Thirsty to know more about incorporating p and k into fertilization regimen.

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Fronta1
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Thirsty to know more about incorporating p and k into fertilization regimen.

Post by Fronta1 » July 22nd, 2017, 3:55 pm

We all know that synthetic and/or soluble n feeds the grass while organic and/or insoluble n feeds the soil, which then feeds the grass. I know that p and k don't leach as much which is why there's not as much of it in fertilizer. But does that mean that is difficult to feed them directly to the grass?

I ask because I just get the impression that p and k are just like the forgotten stepchildren of the macros and I'm interested in incorporating a p and k regimen into my....regimen. We have guidelines for how much annual n grass needs but I've never seen such guidelines for p and k. And if there's any information on what time of year is best for adding p and k that would be nice too.

I know that getting a soil test and finding what your levels are can help you determine if you need to add bags of sop and tsp but that's for building soil. I'm asking is there a way to get it directly to the grass and if so, how much and when. Anybody? Thanks.

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andy10917
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Re: Thirsty to know more about incorporating p and k into fertilization regimen.

Post by andy10917 » July 22nd, 2017, 4:07 pm

Almost every person that does well here understands (a) lawns are a marathon and nor a sprint and (b) the basis of regimens that emphasize health instead of short-term gains is to feed the soil and let it feed the grass.

Also, the use of direct feeding (most often foliar) requires a feeding on a pretty short-term basis (a few weeks).

TimmyG
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Re: Thirsty to know more about incorporating p and k into fertilization regimen.

Post by TimmyG » July 23rd, 2017, 4:06 am

Fronta1 wrote:
July 22nd, 2017, 3:55 pm
We have guidelines for how much annual n grass needs but I've never seen such guidelines for p and k.
That's because nitrogen is "used up" whereas phosphorus and potassium are not. Think of nitrogen as a consumable: it requires periodic replenishment as it is consumed by the turf. Phosphorus and potassium, however, generally stay in the soil and in the plant. Therefore, there are no annual application guidelines for phosphorus and potassium.

Potassium does tend to leach out of the soil and requires a low maintenance replenishment. Yearly or bi-yearly soil tests are your guideline for whether phosphorus or potassium should be added. Bagging and disposing of your clippings deplete these valuable nutrients, so don't bag!

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