Lawn fertilizer question

[nickaluch]

That is awesome. Man you must have great times there. Not kidding, there is no place like it, what a cool place to have and if I am correct, except for current owners impossible for anyone to own again? or something like that?

ALWAYS loved the back bays and some unmarked channels that you could literally water ski through at high tide.
I forgot the name of the "Cut" it used to be a shortcut from the state channel outside of Zach's though to the massapequa area of the bay or maybe it came out near the second Wantagh bridge, yes that was it second Wantagh bridge cut. Gosh, my memory is getting a little foggy on it. Something that "newer" boaters didnt know anything about. I think maybe there were at time time some old pole markers but once in the middle of the flats you were on your own.
IT was so peaceful in there, I could run through it wide open with any boat including our largest (decades back) a 28 FT Sea Ray at the time. Now we are back to a 18 ft Chaparral which is pretty much the size what I started with as a late teenager.

Also thank you for the great stories of growing up on the great south bay you brought back great memories of my younger days. We were both blessed of the great times and memories.

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

Agree Highest phosphate he can get which would be any that is labeled “Starter Fertilizer” brand = Scott’s or generic Virgro etc
I typically apply once or twice as part of my treatments during the growing season on my established Southern Grass as most all regular fertilizer no longer contains phosphate which is important for building roots and rhizomes

If you have Centipede turf, you want zero Phosphorus.

 

[wpod]

The numbers are the percent of N ,P and K so the 16-4-8 is 16 pounds of Nitrogen per 100 pounds or 8,lbs of N per 50lb sack . You can get a soil sample to a lab or buy a kit at a garden center and do the testing your self , the results are accurate enough. I use a low dose and if you don't like the looks after a few weeks go over the lawn again. Less may be better.

 

[alarmguy]

If you have Centipede turf, you want zero Phosphorus.

Yes, I know that is the rule, yet I piled it on last year on our new certipede sod lawn and wow, filled in nice plus ( not kidding) everyone was asking how we got our lawn so green.

Maybe long term it won’t work out, I’ll know more again this year last year 5 applications (maybe 6) about 4 to 5 weeks apart when they say only 2 needed for a season.

2 times hi phos fertilizer, one time pre emergent, 2 times plain fertilizer with iron.

All I know is my entire life our lawn has always been the one that created comments from people in the communities we lived in.

 

[Donald]

Get the soil tested one way or another. Lime may also be needed. Fertilizer works best if the pH is correct. Different grasses have slightly different pH requirements.

Forget the expensive Scotts products. There are better products at lower prices. Lesco is one reasonable brand.

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

Yes, I know that is the rule, yet I piled it on last year on our new certipede sod lawn and wow, filled in nice plus ( not kidding) everyone was asking how we got our lawn so green.

We have a 125+ year old two-trunk water oak in the front yard that needs to come down. It had about a 4,000 sf canopy. One trunk has mostly horizontal branches, the other has the vertical branches. People love this tree. It was certainly a nice touch when we bought this house in 2015, but soon found out that it was not in good shape. A local arborist told us we'd get maybe 5 more years out of it. He wasn't wrong. It needed to go 2 years ago.

I got a quote to take it down, complete haul-off and stump ground in 2021 - $8,000. I figure that is $10k+ today.

Anyway, when we do get it gone, I am looking forward to having a much more luscious centipede yard in the front. There's a lot already, but hardly any grass grows under that tree.

 

[jhs914]

It's just a neighborhood lawn not a farm. No need to get the USDA involved

Wrong. Although the most important part of a soil test for a lawn is the test for soil acidity and the need for lime. Ask any landscape professional and the first thing they will do is a soil test. I have a friend who has a degree in turf management from the University of Florida who will strongly disagree with you.