fertilizer of choice?

[Mike64]

My lawn and garden are both Phosphorus and Nitrogen depleted, a 6.5 pH, and ample Potassium.

I am having a hard time finding fertilizers with Phosphorus. Most of the lawn stuff is 29-0-3 (N-P-K).

I have a little of this Vigoro starter fertilizer (20-27-5) left but it is expensive for the area it covers and designed for new lawn seedings. For the garden I purchased some Vigoro tomato and vegetable garden plant food (12-10-5) so I think I will be ok there.

In both cases, you'd really be better off amending the soil rather than just using soluble fertilizers, which you'll basically have to use forever without it ever doing any permanent good. Bone meal is the "classic" phosphorus amendment, and nitrogen rich compost is as close to "ideal" as you can get for nitrogen, and will generally enrich the soil (improve its overall texture, water-holding characteristics, etc) (You'd basically have to make that yourself, but you might be available to find composted manure, too, though you'll probably have to find a proper nursery or garden center for that, rather than being able to get it at a box store.) Neither one is a quick-fix though, so you'll want to continue using soluble fertilizer for some time, as well, though you should watch how much you use and test the soil periodically (once, maybe twice a year) to see how it's coming along, so you don't overdo the fert, which can be at least as bad, and can be significantly worse, than using too little...

 

[Ban Bot]

Thanks Mike.

 

[Exterous]

My lawn and garden are both Phosphorus and Nitrogen depleted, a 6.5 pH, and ample Potassium.

I am having a hard time finding fertilizers with Phosphorus. Most of the lawn stuff is 29-0-3 (N-P-K).

You're probably in an area that has strictly limited the sale of Phosphorus containing fertilizers due to improper fertilizing and runoff issues. The laws probably vary but you may be able to find what you're looking for by looking at 'Starter' fertilizers. For example Michigan bans P in fertilizers other than Starter and a few other random exceptions. Just make sure you apply it properly

 

[Ban Bot]

Yes, I discovered the Vigoro brand "new lawn and overseeding" fertilizer has phosphorus. I have looked at bone meal and other compliments for down the road but for now I did a spring overseed with Vigoro and will do another in the fall. The lawn is already looking much better.

 

[shimpster]

Surprized no one has mentioned spreading LIME on ur lawn.
What Does Lime Do for Grass?
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/lime-grass-57266.html

Best bet is a soil sample, go to local farm co-op and buy the generic brand slow release fertilizer they carry, mix in LIME pellets with fertilizer.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I put some of this stuff down last month it seems to work pretty well. My lawn looked very similar to my neighbors last year. His looks better than the picture but mine has greened well *we cut our lawns 24 hours apart, I was last*

http://m.homedepot.com/p/LESCO-50-lb-18-24-12-Starter-Fertilizer-052405/100343536

I may pick up a soil test kit and see about adding lime its too late to send a soil sample off (5 week wait)
I historically used Scotts but I've found them a bit more expensive and I was getting ok but not great results.

 

[Mike64]

Surprized no one has mentioned spreading LIME on ur lawn.
What Does Lime Do for Grass?
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/lime-grass-57266.html

Best bet is a soil sample, go to local farm co-op and buy the generic brand slow release fertilizer they carry, mix in LIME pellets with fertilizer.

Lime certainly has its place in lawn care, but it won't do anything for "depleted" soil. It reduces soil acidity which allows grass to properly absorb nutrients that are present but not "bioavailable," but in and of itself supplies basically no micro-, let alone macronutrients.

 

[shimpster]

Lime certainly has its place in lawn care, but it won't do anything for "depleted" soil. It reduces soil acidity which allows grass to properly absorb nutrients that are present but not "bioavailable," but in and of itself supplies basically no micro-, let alone macronutrients.

Adding LIME is definitely a must.
When lawns are weedy, patchy in spots or turn yellow, it may be a sign that the pH balance of your yard is out of whack. One of the primary methods of correcting the problem is to add lime to your lawn to restore depleted nutrients and repair the damage. Liming a neglected lawn can eventually return your grass to a lush green oasis, although the positive effects may not happen overnight.

 

[turtile]

Lime certainly has its place in lawn care, but it won't do anything for "depleted" soil. It reduces soil acidity which allows grass to properly absorb nutrients that are present but not "bioavailable," but in and of itself supplies basically no micro-, let alone macronutrients.

Lime contains Mg, Ca or both. Mg is one of the most important secondary macronutrients. It's a part of chlorophyll and is required for hundreds of functions in the plant.

