[bassadict69]

In some places I have read to put down no more than 1# nitrogen per K per month... in other places I read about putting down much more and I have even been suggested to put down 7.5#/k bimonthly.

How much is too much?

 

[Alan]

I'd go with what the Aggies say:

https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/turf/publications/staug.html

 

[Spammage]

There are so many variables, that the 1# N/1000 recommendation would be what you would call average. From there, you can adjust to the individual needs of your lawn.

Think about it this way, if you have highly maintained turf with heavy traffic (ie- golf course) vs a typical bermuda lawn that gets little irrigation, mowed once a week and no traffic, the nutritional requirements to keep a satisfactory appearance are drastically different.

If you are maintaining St Augustine that is already full and lush, has the clippings returned to the lawn, and no excessive traffic issues, then .5# N /1000 is probably sufficient and possibly more than needed.

 

[bassadict69]

This is a lawn/work in progress with areas of fresh dirt from leveling, many thin spots and some that the SA hasn't spread into at all. I wouldn't say it gets heavy traffic but it does get some. Watering isn't an issue, I can water as much as needed. Same for mowing...if the SA takes off and grows and spreads like crazy, I will mow every other day if I have too!

I have 12K in my backyard and bought two bags of 33-0-0 and want to make sure it will be ok to put one bag of it on the backyard. My front is much smaller and will maybe get a third of the bag (I still need to measure the front yard)

Thanks guys for the help!

 

[bassadict69]

I'd go with what the Aggies say:

https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/turf/publications/staug.html

Hmmm...looks like they recommend 1#/K to help prevent disease...

 

[Alan]

100/33(as in 33-0-0 fert) * 12(12k sq. ft. backyard)=36.36# of fertilizer. So.....If your bags are 40-ish pounds, you could put the whole bag down on the backyard and be putting a little more than 1# N per 1000 sq. ft. I'd say go for it.

 

[bassadict69]

Now for another question...Is it ok to mix this fertilizer with milorganite in order to get both immediate release and slow release put down together?

 

[j4c11]

In some places I have read to put down no more than 1# nitrogen per K per month... in other places I read about putting down much more and I have even been suggested to put down 7.5#/k bimonthly.

How much is too much?

You have to look at the NPK numbers on the bag of fertilizer. The first number is the percentage of N in the bag. So urea being 46-0-0, you only need to apply about 2# of urea to get 1#of N. Milorganite being 6-4-0, you need to apply 15# to get about 1# of N. Hence the different recommendations. 1# of N per month seems to be standard.

Now for another question...Is it ok to mix this fertilizer with milorganite in order to get both immediate release and slow release put down together?

No need, Milorganite is about 40% water soluble/fast release.

 

[bassadict69]

I see a post about bermuda and putting down 2# N/K per week... can St Augustine handle the N that often?

 

[Greendoc]

Not that much. High rates of N at a time seems to increase Gray Leaf Spot disease. If I wanted to push SA, I would apply 1/4-1/2 lb of N every 14 days. Water is actually more important for SA growth. Hard to get it to move and fill in if there is not enough water. With enough water and soil chemistry in order, I see SA growing like crazy on very little N.

 

[Redland1]

Not that much. High rates of N at a time seems to increase Gray Leaf Spot disease. If I wanted to push SA, I would apply 1/4-1/2 lb of N every 14 days. Water is actually more important for SA growth. Hard to get it to move and fill in if there is not enough water. With enough water and soil chemistry in order, I see SA growing like crazy on very little N.

I saw it first hand growing up in Miami,Florida where it rains like crazy and no one ever fertilizes,but the St Aug is on steroids.

 

[Greendoc]

SA does not need all that much N unless someone is trying to get it to look almost blue. I have never had to apply N to SA to get it to grow once established. My idea of fertilizer for SA looks more like FEAture 6-0-0 + 1/8 lb NPK. SA also is extremely sensitive to PGR. It reacts to as little as 3-4 oz per acre of Primo by shrinking its leaves and the space between its internodes. Growth regulated SA looks strange.

 

[viva_oldtrafford]

Fertilizer rates need to be looked at in context. There isn't a uniform playbook that you should subscribe to. High rates of N are needed to quickly establish bermuda that is cut short, often, and where clippings are removed. SA @ 3-4" that gets cut 1/week and gets mulched does not need nearly the same amount of inputs. In the end it's all about expectations.

 

[BakerGreenLawnMaker]

SA does not need all that much N unless someone is trying to get it to look almost blue. I have never had to apply N to SA to get it to grow once established. My idea of fertilizer for SA looks more like FEAture 6-0-0 + 1/8 lb NPK. SA also is extremely sensitive to PGR. It reacts to as little as 3-4 oz per acre of Primo by shrinking its leaves and the space between its internodes. Growth regulated SA looks strange.

Great advice on SA @Greendoc I thought about using a PGR on my SA, but the more I read it seems as though they say the same thing, it doesn't respond quite like other warm season grasses.

 

[Greendoc]

:thumbup: I see the merit of lower N rates on turf that does not have clippings collected. I maintain a bowling green. HOC 0.1" clippings are collected. N rate is up to 1 lb per month. The lawns I deal with at 0.5" clippings not collected are on 0.5 lb or less. Trying to apply 1 lb per month to those lawns will mean I either have to use 150% rates of PGR or mow more often than once a week.

 

[Greendoc]

SA does not need all that much N unless someone is trying to get it to look almost blue. I have never had to apply N to SA to get it to grow once established. My idea of fertilizer for SA looks more like FEAture 6-0-0 + 1/8 lb NPK. SA also is extremely sensitive to PGR. It reacts to as little as 3-4 oz per acre of Primo by shrinking its leaves and the space between its internodes. Growth regulated SA looks strange.

Great advice on SA @Greendoc I thought about using a PGR on my SA, but the more I read it seems as though they say the same thing, it doesn't respond quite like other warm season grasses.

Want SA to grow, make sure it gets enough light and do not hold back on the water. In Hawaii, it rained every week sometimes several times a week from February till now. The SA grew just fine without any N.

 

[BakerGreenLawnMaker]

SA does not need all that much N unless someone is trying to get it to look almost blue. I have never had to apply N to SA to get it to grow once established. My idea of fertilizer for SA looks more like FEAture 6-0-0 + 1/8 lb NPK. SA also is extremely sensitive to PGR. It reacts to as little as 3-4 oz per acre of Primo by shrinking its leaves and the space between its internodes. Growth regulated SA looks strange.

Great advice on SA @Greendoc I thought about using a PGR on my SA, but the more I read it seems as though they say the same thing, it doesn't respond quite like other warm season grasses.

Want SA to grow, make sure it gets enough light and do not hold back on the water. In Hawaii, it rained every week sometimes several times a week from February till now. The SA grew just fine without any N.

SA is very much a low maintenance grass, and when it isn't hid by the shade and gets the right amount of water it will grow and choke out most weeds in its path. It's not my favorite grass, but like I say, I didn't choose this lawn, it chose me.

 

[bassadict69]

Great info! Thanks guys!