Fall Nitrogen Regimens

[73Chall]

***Updated for 2017***

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This thread will try to gather up some practices that work well together. After discussion and clarifications, it will be permanently posted in the Articles area for reference.

. . . .

So, that's it -- time to watch the grass for signs and get to work. I'll make adjustments and clarifications within this first posting as questions are answered.

Wow. Just wow. Every once in awhile I come across a treatise on the interweb and I am blown away by the info-sharing AND am always amazed (and pleased!) to learn more when, in all honesty, "I didn't know that...".
Andy10917, this is DEFINITELY one of those times -- I have been trying to absorb all 38 pages of this since last Saturday or Sunday and thinking about it at least a dozen times more as I am working in my yarden, etc.
(Ha-ha, I actually chuckled out loud on my riding mower a couple hours ago as I came back past a just cut row and observed that uniform "browning" that, before now, woulda had my heart pounding in my chest.
I'll stop here so the thread gets back on track but, POSI-KHARMA OUT TO YOU, SIR (and Most Sincerely, THANK YOU)!!!!

[Wors]

Andy-

"(1) standard or (2) aggressively. If you are going to do a Standard regimen, begin applying a slow-release (coated) Urea or Ammonium Sulfate fertilizer, or Milorganite. Do it so that you deliver about a pound of Nitrogen per 1000 sq ft, per month. The idea is to have the last of the time-release Nitrogen peter out right around the time of average first-frost."

I am trying to follow the fall standard program and live in Iowa(5a) with KBG. Last year dates were
First Frost ~Oct 15th
Grass stopped growing ~Nov. 15th

2017 Fall Program
August 15th - .5/k Milorganite applied

Should I apply the following for Standard? I am trying to understand the peter out directions with Milorganite and the average first frost. Or should I put urea or starter down for Oct 1st?

Sept 1st - 1lb/k Milorganite
Oct 1st - 1lb/k Milorganite
Nov grass stops growing - Winterize

Thanks

[bigterp]

Picked up 2 40# bags of coated urea today at the local farm supply store for $11 a bag. First drop will be over the holiday weekend. Concentrating on the front and side yards only (around 22K) as this will be my first attempt at caring for my lawn. The back yard can wait until next year.

[bauer time]

Put down my first Urea treatment Saturday before rain. Today I needed to mow because of the rain/Urea. Can't wait until next week's treatment, I'm hoping it wakes some of the dormant areas up.

[andy10917]

Read the first sentence for the "Early Fall" section and you'll see that right away there is advice about not moving the lawn into growth gear quickly. Shock is not a good thing for any living thing, and in grass it can be manifested as disease.

[bauer time]

Read the first sentence for the "Early Fall" section and you'll see that right away there is advice about not moving the lawn into growth gear quickly. Shock is not a good thing for any living thing, and in grass it can be manifested as disease.

Solid advice Andy. Thanks for the heads up. This week I'll avoid that area and let it wake up on its own.

[Green]

Wow - at $11.10 for coated it might make some sense, but I don't know the release period still. I have an acre (sloped) and seeing a 65-year old, 6' 6" 250-lb guy running around applying fast-release Urea weekly is probably an eye-roller for the folks in the area, but I do it weekly and it works well.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking as well. I'll check out the release period on the bag of the coated and compare it to applying regular urea and make a decision. I have a Brinly tow behind broadcast spreader that I'll need to get the applications rates figured out on before I start applying, so I won't need to be lugging around the yard like you. But me being 6'8" and 240-lb, I still look rather silly sitting on my lawn tractor. It looks like a toy with me on it. HA!!

How do you tall guys push the spreader around comfortably without bending over too much and hurting your back? The professional spreaders seem a little higher at the handle point...but even I, at 5'9, have to bend over a bit with my consumer grade Earthway spreader, which has a very short handle. The consumer grade Scotts Edgeguard Pro is a bit higher and has a nicer open/close mechanism, so prefer that one. But the Earthway is better for spreading larger particle stuff...the Scotts tends to jam in the open position.

