.33% percent of the players report no ill effects.

[OldGlory]

I use this:
http://www.scotts.com/smg/goprod/scotts ... od10610005?&
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0168 ... PDKIKX0DER

Scotts Green MAX Lawn Food
26-0-2
5.17% iron

[Owlnsr]

Scotts Turf Builder Winterguard is 32-0-10 and contains only 6.8% slow release N.
http://www.scotts.com/smg/products/CFLS ... 15-CFL.pdf

Scotts GreenMax is 33-0-2 and contains 16.7% slow release N (about half the entire N in the bag).
http://www.scotts.com/smg/products/CFLS ... LB_CFL.pdf

Scotts is a great company when it comes to their lawn food products, IMO. Their GreenMax, for example, could be used safely at the end of spring for a slow steady release of N that isn't going to burn things out due to it being 50% slow release. However, I would NOT use that in the fall because of the high content of slow release N.

That's where the Winterguard comes in; of all their products, Winterguard has the lowest amount of slow release. You could follow the "traditional" approach (1#/1000sqft) in September, October and November without worrying about the slow release clinging on longer than you want. Or, you could even spoon feed with Winterguard every week. Likewise, you could even use this as the final winterizer.

[lawndad]

There are only a couple of studies that indicated a relationship between Potassium and Snow Mold incidence, but since there is plenty of time in the year for applying Potassium, we (ST6) decided to err on the side of caution. Like most things, we can always find people that got away with "other than optimal" practices, but that doesn't mean we recommend those practices. Remember, even in Russian Roulette, 83.33% percent of the players report no ill effects.

Hey Andy,

Do you happen to have any of those studies handy? I wanted to read up on them because I have used potassium in the Fall from the Scotts products in the past.

Thanks


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[LoneRanger]

Scotts Turf Builder Winterguard is 32-0-10 and contains only 6.8% slow release N.

That's still quite a bit of K to be adding in late fall, for northern climates.

[turf_toes]

Scotts Turf Builder Winterguard is 32-0-10 and contains only 6.8% slow release N.
http://www.scotts.com/smg/products/CFLS ... 15-CFL.pdf

Scotts GreenMax is 33-0-2 and contains 16.7% slow release N (about half the entire N in the bag).
http://www.scotts.com/smg/products/CFLS ... LB_CFL.pdf

Scotts is a great company when it comes to their lawn food products, IMO. Their GreenMax, for example, could be used safely at the end of spring for a slow steady release of N that isn't going to burn things out due to it being 50% slow release. However, I would NOT use that in the fall because of the high content of slow release N.

That's where the Winterguard comes in; of all their products, Winterguard has the lowest amount of slow release. You could follow the "traditional" approach (1#/1000sqft) in September, October and November without worrying about the slow release clinging on longer than you want. Or, you could even spoon feed with Winterguard every week. Likewise, you could even use this as the final winterizer.

No doubt scotts fertilizer can be effective. But in my experience it is no more effective than any no name fertilizer that you can buy for half the price or less.

Ymmv




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[Bdezz]

I plan to go to Site One this weekend and see if they have a high N low K fert. When calculating the 2lbs N/k application after the pause, should I also account for the amount of N contributed by Milorganite? I've been following the bag app instructions, so I have another app coming up in mid November.

[TimmyG]

When calculating the 2lbs N/k application after the pause...

Note that the recommendation for a winterization app is generally 1 lb N/K. You'll often see that stated as 2 lbs urea/K, but urea is considered beyond the scope of the Lawn Care Basics 101 forum (i.e, products sourced at big box stores and garden centers).

[ericgautier]

Try using this calculator for the product you plan on using to get the lbs/k target that you need - https://turf.purdue.edu/fertilizerCalculator/index.html

Post up the NPK of the bag you buy and we can try and help out.