[Lawndad]

I wanted to see what others do as far as a N winterizer app for TTTF. I am not doing the fast release urea program as I didn't like it. I am planning on using 24-0-11 Lesco fert about 20lbs left and Scotts Lawn Food 32-0-4 about 9lbs left (I have a 6,000 sq. ft. lawn). It's about 1.30 lbs N total on the lawn for the last app. I did the same last year and I know the Nitrogen Blitz pushes about 2lbs for the last app. My question is should I apply more synthetics for a better green up in Spring or no?

Thanks.

 

[j4c11]

1 pound WSN per thousand is the norm. I haven't heard of a program that pushes 2lbs N per thousand, 2lb urea per thousand would make sense.. Your 1.3 lbs N should be fine since some of that will be slow release.

 

[ryeguy]

The nitrogen blitz pushes 2 lbs of urea, not N, per K. That equals about 1 lb/K of N.

What didn't you like about the urea program? Are you talking about the aggressive version where you're feeding weekly vs the winterizer-app only version?

 

[Lawndad]

1 pound WSN per thousand is the norm. I haven't heard of a program that pushes 2lbs N per thousand, 2lb urea per thousand would make sense.. Your 1.3 lbs N should be fine since some of that will be slow release.

Yes, 2lbs of urea so about 1lb of N. Gotcha there, I wasn't thinking clear about that.

 

[Lawndad]

The nitrogen blitz pushes 2 lbs of urea, not N, per K. That equals about 1 lb/K of N.

What didn't you like about the urea program? Are you talking about the aggressive version where you're feeding weekly vs the winterizer-app only version?

Yes, the aggressive program. I had brown dead spots from what I am guessing was too much but I weighed it out and watered it in. Never again, I threw the bag out!

 

[j4c11]

Yeah urea is hot, you have to really pay attention and make sure you get even coverage.

 

[g-man]

^ avoid a pusher spreader. The hand held spreader is better.

 

[ken-n-nancy]

^ avoid a pusher spreader. The hand held spreader is better.

I'm not really trying to be argumentative, but the issue doesn't come down to just whether the spreader is a pusher spreader or a hand-held spreader.

There are good and bad pusher spreaders as well as good and bad hand-held spreaders. Also, a really big factor is the application technique, attention to detail, and basically just whether or not the person doing the application has the knowledge / skills / care to make an even application.

A careful, skilled, knowledgeable operator can make a pretty good fertilizer application with even marginal equipment if they know how to adapt to the deficiencies of the equipment and do so when making the fertilizer application.

Conversely, even the best equipment can result in a horrible misapplication if used improperly.

That said, particularly for small lawns, a hand-held spreader is capable of delivering very light even coverage in the hands of a skilled user. However, without some skill and know-how a hand-held spreader is also capable of being mis-used just as badly as a push spreader...

 

[osuturfman]

^ avoid a pusher spreader. The hand held spreader is better.

I'm not really trying to be argumentative, but the issue doesn't come down to just whether the spreader is a pusher spreader or a hand-held spreader.

There are good and bad pusher spreaders as well as good and bad hand-held spreaders. Also, a really big factor is the application technique, attention to detail, and basically just whether or not the person doing the application has the knowledge / skills / care to make an even application.

A careful, skilled, knowledgeable operator can make a pretty good fertilizer application with even marginal equipment if they know how to adapt to the deficiencies of the equipment and do so when making the fertilizer application.

Conversely, even the best equipment can result in a horrible misapplication if used improperly.

That said, particularly for small lawns, a hand-held spreader is capable of delivering very light even coverage in the hands of a skilled user. However, without some skill and know-how a hand-held spreader is also capable of being mis-used just as badly as a push spreader...

+1

Calibration and practice are worth more than fancy equipment.

 

[g-man]

I agree with your points. Practice will always be the key, but the first few times it could be nerve-racking. My recommendation for a hand held is that the amount of urea being applied is so little, there is less room for error with a small hand held spreader. With a large push spreader you run the risk of opening it too wide for the prill size, forgetting to close it when you do a curve, uneven surface making it dump to one side, etc. With the hand held you run the risk of loosing track of your location/pattern or walking too slow.

