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Chapter 7: Nutrition
Requirements
Bud Brownmud
was feeling a lot better about his lawn. With Scott's help
over the last two weeks, they'd assessed soil, decided to
plant from seed, and selected a bermudagrass. But now a
question nagged at Bud. "Um, Scott...now that we've planted
the grass seed, don't we have to water it and
such?"
Scott nodded. "We sure do, and that's not all.
Grass needs nutrients not found in water, like fertilizers.
Let me tell you about fertilizing
bermudagrass..."
Lawns are living, breathing, organic
beings, and they have nutritional requirements. In most
climates, regular watering and occasional fertilizing with the
right fertilizer is necessary to keep things green and
lush.
Fertilizing Your
Lawn
If a thick, green, beautiful
weed-free lawn is your goal then you are going to need to
apply some type of fertilizer. It is a very simple process
once you determine the proper type of fertilizer you need for
the type of grass you have as your lawn. Broadcast spreaders
are good for spreading fertilizer.
Why
Fertilize?
Your soil supplies some of
the nutrients that grass needs. Most soils are not able to
provide all of them  during the entire growing season. A healthy and
actively growing lawn uses a great deal of energy.
Fertilizer helps your lawn stay healthy
by:
• Promoting new leaf and root
growth.
• Aiding in the recovery from foot traffic
and pest damage.
• Reducing and controlling
weeds.
• Replacing nutrients lost to leaching,
volatilisation, and grass-clipping removal.
Fertilizer Types
Fertilizer is available in two types - liquid and
granular. Choose the one that meets your lawn's needs in the
form that is easiest for you to use.
• Liquid
fertilizers are fast-acting. Since they are quickly absorbed,
they require application every 2-3 weeks. Most are mixed with
water prior to application with a garden hose
attachment.
• Granular fertilizers are applied
with a spreader and must be watered into the grass. Granular
fertilizers are easier to control because you can actually see
how much fertilizer you are using and where it is being
dispersed.
Granular fertilizers are produced in two
different formulations, quick-release and
slow-release.
Quick-Release and Slow-Release
Fertilizer
Quick-release fertilizer
typically lasts for three to four weeks, depending upon the
temperature and the amount of rainfall. For general use, these
water-soluble nitrogen fertilizers (WSN) are also known as
commodity or field-grade fertilizers.
There are two
main types of slow-release fertilizers, known as
water-insoluble nitrogen (WIN) fertilizers, available for
specific applications.
• Sulfur-coated, which
lasts about 8 weeks.
• Polymer-coated, which lasts
about 12 weeks.
Both time estimates may vary depending
upon the amount of rainfall. To avoid unwanted growth
stimulation, do not apply slow-release fertilizer late in the
growing season.
Click
here to order a Free Nature Hills Nursery
Catalog
Breaking the Code — How to Read a
Fertilizer Label
The three numbers
(often called NPK) on a fertilizer package tell you the
percentages of the base elements nutrient makeup by weight.
These percentages in fertilizer compounds are formulated for
 everything from
asparagus to zinnias. The three main components
are:
• Nitrogen (symbol N) for leaf development
and vivid green color.
• Phosphorous (symbol P)
for root growth.
• Potassium (symbol K) for root
development and disease resistance.
For example, a bag
marked "16-4-8" contains 16 percent nitrogen, 4 percent
phosphorous, and 8 percent potassium. The other 72 percent is
usually inert filler material, such as clay pellets or
granular limestone. To know how much of each is in the bag,
multiply the percentage by the size (weight) of the bag.
(example: a 20 kg. [40 lb.] bag of 10-10-10 contains 2 kg. [4
lbs.] each of nitrogen, phosphorus and
potassium.)
There may also be secondary elements such
as calcium for root growth, magnesium for sugar formation, and
sulfur for green color. The minor elements that may be present
are zinc, iron, manganese, copper, molybdenum, and
boron.
Don't feel concerned or cheated by the presence
of the so-called inert material in the fertilizer bag. Its
purpose is to help distribute the fertilizer evenly and
prevent chemical burn.
Why Does It Matter?
Your
lawn has a specific fertilizer requirement for the time it is
applied and the correct amount. Your fertilizer choice depends
on the type of grass you grow. Read the instructions on the
package carefully before purchasing.
Weed and Feed and
Pre- or Post-Emergents
Weed and Feed is a common
term that refers to fertilizer that contains weed-killer for
broadleaf weeds such as
dandelions.
• Pre-emergents — weed-killers
that must be applied before the weeds germinate. These are
commonly used to prevent crabgrass. They are ineffective if
the weeds are already actively growing. Pre-emergent weed
killers are often mixed with fertilizer and are designed to be
spread in early spring. Crabgrass normally germinates when the
ground temperature reaches 15°C (59°F) - the ground
temperature at which dogwood trees start to bud and forsythias
begin blooming.
• Post-emergents — The
weed-killers in these types of fertilizers are contact-killers
and are effective only if the weeds are already actively
growing. They will not kill weeds that have not yet
germinated.
Timing of the application of pre-and
post-emergents is critical for success. Applying these
products too early or too late is essentially a waste of time.
Read the package carefully before selecting to be sure which
product fits your needs.
Nature
Hills Nursery Weekly Specials
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