Somebody did their research this evening. All I got done was planting six Teddy Bear sunflowers and some wash.
NJDave wrote:I am trying to come up with a fertilization plan that would best suit my new lawn in its first spring. I have fed my lawn two applications of Milorganite thus far (72 lbs / 2,500 SF Each), which I know is a pretty high amount, however given the microbial breakdown of the Nitrogen, the lawn usually can never have too much organic N.
High, but not terribly high. That works out to 28.8 pounds per thousand of Milorganite, or 1.4 pounds N per K or so.
I dropped more than that
today. Mine was corn, so not so much N total, but still. And this is my lightest year of the last three.
Being that this is the first spring after a fall renovation, are there any special measures that I need to take as far as synthetic Nitrogen applications are concerned. Since it is obviously too early now (just preparing), I will not be making any of these synthetic applications until at least the middle to latter part of May.
Given that you obviously know what's what, not really, no. Don't exceed 1 pound synthetic N per K, of course, and after May the next drop on that will be Labor Day. I consider the mid-June use of synthetics imprudent when, by July fourth, our weather's usually already turning hot and dry. Organics, absolutely. Fire at will. If we didn't have organics in the arsenal, I'd probably just use the synthetics--but I wouldn't like it.
If you're very careful, and absolutely certain to water regularly (a must for a first year reno anyway), you can gently spoon feed about 0.2 pounds quickly available N every 2 weeks via synthetics. If you're not certain about the weather (I'd certainly skip it in hot, dry conditions), or if you can't water, don't. If the idea makes you uncomfortable, skip it--the organics can certainly bridge the gap with no issues.
I will say that I am extremely pleased with the results thus far since the lawn is fully awake and very green despite being early in its first year. Perhaps it was the timing and strong winterizing application of the Vigoro Super Green that may have progressed things quickly, despite the lousy Spring weather here in NJ.....Anyway, a couple of questions & references regarding these feedings are shown below, so I was just looking for some more further clarification.
Ding, we have a winner. Yep, that winterization really makes the difference between a lousy winter color and high levels of dormancy and...not. Given that it was a fairly harsh winter as well, it's only going to get better every year. My February lawn looked like my early April lawn two years ago.
Philes was brilliant. I still wouldn't do the June synthetic thing on a first year lawn. The roots aren't very sturdy and I'm not a fan of stressing them right before summer. Like I said, though, fire away with the organics.
Hey, y'want succinct, get a fortune cookie.
It's interesting to note my own evolution. I had one soil test early on, and as of 2010 wouldn't dream of NOT having one at least every two years. Since I'm still altering the soil, yearly.
Does this Spring Nitrogen benefit fall in the lines of the one synthetic application that is suggested during late May or should this include a more aggressive fertilization approach as outlined by the Philes Plan? I just want to do what's best for the lawn. I don't want too much synthetic N, but I don't want to short change the development of the new lawn by neglecting additional synthetic Nitrogen that it could very well need during its infancy stage. Do the numerous Milorganite applications (that I have done & plan to do) contribute to the necessary feeding that the new lawn needs or do I need more N synthetically?
This is so not a simple answer. Can you use more synthetic? Absolutely--just make sure you never overdo it and water a lot. Could you use 100% organics instead? Yes. I brought in my renovation and do all my feeding organically except for winterization (when it's too late for organics). Except for that and topping the tank on P, I haven't used any synthetics since 2006 on the lawn--barring one cheat last year to kick the thing along in September when it was reticent to go.
My junk drawer memory doesn't locate how long you've been organic (it's probably hiding behind the extra twist ties and those strange screws I'm afraid to throw out).
A first-year organic program may or may not be enough to support the lawn as the micro-organisms and important macro insects probably aren't at sufficient population just yet.
Second or further on, no problem. Mine was at 1 1/2 years when I did my reno, and everything came in beautifully, grew like gangbusters, and effortlessly coasted through its first year, filling holes and settling in for the long haul.
In 2007, I dumped 15.4 pounds total N, 14.4 of that organic (1 lb winterizer).
Excessive use of synthetic nitrogen in spring and summer tends to shift the growth up top. Keyword: Excessive. 1 pound N in May and 1 in June is not excessive, particularly on a new lawn. Spoon feeding in July and August isn't going to be excessive. Hitting it hard in September, October, and November is actually recommended.
Hyper-excessive organics won't cause the growth shift at any time, they simply can't dump N in that fast. They backlog and wait, moving into bacterial mass (and fungal mass, worm mass, and so on) instead. The bacterial and fungal stuff you'll get back as the N peters out and their hunters catch up. The worm mass you may have to wait five or six years on.
I have yet to really ever let the N peter out, and have no real plans to do so--I'll still be in the 10-15 pounds N range this year.
For a first year lawn, I'd target the 6-10 pounds N per thousand range, with 6-8 being more reasonable synthetically and involving a lot of close observation, water, and care. Organically, anything in the range is fine, but if you wished, as I did, to drop 37 pounds N per thousand organically (2009), feel free to do so.