 

[shimpster]

My lawn and garden are both Phosphorus and Nitrogen depleted, a 6.5 pH, and ample Potassium.

I am having a hard time finding fertilizers with Phosphorus. Most of the lawn stuff is 29-0-3 (N-P-K).

I have a little of this Vigoro starter fertilizer (20-27-5) left but it is expensive for the area it covers and designed for new lawn seedings. For the garden I purchased some Vigoro tomato and vegetable garden plant food (12-10-5) so I think I will be ok there.

Go to a farm co-op store...Southern States, Tractor Supply, county supply, etc.
They should be able to custom mix any blend fertilizer u want

 

[Mike64]

Adding LIME is definitely a must.
When lawns are weedy, patchy in spots or turn yellow, it may be a sign that the pH balance of your yard is out of whack. One of the primary methods of correcting the problem is to add lime to your lawn to restore depleted nutrients and repair the damage. Liming a neglected lawn can eventually return your grass to a lush green oasis, although the positive effects may not happen overnight.

Except that the OP seems to have had at least one analysis done already, since he specifically refers to soil "depletion." The pH wouldn't affect the soil test in the sense of masking nutrients' presence from the test (and the soil pH should in fact have been reported with the other results), though of course it could/probably would affect the grass's ability to absorb the nutrients if they were in fact there.

And yeah, you're right of course about the Ca and Mg, but again, in the context of, particularly, nitrogen depletion, the amount of either/both present in the amount of lime one typically applies to a lawn (a infrequent, light topcoat) isn't likely to be a really significant factor...

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Lawn got a bit burned since the last picture but a second dose of fertilizer seems to have done it well after a day of rain and a cooler cloudy day on Saturday.

 

[shimpster]

Except that the OP seems to have had at least one analysis done already, since he specifically refers to soil "depletion." The pH wouldn't affect the soil test in the sense of masking nutrients' presence from the test (and the soil pH should in fact have been reported with the other results), though of course it could/probably would affect the grass's ability to absorb the nutrients if they were in fact there.

And yeah, you're right of course about the Ca and Mg, but again, in the context of, particularly, nitrogen depletion, the amount of either/both present in the amount of lime one typically applies to a lawn (a infrequent, light topcoat) isn't likely to be a really significant factor...

Adding LIME is definitely a must.
When lawns are weedy, patchy in spots or turn yellow, it may be a sign that the pH balance of your yard is out of whack. One of the primary methods of correcting the problem is to add lime to your lawn to restore depleted nutrients and repair the damage. Liming a neglected lawn can eventually return your grass to a lush green oasis, although the positive effects may not happen overnight.

 

[Mike64]

Adding LIME is definitely might be a must.
When lawns are weedy, patchy in spots or turn yellow, it may be a sign

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on that. Imnsho, adding lime, even more than randomly fertilizing, is really pretty pointless without at least basic soil testing (or least good reason to think your soil is, in general, on the distinctly acidic side)...

 

[shabby]

Dumb question, how often should you fertilize your lawn, in spring and fall or more often?

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Dumb question, how often should you fertilize your lawn, in spring and fall or more often?

Generally the more the better but you need to wait a few weeks between applications. Feeding when its hot outside is a bad idea and generally a waste of fertilizer.

What kind of climate, what kind of grass (thick, thin, spotty) and what do you want/how much are you willing to put into it.

 

[shabby]

Im in toronto canada, the grass is a mess since i've been neglecting it. The neighbour had the same issue but hired one of those weedman type of dealies and his grass is perfect now, cost him around $300. Im sure it was just a mix of overseeding, fertilizer and watering.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Im in toronto canada, the grass is a mess since i've been neglecting it. The neighbour had the same issue but hired one of those weedman type of dealies and his grass is perfect now, cost him around $300. Im sure it was just a mix of overseeding, fertilizer and watering.

If its just $300 I'd do what your neighbor did. Otherwise scotts is a good choice its affordable and simple to understand. Generally you need a early spring feeding, a weed treatment maybe 8 weeks later then an end of summer, then a winterize before the snow arrives. The bags will give you an idea when to apply. 3-4 feedings should get you a decent lawn provided its not diseased or bug infested or there is a drought.

Important read the directions on the bags. Some like the weed killers need to be applied when damp but no water for a day or two after application, some want water immediately, some are good for new seed others prevent new growth. Stuff pretty easy to understand provided you read them.