For example, southern states without snow cover bare turf year-round. Customers expect a green Christmas and an emerald lawn through the New Year. In effect, lawn care operators (LCOs) should notch up the nitrogen levels to up to 1.5 pounds so turf maintains color. Nitrogen plays a different role in northern states, where frost blankets turf for several months. A lower nitrogen ratio – 1 pound – is appropriate. Rather than going green and sprouting top growth, turf will store nitrogen as carbohydrates and build internal strength, explains Jay Winter, fertilizer merchant for LESCO, Cleveland, Ohio. Northern turf will benefit from a more even ratio of potassium and nitrogen.
The same theory applies to different turf varieties. “You put down the same products for warm- and cool-season grasses, essentially, but the rationale for applications is different,” Winter notes. “On warm-season grasses, the turf is not as healthy on its own so you need to add potassium. This turf will not see snow. On cool-season grasses, you add potassium because the turf will see snow and it needs additional support.”
Regarding nitrogen applications, nitrogen spurs year-round green-up in warm-season grasses and stays in storage in cool-season turf, Winter adds. “Cool-season turf is heartier, so as a structural entity, it doesn’t need to get pounded with potassium,” he points out. He recommends a 1-to-1 potassium-nitrogen ratio for best results.
Also, consider turf foundation: products leach in sandy soils. A micro-nutrient helps fall applications feed turf rather than allowing product to leak through land before plants can drink up fertilizer benefits, Winter says. Southern states are more likely to deal with this condition. – LESCO