LAWN CARE
by Gigi Wood
FERTILIZERS IN 2020:
SIGNS YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG
T
he final frost of the season will be here before we know it, so it’s time once again to create your lawn care fertilizer program for the year. Without question, the way you plan your lawn care program will depend on what region you’re in and what equipment you use. There are, however, some common trends across the country when it comes to planning your fertilizer program for 2020. Green Industry Pros recently spoke with Jeremy Bigler, landscape channel manager for Lebanon Turf, which produces fertilizers, grass seed and weed control products, and Brian Rowan, vice president, category management for SiteOne Landscape Supply, a national supplier of turf and landscape maintenance tools and products about fertilizer trends for 2020.
Weeds and Insects
No matter where you and your lawn care program are located, there are typically weeds and pests to curtail. “The very basic building blocks are usually centered around control-
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ling weeds and insects and matching that with the right fertility components for the region,” Bigler said. In the spring, lawn care providers are applying pre-emergent herbicides to prevent grassy weeds, followed by post-emergent herbicides to control broadleaf weeds, he said. Bigler went on to explain, “In early summer, insecticides are used to prevent damage from white grubs. During the fall when it is the optimal time for seeding, you will typically want to apply a good starter fertilizer to help the new turf establish quickly.”
Choosing the Right Fertilizer Using fertilizers that are high in nutrients are the commonsense solution for a successful lawn program, Bigler said. Starting with a soil test is a good way to determine the correct nutrient combo of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (NPK) to use on lawns in your region. Bigler continued, “It starts with developing a good agronomic program for the year and then based on that
MARCH 2020
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finding the fertilizers that fit their plan. Fertilizers that contain high nutrient values and contain a high slow release content are recommended. They last longer, requiring less applications, and they are more economical when comparing the cost per acre.” Fertilizers that result in a fast green-up have been popular with landscape contractors for years. But there are downsides, too. “Those have been staple products for many, many years for customers of ours, for landscape professionals who are on the property every four to five weeks or every five to six weeks,” SiteOne’s Rowan said. “The downside to those products is a lot of the nitrogen, in particular, is lost immediately through electrification or leaching through the soil profile.” Losing nutrients through runoff and other issues means landscape contractors have to return to those lawns early to reapply, which costs time and money.
Slow-Release and Coating Technology Advances
Improved technology has brought about an increase in the number of slow-release fertilizers that inhibit nitrogen absorption. “Nitrification inhibitors have really come onto the scene and continue to make technology improvements
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2/28/20 3:09 PM
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