Urea nitrogen fertilizer—apply now?

Kentucky bluegrass, Fescue, Rye and Bent, etc
swami7774
Posts: 306
Joined: August 13th, 2010, 9:42 pm
Location: Zone 7A(Cape Cod, MA)
Grass Type: Some tall fescues, along with Bedazzled, Bewitched, Blue Velvet.
Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
Level: Some Experience

Urea nitrogen fertilizer—apply now?

Post by swami7774 » April 16th, 2019, 10:22 am

Last fall I bought a 50lb bag of 46-0-0 urea nitro fertilizer. I applied it for the winter, and still have quite a bit left over. Is that something I should apply now that the lawn is greening up? And is it something I should apply heavily? Thanks in advance.

User avatar
turf_toes
Posts: 6042
Joined: December 17th, 2008, 8:46 pm
Location: Central NJ
Grass Type: 77% Blueberry/23% Midnight Star KBG in front. Bewitched KBG monostand in back.
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: Urea nitrogen fertilizer—apply now?

Post by turf_toes » April 16th, 2019, 3:46 pm

No and no.

One, the reason for winterizing (of of them) is to store energy in the plant roots.

Your grass doesn’t need fertilizer until mid to late May. It’s currently using the fertilizer you applied last fall.

When you do finally need to apply fertilizer, straight urea is not the fertilizer to use for the typical homeowner. There’s too much chance you’ll burn the lawn.

Let the lawn tell you when it needs to be fed.

swami7774
Posts: 306
Joined: August 13th, 2010, 9:42 pm
Location: Zone 7A(Cape Cod, MA)
Grass Type: Some tall fescues, along with Bedazzled, Bewitched, Blue Velvet.
Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
Level: Some Experience

Re: Urea nitrogen fertilizer—apply now?

Post by swami7774 » April 16th, 2019, 8:09 pm

turf_toes wrote:
April 16th, 2019, 3:46 pm
No and no.

One, the reason for winterizing (of of them) is to store energy in the plant roots.

Your grass doesn’t need fertilizer until mid to late May. It’s currently using the fertilizer you applied last fall.

When you do finally need to apply fertilizer, straight urea is not the fertilizer to use for the typical homeowner. There’s too much chance you’ll burn the lawn.

Let the lawn tell you when it needs to be fed.
Vital info. Thanks for saving my lawn!

northeastlawn
Posts: 1259
Joined: June 1st, 2015, 3:10 pm
Location: S.E. Mass.
Grass Type: KBG
Lawn Size: 1000-3000
Level: Experienced

Re: Urea nitrogen fertilizer—apply now?

Post by northeastlawn » April 16th, 2019, 8:33 pm

If your in Mass look up Bay State Fertilizer (BSF) which is similar to Milorganite. Except BSF is $4 a bag and milorganite is $15 a bag.

A ride up to the Quincy Treatment Plant and you can a years worth. Put down from May until around July.

You may be able to find BSF at some local places, but I get it directly from the plant. It's great for your soil and very difficult to burn your lawn because it breaks down slowly over time.

I put down 1/2 bag rate every two weeks from may 1st until July 1st so there is always some getting broken down into the soil.

Best stuff ever, do a search for BSF to learn about calling before you head up and bringing a check with you. But its well worth the trip.

swami7774
Posts: 306
Joined: August 13th, 2010, 9:42 pm
Location: Zone 7A(Cape Cod, MA)
Grass Type: Some tall fescues, along with Bedazzled, Bewitched, Blue Velvet.
Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
Level: Some Experience

Re: Urea nitrogen fertilizer—apply now?

Post by swami7774 » April 16th, 2019, 10:27 pm

northeastlawn wrote:
April 16th, 2019, 8:33 pm
If your in Mass look up Bay State Fertilizer (BSF) which is similar to Milorganite. Except BSF is $4 a bag and milorganite is $15 a bag.

A ride up to the Quincy Treatment Plant and you can a years worth. Put down from May until around July.

