►►► Want to fix your lawn for the long haul but don't know where to start? I can help! Click here right now and get started today: turfmech.link/dont-know-where-to-start ◄◄◄
I started using RGS and Air8 this year on my turf. I can't believe how little fertilizer is needed to keep my lawn looking great, and green. It also seems to require less water as well!
Just put down yardmastery 7-0-20. Hope it helps it stay green over the winter dormancy. North East Ohio. Hope to do another app in November depending on the temps.
That's an excellent time to put a product like that down, as temps drop in Nov make sure to put a lower rate down, you don't want the stuff to leech away faster than the sleepy root systems can take it up. It should help a bit with color into Dec too, if my memory is correct you get a punch of iron the that bag also.
Bingo...You hit exactly what our lawn has been needing.last 2yrs I've been going through this very thing with the lawn.I do greatly appreciate your help...I subbed your channel.great info.no blah blah blah
This is what I want to put in follow-up vids, to summarize though If I'm applying 4lb nitrogen to the lawn per year then I want 2.5 lbs of Potassium but I don't want to apply it when I'm applying micronutrients in the early Spring because excess K can slow down plant availability of the micro-nutrients that aid in the photosynthesis process. This is micro-management of the lawn at it's finest though so it's probably not worth it for most people to analyze it as much as I do. In mid-Spring I start using liquid aeration products which typically contain K but not N or P - and I use these products throughout the growing season for the health of my soil. You can also add a largely dedicated K fert going into summer as well as in mid-fall to prepare for cold winter stress. It should be easy to get to 2.5 lbs per year even if you don't get K with other types of applications.
first I put down Lawn Booster and Humic from Simple Lawn Solutions. Just over 2-weeks later I put down Simple Lawn Solitons 0-0-25 and Ironite. Green and lush at 4 inches
WoW.. what a world of info !! Thank you for sharing!!! PLEASE will you help me... I want to overseed my lawn now .. I am in zone 5 in New York . I went crazy and bought... Pennington Smart Tall Fescue Grass Seed, 20 lb AND Kentucky 31 Fescue 5lb AND Pennington Smart Seed Perennial Rye Grass Seed 3lbs .. My thought was to mix them all together and over seed. If I put the grass seed down when when will I use the fertilizers??? I have Ironite and both PGF complete(16-4-8) and the Miloginate(6-4-0).. when would I use them? Should I put the seed down first and a week later use one of these products?
In zone 5 new York you'll want to get started soon to establish new grass before it gets cold. Im the same here in high elevation Oregon. With overseeding you still want to do your best to ensure seed to soil contact, try using bagging mowers (or a dethatcher) to get as much material off the ground as possible and aggressive raking the area first to expose soil and create grooves in it. Then apply starter fert before spreading seed. Id probably go for the pgf now because id rather apply the milo later in the fall after the new grass has been growing for 6 weeks or so. Bith pgf and milo have good P content and will work for establishing healthy root systems. Before I put seed down I like to water deep, this works great because you want to water in that pgf anyway. The deep water helps with soil loosening a tad and gives the ground moisture to last a while during a week or two of frequent light watering to get that seed germinating. If you can add humic to the soil also to help encourage more microorganism activity over the next couple of months while those new roots are trying to toughen up for the winter. Good luck!
both in plants and animals, the ratio of potassium to other salts is used as a pump for important processes and keeps cells turgid. it's assumed that potassium is in plentiful supply in soils but this is often not so. in clay soils potassium can be bound and unavailable, even though it exists in plentiful supply. in sandy soils and potting mixes, potassium readily leaches down and plants need more. despite generic knowledge on NPK or what is available in fertilizers for home use, potassium is actually required in greater quantities than nitrogen or phosphorous. a typical ratio for vegetable growing, which should not be too different for grass, is 50:30:200. this is according to official agricultural information on requirement of available nutrients in soil...which is again a bit different to what is supplied, depending on soil characteristics etc.
I apply 0-0-50 (potassium sulfate) twice a year and over many years, soil tests show only a slight rise in soil K. Certainly the grass is using it and some is lost but it takes a lot of K to move the needle in the soil profile. These products work for helping the grass but will not improve raise soil K levels over time as will using 0-0-50. Sandy Loam soil.