 

[Sinclair]

I agree with your points. Practice will always be the key, but the first few times it could be nerve-racking. My recommendation for a hand held is that the amount of urea being applied is so little, there is less room for error with a small hand held spreader. With a large push spreader you run the risk of opening it too wide for the prill size, forgetting to close it when you do a curve, uneven surface making it dump to one side, etc. With the hand held you run the risk of loosing track of your location/pattern or walking too slow.

My method for dummy-proofing my Urea apps is to use the hand held spreader on the lowest setting, and I just walk....a lot. Multiple times around the edges and alternating perpendicular directions across the lawn.

It's extra work, but it's good for you and ensures a relatively even application.

 

[zeus201]

I'm not really trying to be argumentative, but the issue doesn't come down to just whether the spreader is a pusher spreader or a hand-held spreader.

There are good and bad pusher spreaders as well as good and bad hand-held spreaders. Also, a really big factor is the application technique, attention to detail, and basically just whether or not the person doing the application has the knowledge / skills / care to make an even application.

A careful, skilled, knowledgeable operator can make a pretty good fertilizer application with even marginal equipment if they know how to adapt to the deficiencies of the equipment and do so when making the fertilizer application.

Conversely, even the best equipment can result in a horrible misapplication if used improperly.

That said, particularly for small lawns, a hand-held spreader is capable of delivering very light even coverage in the hands of a skilled user. However, without some skill and know-how a hand-held spreader is also capable of being mis-used just as badly as a push spreader...

+1

Calibration and practice are worth more than fancy equipment.

Agree with the above. It took me a full season to get my application method down. Initially I'd make many passes and I slowly worked my way up to where I am now at with a single pass in both directions and done.

I necessarily would not give up on the "fall blitz" as the benefits outweigh the cons in my opinion.

 

[LIgrass]

After years of tinkering with different fall nitrogen schedules on both front & back yards, I don't believe the winterizer app is as important as what you put down in Sept-October. I've done 1lb N to as low as 0.5lb N winterizers and noticed no difference in greenup some years. What I have noticed though is when I'm more (very) aggressive during September-October I will get better, faster greenup.

 

[Lawndad]

After years of tinkering with different fall nitrogen schedules on both front & back yards, I don't believe the winterizer app is as important as what you put down in Sept-October. I've done 1lb N to as low as 0.5lb N winterizers and noticed no difference in greenup some years. What I have noticed though is when I'm more (very) aggressive during September-October I will get better, faster greenup.

So you do the Fall aggressive urea program in Sept-Oct or do you do synthetics?

 

[Lawndad]

Thanks everyone for the tips. Maybe next year I may try it again but I'm a little apprehensive. I weighed it out and applied it as evenly as I could. If it's that easy to kill the lawn I may just pass. I did apply two weeks of it and after the second week the remaider of the lawn that wasn't nuked I didn't notice any real significant change after dropping two doses of this urea fast release as I thought I would have seen. I used a synthetic Lesco fert and saw much better results. I thought that was strange...

 

[LIgrass]

After years of tinkering with different fall nitrogen schedules on both front & back yards, I don't believe the winterizer app is as important as what you put down in Sept-October. I've done 1lb N to as low as 0.5lb N winterizers and noticed no difference in greenup some years. What I have noticed though is when I'm more (very) aggressive during September-October I will get better, faster greenup.

So you do the Fall aggressive urea program in Sept-Oct or do you do synthetics?

Pretty much, yeah. Most of my Urea went down between mid-Sep through October (= ~4lb/N per K on each yard). I did an Oceangro app sometime in September, too. I've been done for 2 weeks now. I might do a small app just for the hell of it around Turkey day, like .10-.25 lb N urea. I'll see how green up is come spring time to confirm if I'm correct on this.