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how do you guys handle a fert. program for shady lawns

3K views 11 replies 5 participants last post by  anthony 
#1 ·
i know shadey lawns need less n. but how do you get the applications in to make $ and keep them in shape. applications i am talking about not aerations/seeding ect...
anthony
 
#4 ·
I have had excellent results wth this one:

#1 20-10-10 @1lb/K April 1
#2 0-5-8 +100% chelated iron (2-4oz/K) May10
#3 26-3-10 50%SCU @1/2lb/K June15
#4 19-19-19 @1lb/K Oct 15

Factoring rates of N.
 
#5 ·
Matthew,

do you really apply 1 lb. K per M on April 1? Thats 2 lbs. N per M in April? You must get super top growth in Spring. How do you keep up with that growth? Big risk of disease appling that much N in spring if my calculation is right!

You apply 1/2 lb. K per M in June? Thats 1.3 lb N per M on June 15th!? Don't summer heat and drought start around end of June in NE Ohio? Do your accounts water regulary in summer? If not, do you really want to put N down in summer?
I don't!

You apply 1 lb. K per M Oct 15. That's also 1 lb. N per M on Oct 15. When do lawns go dormant for winter in your area? Mid November typical? Here in Chicago its typically Oct.31. You don't want to push top growth so close to winter dormancy. Oct 15 seems to be pushing the envelope. Last year you would have been OK. Other years you would create a problem with this schedule. Grass must harden off just like trees and shrubs. Sould not push top growth 6 weeks before lawn goes dormant. You can do a dormant fert. Also, roots still grow two weeks after top growth has stopped due to winter dormancy. There is research that says your lawn can beneift from a light feeding of N when top growth stops (due to winter dormancy) , but roots still growing. This is a hard one to schedule. Not based on fixed date but on weather. Also, leaching of nitrates are a real problem at this time of year so recomendations are for light feedings (1/4 lb. to 1/2 lb. N per M). And cool to cold temps at this time of year manadate that you use a N source that is not temp sensitive like organics or SCU. Good luck.

jim
 
#7 ·
M = Roman numeral for 1,000

K = abbreviation for kilo- (metric prefix for 1,000)

Therefore 1,000 = K = M (also G is rarely used)

K is the most common notation in scientific discussion to denote 1,000 units. Forget where the M is used.

And if Matthew has been doing the Oct app for the last 3 years, he has been getting great results from it. Here we have not had a real freeze for 3-4 years, so grass underground growth has not ceased in wintertime. Have pulled BG rhizomes over a foot long out of mulched beds in springtime. This past winter was so mild, grass here actually needed the spring app of 0.1# to 0.25# N, because it used up all nutrient during winter. Then our May rains washed it all out again. LOL.

However his rates and timing are not near what recent research has pointed to. And never hit fine fescue with more than 0.5# N/K (K=1000 ft², LOL); fine fescues are dominant is many shady areas.
 
#9 ·
Originally posted by GroundKprs

And if Matthew has been doing the Oct app for the last 3 years, he has been getting great results from it. Here we have not had a real freeze for 3-4 years, so grass underground growth has not ceased in wintertime. Have pulled BG rhizomes over a foot long out of mulched beds in springtime. This past winter was so mild, grass here actually needed the spring app of 0.1# to 0.25# N, because it used up all nutrient during winter.
Last fall/winter was not characteristic of a typical fall/winter. I took a chance with some early Oct. feedings and was rewarded with the mild weather and extended growing season. It was an educated guess that payed off, but it was a risk. I've seen many lawns in spring with excessive dead growth that would not green-up when the HO performed late season fert apps the previous fall.

I don't doubt that Matthew has seen good results, but I do think there is a risk in certain areas of the country duplicating his fert app schedule. I only brought the issue up to highlight the risk through discussion. Late fall apps that stimulate top growth just before a lawn enters winter dormancy is a real risk. Indiana is a long state. I suspect that weather in southern IND does not match the weather in northern IND. Dates for fert apps will also not match. We should all be aware of this and understand the local conditions that apply to a fert sched like Matthew's. How can others apply a fert sched to their area without this information? What do you think? Good luck.

jim
 
#10 ·
Sorry it took so long to respond.
Maybe, I wasn't clear. The N rate was 1 pound per 1000 in the spring. ( unless it is severely dense shade under trees- then, it's 3/4 lb.
Then, a half lb in the summer. 40-50% Slow release.
Finally, a pound in the late fall- October (unless it is dense shade)

The total is 2 to 2.5 lbs per thousand per year. How is that excessive??? (also note P & K assimilation)
 
#11 ·
Originally posted by MATTHEW
Sorry it took so long to respond.
Maybe, I wasn't clear. The N rate was 1 pound per 1000 in the spring. ( unless it is severely dense shade under trees- then, it's 3/4 lb.
Then, a half lb in the summer. 40-50% Slow release.
Finally, a pound in the late fall- October (unless it is dense shade)

The total is 2 to 2.5 lbs per thousand per year. How is that excessive??? (also note P & K assimilation)
Thanks for clearing that up! As GroundKprs has pointed out, K = 1,000. You should add the "sq. ft." to a K when you mean 1,000 sq. ft. or use M (which means 1,000 sq. ft.). This makes much all the difference in the world. Thanks for clearing that up Matthew! I thought you were telling us K as in potassium. No, 2 - 2.5 Lbs. N per M is very reasonable for shade. Good luck.

jim
 
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