I use Texas A&M for my soil testing. I pay around $20 and get everything that I need tested for a residential setting. You mail the soil and payment and they email the results in a few days.
I wish I could give you an answer off the top of my head but I've never done a deep dive comparison of the two for this channel of for my website. I will have to work on that comparison this season because I've gotten this question a couple of times now. My instinct tells me they are similar enough to just choose the cheapest option off the shelf but if you want to learn a ton about lime Matt over at the Grass Factor has a few vids on lime and he's a very smart guy.
@@TurfMechanic it depends on your soil test calcimatic lime is used if your test indicates you need more calcium dopamatic lime is used if you don't. You would use dolomatic lime if you needed magnesium. It does contain calcium as well but consists mostly of magnesium.
It depends on your soil test, calcimatic lime is used if your deficient in calcium, dolomatic line is used primarily if you need magnesium, dolomatic line however does contain calcium but has more parts magnesium than calcium.
Great explanation. Potassium seems to be generally low in most soils but a soil test is the only way to know. I cringe at that boutique fertilizer 7-0-20 because ultimately you are playing with fire. The K/Ca and K/Mg ratio should always be kept above 2 (but below 10, since too much K can hinder the absorption of calcium and magnesium). Too much potassium can also prevent the absorption of certain micro-elements, such as zinc. Bottom line: Potassium can be a godsend for cool season grasses but random applications without using your soil test can create a chain reaction that could upset your soil biology for years. IMO kelp is the best way to apply potassium because it exists in an organic bio available form
Ok so you say ratio but where did you get this info? Can you please give a link or something? And why is that 7-0-20 fert bad? Only because of the K/Mg and K/Ca ratio? What’s the ratio that fert is at?
My soil test showed I need. 1-1.5 lb. nitrogen 1-3 lb. phosphate 1-3 lb. potash all per 1000 sq ft. the coop said that triple 10 fertilizer would do all this does that seem correct.
nitrogen is a regular application based on your grass needs, I would apply it separately from P & K as the cost of N in 12-12-12 is pretty high. Use something like 6-24-24 to take care of P & K and apply N with a regular lawn fert of your choice. 6-24-24 should be available at most Co-op's and would be applied in spring and late summer at 4# per 1000sf. While Co-ops are great they don't always have the best advice for us lawn nuts.
Yes. Why? Because your needs are a *ratio* of 1 part *N* to 1 part *P* to 1 part *K* (low application of P and K), or 1 to 2 to 2 (high application of P and K). A 10-10-10 fertilizer is a ratio of exactly 1 part *N* to 1 part *P* to 1 part *K* . Use a fertilizer calculator app to determine how many pounds of the 10-10-10 fertilizer is needed per 1,000 sqft to achieve 1-1.5 lb of N per 1,000 sq ft.
Good question, I'm actually not sure if it's technically considered organic because Leonardite is heavily processed to extract the humic/fulvic acids. It's certainly derived from natural resources (a crumbly rock) and I personally consider it organic/natural enough for me to use in my lawn but the processing may make it only "nearly" organic. I'd have to really research that to be completely accurate.
@@truebengalsfan if you look it up please let me know if you can. I'm curious the technical classification. I'd argue it's probably organic enough though regardless of what you find but it's obviously your choice 😀
@@truebengalsfan that's what I would guess but sometimes the processing of things changes the organic designation, for instance sulphate of potash is omri listed organic but muriate of potash isn't even though the difference is really just slanted towards the manufacturing
No. they both have potassium and humic acid because humic acid is extracted from leonardite using a strong alkali. This is either KOH or NaOH, but KOH is prefered as it required by plants in larger amounts. And yes it is possible to over apply potassium because it gets in the way of calcium uptake. Your analogy to potasium as the 2x4s in your house is more aptly applied to calcium
I've started using granular SOP since this video was made. The amount of potassium in liquids like aeration products isn't high enough to realistically "catch up" on K fertilization. It's a nice touch but you are right, it's not as efficient.
