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Fertilizing
Some people believe that a beautiful lawn is not attainable. After
spending hundreds of dollars on chemicals and countless hours mowing and
watering, their lawn looks the same as it did when they started. The
problem is that most people do not realize that
growing healthy grass
is a science. Whether you hire a professional to assist in the
process or are a do-it-yourselfer the basics remain the same.
Proper MOWING, WATERING, and FERTILIZATION are required to attain a
beautiful lawn. If you get these three elements correct, you will be
well on your way to beautiful grass.
SOIL TEST: This should be the first step in your lawn. A doctor pulls
blood from your body to test for a host of different things to see if
you are healthy. Often by looking at a person, one can’t tell if they
are diabetic or not. The same is true with a lawn. A proper soil test
will tell you what is in your soil and more importantly what is not in
your soil.
ChemPro’s annual service includes a detailed soil analysis by CLC
Laboratory.
Soil tests can be obtained from the University of
Florida (call your local Cooperative Extension Service) or several other
retail outlets.
The information gained from the soil test will aid you in the proper
fertilization of your lawn and the proper ph adjustment.
WHAT IS FERTILIZER? Fertilizer is a mix of different elements
used to help the growth and appearance of our lawns and landscape.
It is confusing when walking down the aisle of a store and trying to
decipher which product to use.
16-4-8
or 15-2-15, organic, or inorganic, and micro and macro elements.
This is why a soil test is so important!
The basics are listed here, but for a more in depth discussions go to
the University of Florida
website.
They provide a tremendous amount of resources for the turf grass
industry. They actually conduct much research in Jay Florida so it is
very applicable to the Panhandle of Florida.
The three numbers on a bag
of fertilizer represent N – P – K. N stands for nitrogen.
P stands for phosphorus. K stands for potassium.
The numbers represent the
percentages of each element. A 100 pound bag of 16-4-8 contains 16
pounds of Nitrogen, 4 pounds of phosphate, and 8 pounds of potash. These
are primary plant foods, and are called a complete fertilizer since they
are all present.
Macroelements are needed
in greater quantities than microelements. These should be listed on the
bag. Buy a bag that contains what is recommended on your soil test
Common macroelements
are nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and sulphur.
Common microelements
are iron, copper, manganese, zinc, chlorine, boron, and molybdenum.
Soluble and slow
release: Some fertilizers are available immediately to the grass;
others are broken down slowly as the grass needs the nutrients. Both
are necessary for good turf grass. Soluble type fertilizers have a
higher tendency to burn if misapplied so caution is warranted.
A fertilizer with a high
first number (nitrogen) is not necessarily better than a product with a
lower number. It depends on the time of year and the needs of your
grass.
WEED and FEED are
fertilizers that contain herbicides as well as fertilizer. These
products can work great IF you follow the label
directions. If the temperature is above 80 degrees damage may result by
the use of these products. St. Augustine and Centipede are very
sensitive to herbicides in the heat of the Summer. Know which grass
type you have as you shop for any product. Each type of grass has
different requirements.
Inorganic and
organic: Both types have advantages and disadvantages.
From an
environmental standpoint, both are safe when
used correctly.
Inorganic:
Advantages and
Disadvantages
 Readily available as N.
Low cost.
Little residual.
Possible greater
efficiency.
Leaches rapidly.
Danger of fertilizer
burn.
Must be applied
frequently at low rates.
Acid forming.
Organic: Advantages
and Disadvantages
Slow release of N.
Does not leach as fast.
Small risk of burn.
May be applied at high
rates.
Usually more expensive.
Soil temp must be
elevated to activate.
Application response
may be slow.
May contain weed seeds.
CONFUSED? Don’t be. If you
have questions feel free to call ChemPro at
850-469-0588 or your local Extension Office.
The Numbers are listed on our website. Or visit the University of
Florida website.
County Extension Service
Telephone Numbers
County / City / Telephone
Bay /
Panama City: 850-784-6105
Escambia / Pensacola: 850-477-0953
Okaloosa / Crestview: 850-689-5850
Santa
Rosa / Milton: 850-623-3868
Walton /
Defuniak
Springs: 850-892-8172
Baldwin / Bay Minette,
AL: 251-937-7176
Mobile
/ Mobile,
AL: 251-574-8445
Websites
University of Florida - Turfgrass Science
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