Quote:
Originally Posted by Turf Dawg
Please educate me. Why no coated urea? I like the sulfur coated urea especially in SA to help keep the soil PH down. Is this a bad thing? I treat lawns on a six week schedule.
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There is not enough sulfur on sulfur coated urea to help with pH problems. Also, many researchers have found that using urea N feeds diseases. The conventional answer is to starve the lawn because most pre made granular fertilizers are all urea. I do not want urea or potassium chloride in what I am applying to lawns. That is why everything I apply is custom blended. Alkaline soils get all of their N from ammonium sulfate. Acid soils are fed calcium nitrate. Potassium is supplied by potassium nitrate. P is added if needed in the form of phosphoric acid. I also include the full label rate of chelated/soluble micronutrients.
My problem with coated fertilizers is exactly as quiet said, plus all of my lawns are cut at under 1" with a reel mower. The reel would pick up and shatter all of the granules, not to mention it is usual to use the basket in front of the reel. If the granules survive the reel mower, I never know when it is going to release and how much. Too much guessing for my liking. I know exactly what a liquid mix will do and for how long it will do it.