You may be able to find BSF at some local places, but I get it directly from the plant. It's great for your soil and very difficult to burn your lawn because it breaks down slowly over time.

I put down 1/2 bag rate every two weeks from may 1st until July 1st so there is always some getting broken down into the soil.

Best stuff ever, do a search for BSF to learn about calling before you head up and bringing a check with you. But its well worth the trip.
I am indeed in Mass(Cape Cod), and Quincy is an easy drive. They sell lawn fertilizer at a treatment plant?


User avatar
andy10917
Posts: 29739
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 10:48 pm
Location: NY (Lower Hudson Valley)
Grass Type: Emblem KBG (Front); Blueberry KBG Monostand (Back)
Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
Level: Advanced

Re: Urea nitrogen fertilizer—apply now?

Post by andy10917 » April 16th, 2019, 10:30 pm

Where so you think that Milorganite comes from?

swami7774
Posts: 306
Joined: August 13th, 2010, 9:42 pm
Location: Zone 7A(Cape Cod, MA)
Grass Type: Some tall fescues, along with Bedazzled, Bewitched, Blue Velvet.
Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
Level: Some Experience

Re: Urea nitrogen fertilizer—apply now?

Post by swami7774 » April 16th, 2019, 10:42 pm

andy10917 wrote:
April 16th, 2019, 10:30 pm
Where so you think that Milorganite comes from?
Didn’t think it came from Quincy.

User avatar
andy10917
Posts: 29739
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 10:48 pm
Location: NY (Lower Hudson Valley)
Grass Type: Emblem KBG (Front); Blueberry KBG Monostand (Back)
Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
Level: Advanced

Re: Urea nitrogen fertilizer—apply now?

Post by andy10917 » April 16th, 2019, 10:45 pm

It doesn't - it comes from the Milwaukee Sewer District.

swami7774
Posts: 306
Joined: August 13th, 2010, 9:42 pm
Location: Zone 7A(Cape Cod, MA)
Grass Type: Some tall fescues, along with Bedazzled, Bewitched, Blue Velvet.
Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
Level: Some Experience

Re: Urea nitrogen fertilizer—apply now?

Post by swami7774 » April 16th, 2019, 10:59 pm

Quincy’s closer. Think I’ll go there.

Green
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: Urea nitrogen fertilizer—apply now?

Post by Green » April 16th, 2019, 11:17 pm

You guys! The last bit of this thread reads a bit funnily!

swami, I usually don't need much or any fertilizer until June. It's growing way too fast in May, still, even, for me to add anything...thanks to Fall Nitrogen.

Don't be like my next door neighbor who just dumped about 1.25 lb/K of soluble Nitrogen the other day (Andy, hope you're not fainting after reading that...they did it before I could stop them)!

swami7774
Posts: 306
Joined: August 13th, 2010, 9:42 pm
Location: Zone 7A(Cape Cod, MA)
Grass Type: Some tall fescues, along with Bedazzled, Bewitched, Blue Velvet.
Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
Level: Some Experience

Re: Urea nitrogen fertilizer—apply now?

Post by swami7774 » April 17th, 2019, 7:16 am

A neighbor who was in the lawn “business” once told me not to fertilize after May, as the lawn needs to go into dormancy.
I hate the look of dormant lawns.

User avatar
turf_toes
Posts: 6042
Joined: December 17th, 2008, 8:46 pm
Location: Central NJ
Grass Type: 77% Blueberry/23% Midnight Star KBG in front. Bewitched KBG monostand in back.
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: Urea nitrogen fertilizer—apply now?

Post by turf_toes » April 17th, 2019, 8:16 am

swami7774 wrote:
April 17th, 2019, 7:16 am
A neighbor who was in the lawn “business” once told me not to fertilize after May, as the lawn needs to go into dormancy.
I hate the look of dormant lawns.
The reason I suggested letting the lawn tell you when to fertilize is that much of this depends on your location.

