Looking ahead to spring questions.
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- Posts: 488
- Joined: September 14th, 2018, 10:56 pm
- Location: Western Illinois, parallel to tip o Lake Michigan.
- Grass Type: Mazama KBG
- Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
- Level: Some Experience
Looking ahead to spring questions.
In the early spring, when it's to cold for Milorganite, do you all continue to drop urea? At what point would one commence, and then when would one make the switch?
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- Posts: 6837
- Joined: September 14th, 2012, 10:53 pm
- Location: CT (Zone 6B)
- Grass Type: KBG, TTTF, TTPR, and FF (various mixtures)
- Lawn Size: 10000-20000
- Level: Experienced
Re: Looking ahead to spring questions.
At first glance, this seems like a straight forward question. My straight forward answer is that if the grass is not growing, we tend not to drop synthetic N.
Now, maybe there's a deeper level, too. You would think that there might be a short window of root-only growth as the soil warms in early Spring, but isn't yet warm enough for top growth...much like what happens this time of year, but in reverse. Unfortunately, I'm not aware of studies discussing Nitrogen fertilization during that period.
What I have heard discussed is that if you fertilize with synthetic too early when top growth is on the verge of starting, you can create problems with sensitive growth in the cold, or stimulate it to grow too quickly too early, and run out of stored energy.
Now, maybe there's a deeper level, too. You would think that there might be a short window of root-only growth as the soil warms in early Spring, but isn't yet warm enough for top growth...much like what happens this time of year, but in reverse. Unfortunately, I'm not aware of studies discussing Nitrogen fertilization during that period.
What I have heard discussed is that if you fertilize with synthetic too early when top growth is on the verge of starting, you can create problems with sensitive growth in the cold, or stimulate it to grow too quickly too early, and run out of stored energy.
- andy10917
- Posts: 29739
- Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 10:48 pm
- Location: NY (Lower Hudson Valley)
- Grass Type: Emblem KBG (Front); Blueberry KBG Monostand (Back)
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- Level: Advanced
Re: Looking ahead to spring questions.
It all depends. If you did the Fall Nitrogen Regimen, or maybe even just a winterizing app, there is a good chance that you will make it through the Spring Flush without further Nitrogen. And Spring is when we concentrate on ALL of the nutrients, not just Nitrogen. Fall is for concentrating on Urea (pure Nitrogen). Later May and June is when the P and K go down too.
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- Posts: 488
- Joined: September 14th, 2018, 10:56 pm
- Location: Western Illinois, parallel to tip o Lake Michigan.
- Grass Type: Mazama KBG
- Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
- Level: Some Experience
Re: Looking ahead to spring questions.
Thanks for the responses. I used up the last of my urea and was wondering if I needed some more for spring.
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