@@TurfMechanic Thanks for your reply. I'm in Canada and recently used the Supergreen Muriate of Potash 0-0-60 product. It was about $20 CAD for a 2KG box and I put down about 2.7KG for 1,500 sq. ft. It seems to have made a significant difference in the density of the lawn and helped it green up very well this spring. My soil test had shown a deficiency in this area. Thanks for your great videos.
and it has been priced out of my budget. The cost per lb of N is astronomical. I've switched to slow release ferts that use Methylene Urea for extended release. Greenview Fairway formula with fast release N from Ammonium Sulfate and K from Potassium Sulfate. NO Brainer!
Yeah it's it's biosolid but id still consider it an organic fertilizer. Kind of like aged chicken poo or steer manure, they are organic products as well except there nutrition contents vary from source to source. Milo is certainly not a plant based organic fert, but then neither is blood meal or bone meal or hoof meal either. 🤔
I think you are right... I don't know the particulars of labeling requirements but my guess is they had to change labeling due to some random requirement. Again, its not plant based organic fert but it's not synthetic either. In my own mind I still consider it to be an organic option for the lawn but I know others will classify a biosolid as something different. I think that's ok.
►►► Want to fix your lawn for the long haul but don't know where to start? I can help! Click here right now and get started today: turfmech.link/dont-know-where-to-start ◄◄◄
I put down YardMastery 7-0-20 Stress Blend and my lawn looks great
Probably the best lawn nut. This guy and Lawn Ginja are by far the only two you need.
Thanks a bunch Chadly! Always love hearing feedback like that. Thanks for watching and chiming in 👊
Thanks for the video you're actually talking about probably the main thing I lack out of my whole lawn care regimen
You are welcome! I'm glad it was helpful
I started using RGS and Air8 this year on my turf. I can't believe how little fertilizer is needed to keep my lawn looking great, and green. It also seems to require less water as well!
Great info in simplistic form - thank you, Sir!
Great video. I am low in potassium. Can you apply any time or is there one time that is better?
Your The Man Professor.
Great explanation and the use of metaphors. Well done!
I've got a 4 x 4 immune system
Thank you from England.
Just put down yardmastery 7-0-20. Hope it helps it stay green over the winter dormancy. North East Ohio. Hope to do another app in November depending on the temps.
That's an excellent time to put a product like that down, as temps drop in Nov make sure to put a lower rate down, you don't want the stuff to leech away faster than the sleepy root systems can take it up. It should help a bit with color into Dec too, if my memory is correct you get a punch of iron the that bag also.
Bingo...You hit exactly what our lawn has been needing.last 2yrs I've been going through this very thing with the lawn.I do greatly appreciate your help...I subbed your channel.great info.no blah blah blah
Seems like more potassium would be better in late spring around end of May but most fertilizers with high potassium are labeled for fall use.
Really good info on the K Brian. Much appreciated.
Thanks, these style vids are fun for me to make as they stretch me and my own learning.
Awesome video and great information, sir!
im running a 7-7-7 fert here in ireland
Thank you!
I was hoping you would show how to put it on and how often
This is what I want to put in follow-up vids, to summarize though If I'm applying 4lb nitrogen to the lawn per year then I want 2.5 lbs of Potassium but I don't want to apply it when I'm applying micronutrients in the early Spring because excess K can slow down plant availability of the micro-nutrients that aid in the photosynthesis process. This is micro-management of the lawn at it's finest though so it's probably not worth it for most people to analyze it as much as I do. In mid-Spring I start using liquid aeration products which typically contain K but not N or P - and I use these products throughout the growing season for the health of my soil. You can also add a largely dedicated K fert going into summer as well as in mid-fall to prepare for cold winter stress. It should be easy to get to 2.5 lbs per year even if you don't get K with other types of applications.
first I put down Lawn Booster and Humic from Simple Lawn Solutions. Just over 2-weeks later I put down Simple Lawn Solitons 0-0-25 and Ironite. Green and lush at 4 inches
Fluffy grass 😁 sounds like a nice combo
What potassium product do you currently recommend? Ty
Great information!
Wow great vid
Love your videos
WoW.. what a world of info !! Thank you for sharing!!!
PLEASE will you help me...
I want to overseed my lawn now .. I am in zone 5 in New York . I went crazy and bought...
Pennington Smart Tall Fescue Grass Seed, 20 lb AND
Kentucky 31 Fescue 5lb AND
Pennington Smart Seed Perennial Rye Grass Seed 3lbs ..