For me, mid May seems to be the sweet spot. But 400 miles north of me, that’s probably too early.

I’m not a big fan of taking advice from lawncare contractors. Far too many of them know very little beyond the basics. To paraphrase a friend, anyone with a lawnmower, truck and a few hours of study can be a “lawncare professional.”

(There are some that really know their business. But sadly, that’s not normally the case in my own experience)

That’s not to say I disagree with your neighbor’s advice (not fertilizing in summer). But his reasoning is wrong.

I don’t fertilize during summer, but my lawn doesn’t go dormant. Lawns go dormant from lack of water, generally not from lack of fertilizer.

The best reason to hold back on summer fertilizer is to decrease your chance of lawn disease (brown patch, etc).

Many such pathogens tend to thrive during hot and humid periods in high fertility environments (though a few, like Dollarspot, do better in low fertility lawns)

northeastlawn
Posts: 1259
Joined: June 1st, 2015, 3:10 pm
Location: S.E. Mass.
Grass Type: KBG
Lawn Size: 1000-3000
Level: Experienced

Re: Urea nitrogen fertilizer—apply now?

Post by northeastlawn » April 17th, 2019, 9:02 am

Good discussion....

I don't know about holding off until June. For me I'm told BSF takes 2-3 weeks to break down, plus the soil in the lawn has to get used to breaking down organics and stuff like BSF.

Ny uncle has terrible soil and is very stingy with anything he has to buy for the lawn. He makes the chaps bags of BSF I get for him cover twice the area, I go 1/2 bag rate from May to June. We both mulched our leaves. I can barely find a trace of a leaves, he still has leaves all over his yard come spring.

If I do my first BSF app on May 1st, it will be getting broken down some time in the 2nd or 3rd week in May. If you didn't give the lawn the first app until June, it wouldn't be broken down until mid June, July 1st is when I usually stop the BSF.

You also have the case with KBG where I am still trying to get it to spread into the gaps where I had POA Annua. I need to keep feeding it for that to happen.

If I was going with pure synthetic Nitrogen, I might be worried, but as I am using BSF that gets broken down slowly by the soil. I feel I am better off being a little a head of the fertilizer surge than late to the game. Thats why i go 1/2 bag rate, rather than once a month and have gaps where the lawn won't be growing and spreading.

Everyones lawn will be different though, and I do have to do better with fungus this year, I may have to consider less BSF once the lawn is where I want it to be. Unfortunately I still need to encourage spreading this year.

swami7774
Posts: 306
Joined: August 13th, 2010, 9:42 pm
Location: Zone 7A(Cape Cod, MA)
Grass Type: Some tall fescues, along with Bedazzled, Bewitched, Blue Velvet.
Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
Level: Some Experience

Re: Urea nitrogen fertilizer—apply now?

Post by swami7774 » April 17th, 2019, 9:54 am

It looks like you’re in my general geographic area. Does your lawn go semi-dormant starting early July?
As for diseases mentioned earlier, I get occasional red threat, but only in the front where there is maximum sunlight.

northeastlawn
Posts: 1259
Joined: June 1st, 2015, 3:10 pm
Location: S.E. Mass.
Grass Type: KBG
Lawn Size: 1000-3000
Level: Experienced

Re: Urea nitrogen fertilizer—apply now?

Post by northeastlawn » April 17th, 2019, 5:25 pm

Yellow spots in the lawn could be disease or even grassy weeds like POA Annua or POA Triv going dormant. It could also be because the soil is poor and the grass has shallow roots. Its hard to tell. I believe only KBG will go dormant and comer back, PR and FF will just yellow and then die without enough water in the summer.

On here they say your lawn needs 1" per week of water.

I always made the mistake of watering too much because I didn't want the lawn to die. I have POA all over the place because of that and many failed renos before I found this site. last year I did 1/2" twice a week because the KBG lawn was new.

