Lat Summer and Fall Fertilizer Options
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Lat Summer and Fall Fertilizer Options
What schedule should I be following for organic fertilizers? I've decided on applying alfalfa (I can get it for a good price at a location near my house) as my primary fertilizer. Should I apply some in the late summer and another application in the fall (November) before the first heavy frost? Or should I just do the one application in the fall?
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Re: Lat Summer and Fall Fertilizer Options
You can do as much organic as your budget allows. Go crazy. You ought to consider doing a quick release app once the grass stops growing and before the ground freezes at 1lb per 1k sq ft.
- 1977212
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Re: Lat Summer and Fall Fertilizer Options
Here's an interesting article. https://www.quora.com/Is-Urea-an-organic-fertilizer
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Re: Lat Summer and Fall Fertilizer Options
Can you give me an example of a quick release application? Also, what is the purpose of this? Is it to allow for a quick green up in the spring?
Thanks in advance, I appreciate learning from the organic lawn care elders/sisters of this forum.
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Re: Lat Summer and Fall Fertilizer Options
Anything that's water soluble, like urea or blood meal. The purpose is the grass takes up a lot of nutrients at that time of year to harden off for winter and store for growth next spring.
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Re: Lat Summer and Fall Fertilizer Options
If you haven't already, read this viewtopic.php?forum_uri=northern&t=15109&start=. It outlines the fall fertilization recommendations. You can do the less aggressive option with organics. Perhaps consider a sort of hybrid program for the last feeding of the year with urea.
- Dchall_San_Antonio
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Re: Lat Summer and Fall Fertilizer Options
When I first started with organics I was using only corn meal. As it turns out corn meal is near the bottom of the list of grain (nitrogen) protein content. And I was using a paltry 10 pounds of that per 1,000 square feet. I applied corn meal on Washington's Birthday. I watched as the St Augustine improved and then turned yellow. By Memorial Day it really needed another dose. I waited until it yellowed again and applied on July 4th. Waited and applied on Labor Day. Waited and applied on Thanksgiving. So based on that I came up with the Federal Holiday Schedule for organic fertilizer. Now, 15 years later, I realize I should have been using 15 to 20 pounds of corn meal. I believe the FHS is still a good schedule, but with 15 pounds the grass would probably not go yellow on me. I'm really much better about writing about this hobby than I am performing the hobby. With more effective fertilizers you could easily use 15 pounds per 1,000 and get good results with that general schedule. I just found the holidays much more easy to remember than some date plucked from my calendar.
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Re: Lat Summer and Fall Fertilizer Options
So do you use a quick release fertilizer like urea in the fall or are you applying only grains at this point. I've applied both MIlorganite and alfalfa pellets to my lawn this summer. I plan on making a couple more applications of alfalfa (easier to get for me than Milorganite plus I like the smell better) in the early fall per the schedule suggested by andy10917. Do you recommend a shot of urea after the top growth has stopped? Usually the end of October in my neck of the woods.Dchall_San_Antonio wrote: ↑August 17th, 2017, 1:43 pmWhen I first started with organics I was using only corn meal. As it turns out corn meal is near the bottom of the list of grain (nitrogen) protein content. And I was using a paltry 10 pounds of that per 1,000 square feet. I applied corn meal on Washington's Birthday. I watched as the St Augustine improved and then turned yellow. By Memorial Day it really needed another dose. I waited until it yellowed again and applied on July 4th. Waited and applied on Labor Day. Waited and applied on Thanksgiving. So based on that I came up with the Federal Holiday Schedule for organic fertilizer. Now, 15 years later, I realize I should have been using 15 to 20 pounds of corn meal. I believe the FHS is still a good schedule, but with 15 pounds the grass would probably not go yellow on me. I'm really much better about writing about this hobby than I am performing the hobby. With more effective fertilizers you could easily use 15 pounds per 1,000 and get good results with that general schedule. I just found the holidays much more easy to remember than some date plucked from my calendar.
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Re: Lat Summer and Fall Fertilizer Options
That's what most here use as a winterizer, Urea 46-0-0. Like you said after top growth stops
- bernstem
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Re: Lat Summer and Fall Fertilizer Options
You can use grains at pretty much any time. Alfalfa has a natural growth hormone, Triacontanol, so you may want to limit its use to monthly at most. Alfalfa is also among the more expensive grains. Soybean meal is less expensive and has a higher nutrient content and is a popular choice. Commercial organic fertilizers are expensive, but also work. Grains do not work as the final winterizer fertilizer. For that, you want something immediately available like Urea. There are organic (as in OMRI certified and/or from organic sources) Urea fertilizers available, but most are sourced from natural gas. They both are the same organic molecule, but the organic versions are very hard to find and more expensive, so most people just use whatever is inexpensive and locally available.
For a minimal organic program for TTTF, I would recommend a single application of fertilizer in the spring, and 2-3 applications in the fall with the final application being a Urea winterizer. Alfalfa is fine for all but the last application. Alfalfa meal has an NPK equivalent of about 3-1-2, so you would apply 30 lbs/1000 square ft to get the equivalent of 0.9 lb of Nitrogen/k which is close enough to 1 lb/k of Nitrogen.
For a minimal organic program for TTTF, I would recommend a single application of fertilizer in the spring, and 2-3 applications in the fall with the final application being a Urea winterizer. Alfalfa is fine for all but the last application. Alfalfa meal has an NPK equivalent of about 3-1-2, so you would apply 30 lbs/1000 square ft to get the equivalent of 0.9 lb of Nitrogen/k which is close enough to 1 lb/k of Nitrogen.
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Re: Lat Summer and Fall Fertilizer Options
All right Urea it is...thanks for the response.
- Dchall_San_Antonio
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Re: Lat Summer and Fall Fertilizer Options
Yeah, to answer your question, I don't use any urea. I do use the heck out of alfalfa pellets. I've never seen any of the issues mentioned regarding the growth hormone. Also alfalfa is dirt cheap in my area. It's about twice the price of corn but still 1/3 the price of soybean meal. Shipping makes all the difference in price. Soybean meal is about $1/pound in South Texas.
- andy10917
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Re: Lat Summer and Fall Fertilizer Options
You wouldn't see issues per se. Triacontanol has a bell-curve shaped application rate chart. After you reach the top of the curve, adding more actually makes it less effective.I've never seen any of the issues mentioned regarding the growth hormone.
- Dchall_San_Antonio
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Re: Lat Summer and Fall Fertilizer Options
Hi Andy. Can you clarify that a little? Is it the triacontanol that becomes less effective? As in the grass grows less and less fast the more you apply (after reaching peak triacontanol (PT))? If that's the case, I don't see the problem using it.
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