My thought was to mix them all together and over seed. If I put the grass seed down when when will I use the fertilizers???
I have Ironite and both PGF complete(16-4-8) and the Miloginate(6-4-0).. when would I use them?
Should I put the seed down first and a week later use one of these products?
In zone 5 new York you'll want to get started soon to establish new grass before it gets cold. Im the same here in high elevation Oregon. With overseeding you still want to do your best to ensure seed to soil contact, try using bagging mowers (or a dethatcher) to get as much material off the ground as possible and aggressive raking the area first to expose soil and create grooves in it. Then apply starter fert before spreading seed. Id probably go for the pgf now because id rather apply the milo later in the fall after the new grass has been growing for 6 weeks or so. Bith pgf and milo have good P content and will work for establishing healthy root systems. Before I put seed down I like to water deep, this works great because you want to water in that pgf anyway. The deep water helps with soil loosening a tad and gives the ground moisture to last a while during a week or two of frequent light watering to get that seed germinating. If you can add humic to the soil also to help encourage more microorganism activity over the next couple of months while those new roots are trying to toughen up for the winter. Good luck!
oh ok a sepearte video for potassium thanks
You're welcome; hopefully I'll get some follow-up vids to this lined up this Spring because I think a lot of people have questions about this macro.
both in plants and animals, the ratio of potassium to other salts is used as a pump for important processes and keeps cells turgid. it's assumed that potassium is in plentiful supply in soils but this is often not so. in clay soils potassium can be bound and unavailable, even though it exists in plentiful supply. in sandy soils and potting mixes, potassium readily leaches down and plants need more. despite generic knowledge on NPK or what is available in fertilizers for home use, potassium is actually required in greater quantities than nitrogen or phosphorous. a typical ratio for vegetable growing, which should not be too different for grass, is 50:30:200. this is according to official agricultural information on requirement of available nutrients in soil...which is again a bit different to what is supplied, depending on soil characteristics etc.
I apply 0-0-50 (potassium sulfate) twice a year and over many years, soil tests show only a slight rise in soil K. Certainly the grass is using it and some is lost but it takes a lot of K to move the needle in the soil profile. These products work for helping the grass but will not improve raise soil K levels over time as will using 0-0-50. Sandy Loam soil.
I use Texas A&M for my soil testing. I pay around $20 and get everything that I need tested for a residential setting. You mail the soil and payment and they email the results in a few days.
Calcimatic or dolomatic lime which and when???
I wish I could give you an answer off the top of my head but I've never done a deep dive comparison of the two for this channel of for my website. I will have to work on that comparison this season because I've gotten this question a couple of times now. My instinct tells me they are similar enough to just choose the cheapest option off the shelf but if you want to learn a ton about lime Matt over at the Grass Factor has a few vids on lime and he's a very smart guy.
@@TurfMechanic it depends on your soil test calcimatic lime is used if your test indicates you need more calcium dopamatic lime is used if you don't. You would use dolomatic lime if you needed magnesium. It does contain calcium as well but consists mostly of magnesium.
It depends on your soil test, calcimatic lime is used if your deficient in calcium, dolomatic line is used primarily if you need magnesium, dolomatic line however does contain calcium but has more parts magnesium than calcium.
Could or should I apply Air8 or Simple Areation to my dirt a week or few days before I lay down seeds? I am starting from a new “canvas” thx!
sulfate of potash or muriate of potash when applying to potassium to lawn?
Depends on your state but in Ohio and WV I can get free soil tests from Extension Service.
❤
I use foliar liquid fertilizer. And I water In immediately after application. Is that ok?
🤔 my grass loved fish emulsion.
Fishy smell for 2 days...that's all.
Going to do it again.
Great explanation. Potassium seems to be generally low in most soils but a soil test is the only way to know.
I cringe at that boutique fertilizer 7-0-20 because ultimately you are playing with fire.
The K/Ca and K/Mg ratio should always be kept above 2 (but below 10, since too much K can hinder the absorption of calcium and magnesium). Too much potassium can also prevent the absorption of certain micro-elements, such as zinc.
Bottom line: Potassium can be a godsend for cool season grasses but random applications without using your soil test can create a chain reaction that could upset your soil biology for years.
