lesco fertilizer program?

[mhentosh]

what is a good 4 step fertilizing program for lesco products? I don't have a applicators license because usually just put down straight fertilizer after I Aerate a lawn. My neighbor wants me to put down some fertilizer for him. Which is better 18-24-12 starter fertilizer or 13-2-5 dimensions .15% Any help would be appreciated.

-MD lawn service

[mariner]

reply

Check with your state agriculture. Some still require you to have a lisence if your applying anything for hire. Even just fertilizer. The starter fert seems fine. The 13-2-5 is on the low side for nitro. You'll have to put down more products to achieve the level of nitro than say a 25% or a 30% nitro product. It would be ok if it is liquid.

[qualitylandscaping]

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I use Lesco Poly Vex fertilizers..

Application one: 22-4-8 (April-Mid May)
Application two: 28-4-12 (Mid May-June)
Application three: 10-6-4 (July) *OPTIONAL APPLICATION*
Application four: 15-4-5 (August-September)
Application five: 12-16-10 (Mid September- Mid November)

This program provides a perfect amount of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium; to aid in turf development! If you stick with this program and you don't have a green lawn, you shouldn't be in this business..[8D]

[Scott]

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Hey steve you use that combo on all your yards regardless of grass type? I'm only familiar with warm season grasses so I'm in the dark here.

[qualitylandscaping]

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Scott,

Everyone in my service area has a kentucky blue/ rye mix.. The recommendations for each type of grass seperately are the same, so the program is the same. If some lawn is different, I will come up with a program specifically designed for that lawn. I am going to split the cost of four pallets, (one of each step), with another local LCO, this way we can both get the fert. at a really good rate.

[Scott]

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sounds like the plan.

[Lawngodfather]

Re: reply

Originally posted by mariner
Check with your state agriculture. Some still require you to have a lisence if your applying anything for hire. Even just fertilizer. The starter fert seems fine. The 13-2-5 is on the low side for nitro. You'll have to put down more products to achieve the level of nitro than say a 25% or a 30% nitro product. It would be ok if it is liquid.

I agree for the applicators license.

I don't with the 13-2-5 fert rate being to low. How can you comment that it is to low, if this is the only rate that was posted, and it says nothing about it. It does not say what SCU, if any FE or micro nuteirnts.

How can you blatentlly say it's to low. You don't even know what state ot type of grass he is feeding.

My area they say we should apply 4# of "N" in a season, I apply 2#+, but never go over 3# in 1 season. Leaving the grass clippings in the lawn makes up for 1# of "N" for the season.

mariner; From your post above, please explain what you mean, cause it makes "0" sence.

[bobkessler]

I think a general rule of thumb is to apply 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. maximum to turf at any one feeding. So, a 50 pound bag of 13% nitrogen would cover approximately 6,500 sq. ft. of lawn at that rate. (50 X 13%) Say the formulation in the bag is a typical Lesco 16-4-8. Now that bag wll cover 8,000 sq. ft. at 1 lb. N per 1,000. (50 X 16%) In both cases you applied the same amount of N. The real question is how many of these 1 lb. per thousand applications should you make in your area. Don't get too discouraged if you get several different responses. Some other posts suggested to check with your local Agriculture Extension office. Good idea! But I believe you may get the best information right there at the Lesco office. Many of those guys have field experience, and that's valuable. Also fertilizer schedules vary according to the turfgrass, and area climate. Don't forget that some of the best information is on the bag itself. It sounds ridiculous but I knew guys that applied for years and never even read the label once. I also think we as an industry probably over fertilize turf. Much of our efforts are directed toward a cosmetic green, that may not be all that necessary for a healthy turf. We used a complete pellet fertilizer twice a year here in South Florida, on St. Augustine Floratam sod. What I like about what you are all doing is learning from one another. That is powerful. Keep it up.

[lep]

St. Augustine fertilization schedule

For St. Augustine grass, some forum experts have said that for Houston they prefer monthly or bi-monthly maintenance with high potash levels like 15-0-15. Some people suggest winterization with high potassium, while others suggest using the weed & feed for the spring in the winter as well. I found a very good web page at TAMU that provides a lot of information on Texas zones, and specifically recommends nitrogen-only summer feedings.

see: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/e.../lawnfert.html

Note, LESCO doesn't even recommend winterization in South Texas:

see: http://www.lesco.com/images/ZoneGuides/Transition.pdf


It appears that weed & feed should be used in the early spring and October (or else a high potassium used here for "Winterization"), while high nitrogen can be used maybe in late May-June and then in August. Are there any specific LESCO fertilizers and N-P-K for St. Augustine that you could recommend with application frequency?

[lep]

Can you suggest the same schedule and N-P-K values for St. Augustine in South Texas (Houston). Some like high potassium for maintenance while others recommend purely nitrogen in the summer.

[no brown lawns]

I think a general rule of thumb is to apply 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. maximum to turf at any one feeding. So, a 50 pound bag of 13% nitrogen would cover approximately 6,500 sq. ft. of lawn at that rate. (50 X 13%) Say the formulation in the bag is a typical Lesco 16-4-8. Now that bag wll cover 8,000 sq. ft. at 1 lb. N per 1,000. (50 X 16%) In both cases you applied the same amount of N. The real question is how many of these 1 lb. per thousand applications should you make in your area. Don't get too discouraged if you get several different responses. Some other posts suggested to check with your local Agriculture Extension office. Good idea! But I believe you may get the best information right there at the Lesco office. Many of those guys have field experience, and that's valuable. Also fertilizer schedules vary according to the turfgrass, and area climate. Don't forget that some of the best information is on the bag itself. It sounds ridiculous but I knew guys that applied for years and never even read the label once. I also think we as an industry probably over fertilize turf. Much of our efforts are directed toward a cosmetic green, that may not be all that necessary for a healthy turf. We used a complete pellet fertilizer twice a year here in South Florida, on St. Augustine Floratam sod. What I like about what you are all doing is learning from one another. That is powerful. Keep it up.

Nicely put.
The only thing I would add is cost per 1000 square feet of each bag. More square footage would be logical. But, actually could be more. To eliminate the total cost would be to check the soils pH and adjust according to the type of turf managing.
This alone will save $$$$ in fertilizer as well as herbicide use