On Wed, 05 Mar 2003 00:32:09 GMT, (Terry Horton) wrote:



This was a striking revelation when I first heard it at an Aggie soil
science lecture a few years ago. Homes of in our area which have been
fertilized even intermittently over the years were showing phosphorus
at levels high enough to last for generations! Yet lawn centers
continue to push "balanced" fertilizers, and then later Ironite to
overwhelm the iron deficiency caused by the P they sold you in the
first place (Ironite in any case being a problem worse than any
symptom it might mask). Even organic gardeners need to consider this
as most organic matter contains moderate levels of P (sorry, I can't
stomach blood meal :-)

The best lawn fertilizer for our area, imho, is the slow-release
"Sustain", available at places like Lowes. I've come to think that,
for an organic gardener myself who lives over the Edwards recharge
zone, Sustain may be a more environmentally sound lawn fertilizer than
compost.

Compost is not a fertilizer, it contains humates which is a necessary product
for good soil structure and texture. Putting down 1/4 inch on turf which has
been core aerated is not going anywhere other than into the soil. Sustane is a
great product, but LadyBug Brand is made by Sustane and has molasses coating on
the prill. Horticultural molasses contains approximately 15% Fe (iron).
Ironite has arsenic and is most useless. Chelated iron is much better for our
soils in this area.

I'm fortunate in that I have very deep soil. When we dug the pool, it wasn't
till we got to about 4 feet before we reached caliche. LadyBug brand can be
bought at Home Depot. Sustane at Lowes. Both 8-2-4 and have sufficient levels
of phosphorous NOT to be hazardous to our saturated with phosphorous soils.

Victoria