IMO kelp is the best way to apply potassium because it exists in an organic bio available form
Ok so you say ratio but where did you get this info? Can you please give a link or something? And why is that 7-0-20 fert bad? Only because of the K/Mg and K/Ca ratio? What’s the ratio that fert is at?
After seed sprouting
My soil test showed I need.
1-1.5 lb. nitrogen
1-3 lb. phosphate
1-3 lb. potash
all per 1000 sq ft.
the coop said that triple 10 fertilizer would do all this does that seem correct.
nitrogen is a regular application based on your grass needs, I would apply it separately from P & K as the cost of N in 12-12-12 is pretty high. Use something like 6-24-24 to take care of P & K and apply N with a regular lawn fert of your choice. 6-24-24 should be available at most Co-op's and would be applied in spring and late summer at 4# per 1000sf. While Co-ops are great they don't always have the best advice for us lawn nuts.
Yes. Why? Because your needs are a *ratio* of 1 part *N* to 1 part *P* to 1 part *K* (low application of P and K), or 1 to 2 to 2 (high application of P and K). A 10-10-10 fertilizer is a ratio of exactly 1 part *N* to 1 part *P* to 1 part *K* . Use a fertilizer calculator app to determine how many pounds of the 10-10-10 fertilizer is needed per 1,000 sqft to achieve 1-1.5 lb of N per 1,000 sq ft.
Is humid acid organic ?
Good question, I'm actually not sure if it's technically considered organic because Leonardite is heavily processed to extract the humic/fulvic acids. It's certainly derived from natural resources (a crumbly rock) and I personally consider it organic/natural enough for me to use in my lawn but the processing may make it only "nearly" organic. I'd have to really research that to be completely accurate.
@@TurfMechanic ok I'm lookin to go all organic in my yard
@@truebengalsfan if you look it up please let me know if you can. I'm curious the technical classification. I'd argue it's probably organic enough though regardless of what you find but it's obviously your choice 😀
@@TurfMechanic according to google it is the most concentrated organic material available
@@truebengalsfan that's what I would guess but sometimes the processing of things changes the organic designation, for instance sulphate of potash is omri listed organic but muriate of potash isn't even though the difference is really just slanted towards the manufacturing
No. they both have potassium and humic acid because humic acid is extracted from leonardite using a strong alkali. This is either KOH or NaOH, but KOH is prefered as it required by plants in larger amounts. And yes it is possible to over apply potassium because it gets in the way of calcium uptake. Your analogy to potasium as the 2x4s in your house is more aptly applied to calcium
I wish people would get to the point.
Why use a liquid versus granular potash?
I've started using granular SOP since this video was made. The amount of potassium in liquids like aeration products isn't high enough to realistically "catch up" on K fertilization. It's a nice touch but you are right, it's not as efficient.
@@TurfMechanic Thanks for your reply. I'm in Canada and recently used the Supergreen Muriate of Potash 0-0-60 product. It was about $20 CAD for a 2KG box and I put down about 2.7KG for 1,500 sq. ft. It seems to have made a significant difference in the density of the lawn and helped it green up very well this spring. My soil test had shown a deficiency in this area. Thanks for your great videos.
Milargonite, just the leftovers from Wisconsin's beer drinkers, yes poop pellets.
and it has been priced out of my budget. The cost per lb of N is astronomical. I've switched to slow release ferts that use Methylene Urea for extended release. Greenview Fairway formula with fast release N from Ammonium Sulfate and K from Potassium Sulfate. NO Brainer!
I knew a beautiful girl from Milwaukee many years ago..its just crazy to think her poop could be in my lawn.
Morganite is not an organic fert it is a biosolid fert.
Yeah it's it's biosolid but id still consider it an organic fertilizer. Kind of like aged chicken poo or steer manure, they are organic products as well except there nutrition contents vary from source to source. Milo is certainly not a plant based organic fert, but then neither is blood meal or bone meal or hoof meal either. 🤔
Last I checked, Milorganite no longer includes any organic labeling on their product.
I think you are right... I don't know the particulars of labeling requirements but my guess is they had to change labeling due to some random requirement. Again, its not plant based organic fert but it's not synthetic either. In my own mind I still consider it to be an organic option for the lawn but I know others will classify a biosolid as something different. I think that's ok.
I'll do you 1 better who is potassium?
😁