!!!!!GOOD ONE!!!!


Want a beautiful lawn? Like to protect the environment? You can do
both according to a new study conducted by Texas A&M University for
the City of Austin.

Nitrogen, one of the three nutrients found in fertilizer, can travel
quickly through soil to pollute our groundwater. The City's Watershed
Protection and Development Review Department commissioned the study to
find out which fertilizers would be least likely to pollute and still
satisfy the desire for an attractive lawn. The Texas A&M conducted
study compared nine different fertilizers and found that the certified
organic or other natural fertilizers out-performed the synthetic ones
for both appearance and pollution prevention.

Horticulturists, and soil and water quality scientists considered the
new data along with other studies, scientific data and practical
experience to revise the recommendations that have been promoted for
the last twenty years. These new recommendations reduce fertilizer use
by at least 75%!

Test your soil - you can't know what to add to your soil unless you
know what's missing
Don't Bag It! - think of mowing as fertilizing. Your lawn clippings
return 60% of the nitrogen, and 100% of the phosphorous and potassium
(fertilizer ingredients) back to the soil. Think how much better it is
for the landfill as well.
Choose carefully -- certified organic or labeled, natural fertilizer
is preferred for a healthier lawn and better water quality. (If using
inorganic, apply only half as much, twice as often, to prevent the
fertilizer from running off or leaching to our groundwater.)
If your soil test shows: Use:
Low to Very Low Nitrogen in Soil ½ lb. nitrogen/1,000 square feet 2
times/year
Moderate Nitrogen ½ lb. nitrogen/1,000 square feet 1 time/year
High to Very High Nitrogen DO NOT FERTILIZE

If you must fertilize without a soil test, never apply more than a
moderate nitrogen rate or fertilize more than once a year.
Never fertilize before a rain - otherwise the fertilizer can run off
and fertilize our creeks, not your lawn
Follow these tips to help protect Austin's environment one yard at a
time!!
See the Fertilizer Study full report.


On Mon, 19 Apr 2004 15:38:24 GMT, "Pam - gardengal"
wrote:


"Lisa Horton" wrote in message
. com...
There has to be something better than the regular high nitrogen fertilizer
right?

The best nutrients for plant growth are readily available in any good,
fertile soil. If you add compost or other organic amendments on a regular
basis, there will be little if any need for additional fertilizers.
Fertilize only when specific nutrients are lacking and then I prefer to use
an organic fertilizer that breaks down slowly so that the nutrients are
absorbed as the plant requires them. You can recognize organic fertilizers
(as opposed to synthentic ones) by the three numbers indicating the primary
nutrient ratio - they will always add up to less than 20 High nitrogen
ferts are good for lawns, but that's about it.

pam - gardengal


Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets. To plant a pine, one need only own a shovel.
-- Aldo Leopold