This will be the 2nd summer for my KBG. My plan is to shoot for 1" per week, or learn how to tell when the lawn needs water. If you do a search for it on here, there are signs to look for. So far I haven't had luck spotting them, this year I will be more patient.

If you do a search on red thread, certain types of grass like FF are very prone to it. I have a shade FF mix in the front and it gets red thread something awful, just as others have said on here.

Good luck, a lot of info on this site, it just takes a while to take it all in, and even then your always learning something new.

swami7774
Posts: 306
Joined: August 13th, 2010, 9:42 pm
Location: Zone 7A(Cape Cod, MA)
Grass Type: Some tall fescues, along with Bedazzled, Bewitched, Blue Velvet.
Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
Level: Some Experience

Re: Urea nitrogen fertilizer—apply now?

Post by swami7774 » April 17th, 2019, 6:03 pm

POA is a challenge. I've found the best eradicator is Tenacity. It's expensive but you use very little of it.

spectrum1c
Posts: 105
Joined: June 1st, 2018, 9:51 pm
Location: Cape Cod Massachusetts
Grass Type: KBG front yard, Tall Fescue backyard
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Some Experience

Re: Urea nitrogen fertilizer—apply now?

Post by spectrum1c » April 18th, 2019, 7:17 am

I also live on the cape and make the drive out to Quincy every so often. Andy made a suggestion while looking over my soil analysis of alternating BSF and urea applications. (Barnstable Farm and Pet will order urea for $20/bag).
I'm going to go that route this year to cut back on my drives to Quincy and save some money. I think it may be an easier regimen to follow since the urea cycles should go quicker than the BSF. With BSF I'm always refilling the spreader, but one hopper full of urea will cover my entire yard.

swami7774
Posts: 306
Joined: August 13th, 2010, 9:42 pm
Location: Zone 7A(Cape Cod, MA)
Grass Type: Some tall fescues, along with Bedazzled, Bewitched, Blue Velvet.
Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
Level: Some Experience

Re: Urea nitrogen fertilizer—apply now?

Post by swami7774 » April 18th, 2019, 7:59 am

Are you alternating BSF and urea throughout the summer? BTW the guys at Quincy told me they don’t have BSF in yet; maybe next week.

spectrum1c
Posts: 105
Joined: June 1st, 2018, 9:51 pm
Location: Cape Cod Massachusetts
Grass Type: KBG front yard, Tall Fescue backyard
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Some Experience

Re: Urea nitrogen fertilizer—apply now?

Post by spectrum1c » April 18th, 2019, 8:29 am

That was what I understood to be Andy's recommendation for my lawn. I plan on giving it a shot this year.

I bought my last batch of BSF in February because I wanted to beat the spring rush and not risk them being sold out like last year. I mentioned this to Carl (the guy who runs it over there) and he said that he didn't think selling out would be a problem this year because getting bags had been the bottleneck and this year they would have plenty. Im guessing he must be gotten more orders than expected so far this year.

swami7774
Posts: 306
Joined: August 13th, 2010, 9:42 pm
Location: Zone 7A(Cape Cod, MA)
Grass Type: Some tall fescues, along with Bedazzled, Bewitched, Blue Velvet.
Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
Level: Some Experience

Re: Urea nitrogen fertilizer—apply now?

Post by swami7774 » April 18th, 2019, 10:33 am

spectrum1c wrote:
April 18th, 2019, 8:29 am
That was what I understood to be Andy's recommendation for my lawn. I plan on giving it a shot this year.

I bought my last batch of BSF in February because I wanted to beat the spring rush and not risk them being sold out like last year. I mentioned this to Carl (the guy who runs it over there) and he said that he didn't think selling out would be a problem this year because getting bags had been the bottleneck and this year they would have plenty. Im guessing he must be gotten more orders than expected so far this year.
Yes, Carl is the guy I corresponded with.
Is BSF basically the same as Milorganite? If Quincy has supply problems, I can handle spending a bit more at a big box for the same stuff.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 19 guests