Sustane is one of the better products on the market and certified organic. In a
recent study (I will post the URL when I get it) at Texas A&M, they found this
product along with another product made by the same company but with a molasses
coating on the prill were better than any other product where synthetics were
concerned. Follow the recommended rates on the bag.

It may take a while for your lawn to recover from the poisoning it has been
getting. What synthetic fertilizers do to turf is make the turf dependant on
the product to survive. It encourages shallow root development, causing thatch.
I'm sure Scotts sells a dethatch product to go with the 4 Step, over
fertilization program.

To produce an independent turf you need to build the soil and encourage micro
and macro organisms. By feeding those organisms and beginning to propagate
those, in turn the roots will go deeper for water and not lay on the surface.
There will be more available forms of elements after they are digested by
organisms in the soil.

I am not sure since I have not been there in a while, but www.dirtdoctor.com or
better www.naturalgardeneraustin.com may have a program you can follow.

Fall feeding is paramount, in my opinion. It helps turf develop a good root
system over winter and helps the turf green up in early spring. I would never
recommend anyone fertilize a lawn before it has about two mowings. In Texas,
that would be April 1-15. Further up north, it may be late May to June. It's
different in all regions, and with the different turf grasses. We grow cool
weather turf all winter in Texas. Up in New York, they grow cool weather turf
in spring through fall. So consider that when you fertilize.

Television commercials are saying NOW is the time to fertilize, and clearly
based on studies (which I will produce when I know where it is posted) the early
spring before mowing is not the time to fertilize.

Victoria

On Tue, 11 Mar 2003 17:25:29 -0600, wrote:

OK...any recommendations on organic fertilizers?