[andy10917]

How do you tall guys push the spreader around comfortably without bending over too much and hurting your back?

We don't.

[bigterp]

We don't.

This. I have a tow behind spreader.

[Jackson]

Thx Andy for the detailed writeup. Just got my bag of urea. Looking forward to getting aggressive with the lawn starting this weekend.

[PSU4ME]

I've read some/most but not all of the pages. I have a simple question about why one would choose the aggressive regimen? It's certainly a lot more work than say a "standard" approach - whatever that is hahaha.

I chose to do it because I really want my 1 year old and 2 year old reno to really fill in. Are there other reasons/benefits to doing it? I'm thinking next year I wouldn't need to do this with a healthy stand of KBG.

[seiyafan]

Next year you won't need to fertilizer until late spring.

[Green]

I've read some/most but not all of the pages. I have a simple question about why one would choose the aggressive regimen? It's certainly a lot more work than say a "standard" approach - whatever that is hahaha.

I chose to do it because I really want my 1 year old and 2 year old reno to really fill in. Are there other reasons/benefits to doing it? I'm thinking next year I wouldn't need to do this with a healthy stand of KBG.

You can fertilize based on observation, too...any frequency level from a standard approach to full blown aggressive every week, depending on what your lawn needs.

[JohnP]

Andy-

I am trying to follow the fall standard program and live in Iowa(5a) with KBG.

Wooh! There's dozens of us!

[RockinMyLawn]

I just overseeded this past Monday ie Week 1 of September.
Not a reno. Just introducing better cultivars.

Plan to lay down Milo this coming weekend 1 week after seed down.

Plan to start cutting first weekend of October.

If I lay down 1lbs/K f 46-0-0 Urea from week 1- 4 of October.
Then wait for the pause around first of November.

Will that be too much N for young seedlings? or Just right?

[PW405]

I just overseeded this past Monday ie Week 1 of September.
Not a reno. Just introducing better cultivars.

Plan to lay down Milo this coming weekend 1 week after seed down.

Plan to start cutting first weekend of October.

If I lay down 1lbs/K f 46-0-0 Urea from week 1- 4 of October.
Then wait for the pause around first of November.

Will that be too much N for young seedlings? or Just right?

I have a similar question. Planning to overseed next weekend, but my average first frost is mid to late November. Should give me a solid 6 weeks to apply N if I give the seedlings 2 weeks to sprout.

Andy - I almost wonder if using "first frost" as an indicator isn't the best idea. The grass's seasonal change is more in tune with the number of daylight hours isn't it?

[andy10917]

Andy - I almost wonder if using "first frost" as an indicator isn't the best idea. The grass's seasonal change is more in tune with the number of daylight hours isn't it?

If it were, it would be exactly the same date every year, wouldn't it? And that is far from the case...

[PW405]

Andy - I almost wonder if using "first frost" as an indicator isn't the best idea. The grass's seasonal change is more in tune with the number of daylight hours isn't it?

If it were, it would be exactly the same date every year, wouldn't it? And that is far from the case...

It seems that a combination of factors is the causal link, but I'm not exactly what those factors are. You have said yourself to not go by air temp. alone right?

[andy10917]

You're trying to read some type of causal relationship into a simple indicator - I have no interest in doing that. I'm looking for simple timeframes that can be used to guide folks to likely periods where the homeowner can be looking for the specific cutoffs. Average annual first frost tries to provide a rough predictor to a 3-4 week period of slowing growth leading up to the time where the last "winterizing" application is made. The actual trigger is the cessation of top growth, which is when the last big Nitrogen app goes down. If the average first frost date is wrong by a week this year, why exactly should I care?

Remember - Perfection is the enemy of good.

[PW405]

Remember - Perfection is the enemy of good.

Story of my life. How soon is too soon to start fall fertilization when one is overseeding?