Lawn Fertilizer
LawnFertilizers - Fortify and Protect Your Lawn and Garden
Ace carries a variety of different fertilizer types to meet your specific
lawn needs. Stop by any of our 3 Ace locations to speak with a lawn expert.
Wondering if you need fertilizer? Here's the answer.
All lawns are deficient in nitrogen because grass quickly uses up the
natural supply; some also need phosphorus and potassium. Fertilizers
help to replace these ingredients for a healthier and greener lawn.
Turf Trust
Turf Trust® Professional Lawn Fertilizer is designed for the consumer who
expects only the best.
Turf Trust is a revolutionary lawn fertilizer. It is the only
fertilizer to contain the compound CDU®. CDU stands for Crotonylidene
Diurea and is imported from Japan. In Japan, it is the preferred nitrogen
source in golf course fertilizers.
Click here for more information on Turf
Trust lawn fertilizer.
The Three Common Types of Fertilizers
There are three common types of fertilizers: natural organic, inorganic and
synthetic organic.
Natural organic fertilizers, such as manure, do not dissolve in water. They
are converted to usable forms by microorganisms in the soil. They help to
create proper physical growing conditions, but can add disease or weeds to
the lawn.
Inorganic fertilizers (ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate) do dissolve in
water and become readily available to plants. They can cause fast growth for
a few weeks, but can also cause foliage burn if improperly applied.
Synthetic organic fertilizers (ureafoam, methylene urea) provide a
combination of slow and fast release of nitrogen, combining the best of the
other two kinds of fertilizer.
Other Types of Fertilizers
Dry fertilizers come in several forms, which combine all three nutrients and
can range in weight from 14 to 70 lbs. for a typical-sized lawn.
Simple-mix fertilizers are mixtures of the three primary nutrients in a bag.
The granules differ in weight and texture so that the heavier ones may work
toward the bottom of the bag or spreader. The result is uneven distribution.
Pelletized fertilizers combine all the nutrients into semi-rigid pellets or
capsules. This does not ensure a steady release of nutrients unless
slow-release sources are included in the pellets.
Trionized fertilizers have the three nutrients bonded into a lightweight
carrier such as vermiculite. Nutrients are uniform throughout the granules.
Polyform fertilizers require no added carrier, resulting in the
lightest-weight fertilizers. A mixture of the three nutrients is screened to
uniform size, putting a high proportion of nutrients into the bag.
What in the World Does 10-5-5 Mean?
Have you ever taken a look at a bag of fertilizer and wondered what that
three-digit number on the front meant? Every fertilizer consists of three
nutrients, which are always listed in the same sequence to make up a
three-digit formula. Each ingredient serves a separate function in enriching
soil and stimulating plant growth. Listed in order they are:
Nitrogen (N): this is vital to plants for foliage color and density and for
root growth. This is the primary nutrient that needs to be replaced.
Phosphorus (P): for seeding development, cell building and root growth.
Potassium (K): assists plants in forming starches and proteins and helps
them resists disease and environmental stress.
Each of these three nutrients is designated by a number - a percentage of
the pounds of each per hundred pounds of fertilizer. For example, a vary
common 20-10-5 formulation means there are 20 lbs. of nitrogen per hundred
pounds of fertilizer, 10 lbs. of phosphoric acid and 5 lbs. of potassium. In
a 50 lb. bag with the same formula on it, there would be 10 lbs. of
nitrogen, five of phosphoric acid and two and a half of potassium.
While formulas vary the most common are 20-10-5, 5-10-5 and 10-6-4, but
others being offered include 24-6-6 and 23-7-7.
When you select a fertilizer, remember the purpose of each ingredient and
relate the percentages to the needs of your plants and/or lawn.
How To Figure Out How Much Fertilizer You Will Need
Most fertilizers indicate on the package the number of square feet the will
cover, but to help figure out the amount you will need, take the size of
your lot and subtract the square feet of the house, garage and driveway.
How Many Feedings?
Can you get along with just one application of fertilizer? Yes, but the lawn
won't be very healthy. Two feedings are minimum, although most turf experts
believe three feedings - or more - are best.
When only two feedings per year are done, they should be done in the early
spring and early fall. Each feeding actually serves a different purpose in
helping grass grow. A late winter feeding aids the lawn in early greening
and building roots. The late spring feeding builds tillers or sideshoots
that help fill in bare spots in the lawn. A midsummer feeding makes a lawn
more drought resistant. The fall feeding helps grass build more sideshoots
or tillers and underground stems or rhizomes to thicken up a lawn. It is
considered the single most important feeding of the year.
Apply fertilizers in both directions to avoid streaking or missed strips.
More Lawn and Gardening Tips