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Old 21-07-2004, 03:03 PM
Pat Kiewicz
 
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Default How to Add Enough Potash to Lawn in a Year?

Jay Chan said:

I am trying to figure out a general plan in applying the right amount
of fertilizer into my lawn. Based on my 7500 sqft lawn size, I figure
that I need to add 28.7 lb of nitrogen, 7.2 lbs of phosphate, and 14.4
lbs of potash into my lawn every year (assuming that soil test result
is "average"). But I have a hard time in finding out a right plan to
add enough potash without adding too much nitrogen and phosphate.


My sandy soil is well-supplied with phosphorous and deficient in potassium.
So I have to look for lawn fertilizers which will give me N and K and avoid
applying more P.

You might be able to find 'winterizer' formulas which contain more potash.
I buy Vigoro winterizer (23-3-14) which is usually available briefly in the fall
(at Home Depot) and may not be availalbe everywhere. I use that in the late
fall, and usually use Restore (10-2-6) (Memorial Day and Labor Day) and
either Restore or occasionally Milorganite in summer (4th of July). Restore
should be available pretty widely (I've seen it under both the Ringer and Safer
brand name).

Never use a pre-emergent. Occasionally spot-treat for weeds.

I generally use organic fertilizers (my soil is desperate for organic matter).
I make an exception for Vigoro, which is a controlled-release fertilizer and
comes recommended by the Healthy Lawn and Garden Technical Advisory
Committee for Wayne and Oakland County (protecting the Rouge Watershed).

http://www.plymouthtwp.org/Community...r/EarthDay.htm

snip

- I am hoping that I can avoid using Green Sand to increase potash
because it is very expensive. Is there a way to increase potash
without spending a lot of money?


Greensand is generally something you apply heavily once and till in and
then don't apply again for many, many years. It is an extremely slow and
lasting source of potash and trace minerals. Doesn't leach away.

Sulfate of Potash is cheaper (in dollars per pound of potassium) but would
be hard to spread. IMO you'd be better off paying a shipping premium to mail
order a winterizer lawn fertilizer (if such weren't available to you locally) than
trying to figure out how to distribute a small bag of Sulfate of potash thinly and
evenly over you entire lawn...

Wood ashes can also supply potassium, but are very leachable and extremely
alkaline, which can play havoc with the pH.

- If I must use Green Sand to increase potash, I am wondering how I
can apply it evenly? Do I need to mix it with the other fertilizer?
How to set the proper setting in my broadcast spreader for Green Sand?


Measure a 100 square foot area. Measure 5 - 10 pound of greensand (the
recommended amount for surface application on 100 square feet). Then
experiment to find the setting that lets you spread the full measure of
greensand on 100 square feet. (I would hazard a guess that the spreader
would be set on one of its lowest settings.)

--
Pat K. ('someplace.net' is comcast)

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)

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Old 22-07-2004, 12:07 AM
Jay Chan
 
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Default How to Add Enough Potash to Lawn in a Year?

My sandy soil is well-supplied with phosphorous and deficient in potassium.
So I have to look for lawn fertilizers which will give me N and K and avoid
applying more P. You might be able to find 'winterizer' formulas which
contain more potash.


Thanks. This causes me to take a look on the use of Fertilizer with
Halts Crabgrass Preventer and the use of Starter Fertilizer. I decide
to replace both with Winterizing Fertilizer. This cuts down the annual
amount of phosphate, while at the same time increase the annual amount
of potash level. I also replace the use of one serving of organic
fertilizer with Winterizing Fertilizer.

The revised plan is like this:

Nitrogen Phosphate Potash
-------- --------- --------
Late-Mar: Scotts Winterizer Fall 4.6 lbs 0.6 lbs 3.0 lbs
Lawn Fertilizer

Mid-Apr: Milorganite Organic 6.9 lbs 2.3 lbs 0.0 lbs

Mid-May: Scotts Winterizer Fall 4.6 lbs 0.6 lbs 3.0 lbs
Lawn Fertilizer

Early-Sep: Scotts Winterizer Fall 4.6 lbs 0.6 lbs 3.0 lbs
Lawn Fertilizer

Early-Oct: Milorganite Organic 6.9 lbs 2.3 lbs 0.0 lbs

Early-Nov: Scotts Winterizer Fall 4.6 lbs 0.6 lbs 3.0 lbs
Lawn Fertilizer
-------- --------- --------
Total: 32.2 lbs 7.0 lbs 12.0 lbs
-------- --------- --------
Expected: 28.7 lbs 7.2 lbs 14.4 lbs

Seem like the annual amount becomes very reasonable. This means I can
achieve what I need to do without the use of expensive Green Sand
while still manage to use some organic fertilizer. The only thing that
I don't like is that I will need to apply chemical fertilizer for 4
times instead of 3 times. Hopefully soil test tells me that the potash
level in my soil is still OK; then I don't need to follow this plan
that strictly. But this plan will probably be the general guideline of
what I am going to do.

Obviously, I need to apply crabgrass preventer separately. This is OK.

Measure a 100 square foot area. Measure 5 - 10 pound of greensand (the
recommended amount for surface application on 100 square feet). Then
experiment to find the setting that lets you spread the full measure of
greensand on 100 square feet. (I would hazard a guess that the spreader
would be set on one of its lowest settings.)


Thanks for the instruction. I hope I don't need to do this because
Green Sand is very expensive. But I never know. This info may come in
handy.

Jay Chan
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