Lawn Fertilizing
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Corn meal feeds the worms. Worm pooh is natures fertilizer with microbes. Grass clippings also will beak down to an organic matter which worms feed on.
Aggrand is a very well balance organic fertilizer. I believe it has seaweed which helps builds growing cells in plants. Aggrand does harvest some of the finest seaweed for fertilize usage.
Aggrand liquid fertilizer is best when first starting growth which the soil lacks microbes(doesn't burn plants..very easy uptake in foliar or root feeding). Once a good feeding microbe is present in the soil, worm population in the soil will enable the microbes and the condition of soil to it's optimal state. Worms are a good sign in lawns...it means the microbes are feeding on organic matter which in turn the worms feeds on the beakdown of organic matter. In an ecosystem means a heathly lawn.
Aggrand is a very well balance organic fertilizer. I believe it has seaweed which helps builds growing cells in plants. Aggrand does harvest some of the finest seaweed for fertilize usage.
Aggrand liquid fertilizer is best when first starting growth which the soil lacks microbes(doesn't burn plants..very easy uptake in foliar or root feeding). Once a good feeding microbe is present in the soil, worm population in the soil will enable the microbes and the condition of soil to it's optimal state. Worms are a good sign in lawns...it means the microbes are feeding on organic matter which in turn the worms feeds on the beakdown of organic matter. In an ecosystem means a heathly lawn.
What part of the state, Bryanccfshr?
I did some survery work for a firm a few years back in new housing developments north of Dallas where:
in-ground irrigation was required
sod was required
and installed by the developers.
I was dismayed by the "before" condition as most topsoil was gone, plenty of limestone was left from dozer and foundation work, and the sod installed was somewhat low quality.
My concern was that the dirt quality indicated a need for lots of water and fertilizer on a regular basis until, many years later, the soil had a chance to rebuild. Were I to buy in one of those places, I'd be spreading compost as topdressing regularly, as well as core aerating.
Hope you had a good look beforehand at the home. I saw workers with skid steers very skillfully burying construction trash in the hour or two before the bureaucrats showed up for inspections.
That said, it's a nice looking house, and nice looking yard.
I did some survery work for a firm a few years back in new housing developments north of Dallas where:
in-ground irrigation was required
sod was required
and installed by the developers.
I was dismayed by the "before" condition as most topsoil was gone, plenty of limestone was left from dozer and foundation work, and the sod installed was somewhat low quality.
My concern was that the dirt quality indicated a need for lots of water and fertilizer on a regular basis until, many years later, the soil had a chance to rebuild. Were I to buy in one of those places, I'd be spreading compost as topdressing regularly, as well as core aerating.
Hope you had a good look beforehand at the home. I saw workers with skid steers very skillfully burying construction trash in the hour or two before the bureaucrats showed up for inspections.
That said, it's a nice looking house, and nice looking yard.
I live in Cibolo Just north of San Antonio.
I have seen the construction of the home next door. I have a few inches of topsoilover limestone. I have planted plenty of trees in the back and haven't found many surprises other than native roots and plenty of softball sized rocks but the soil quality varies in differnt parts of the yard.
My front yard came with low quality bermuda with several spots that did not come out of dormancy in the spring due to a dry winter and the builder not watering. I overseeded the front with Sahara Bermuda and the rear was seeded with Sahara bermuda and tall fescue for imediate erosion control since I did not get sod in the rear (I wanted to plant trees)
What I have been doing is mulching in the clippings as well as creating a good root zone around my trees and shrubs with lots of compost and mulch.
I have a good free supply of well aged and slightly decomposed native hardwood mulch tat I get by the truck load. I have been amending my barespots in the backyard with this and it is an ongoing project. I will also build up several areas with this media and begin composting with this and grocery store refuse for "greens".
I just recently became aware of the damage that Weed and feed and high nitrogen and phos ferts can do. I have a tote with 40 lbs of Scotts turf builder left and don't know what to do with it. Since may I have been using corn meal in the yard and plan on trying mollasses and compost teas as both foliar treatments and deep drenches to get the microherd going. I also have an idea to scout the river banks to amend myh microherd(get some worms) while I am down there fishing. I was very dissapointed by the lack of worms in my soil and still have not established a population.
My last home in Corpus Christi was St Augustine on deep hard black clay. I had so many worms they would crawl into the house after a heavy rain. I can't believe I miss that.
Thanks for the complimets. It is fun for me and my wife which makes yard work and gardening not a chore but a hobby.
I am hoping with all the trees(crape myrtles, Live Oaks, Cedar Elms, Lacebark elms and a Chaste tree) and perenial flowers and shrubs I can encourage a biologically diverse yard which will create great soil.
I have seen the construction of the home next door. I have a few inches of topsoilover limestone. I have planted plenty of trees in the back and haven't found many surprises other than native roots and plenty of softball sized rocks but the soil quality varies in differnt parts of the yard.
My front yard came with low quality bermuda with several spots that did not come out of dormancy in the spring due to a dry winter and the builder not watering. I overseeded the front with Sahara Bermuda and the rear was seeded with Sahara bermuda and tall fescue for imediate erosion control since I did not get sod in the rear (I wanted to plant trees)
What I have been doing is mulching in the clippings as well as creating a good root zone around my trees and shrubs with lots of compost and mulch.
I have a good free supply of well aged and slightly decomposed native hardwood mulch tat I get by the truck load. I have been amending my barespots in the backyard with this and it is an ongoing project. I will also build up several areas with this media and begin composting with this and grocery store refuse for "greens".
I just recently became aware of the damage that Weed and feed and high nitrogen and phos ferts can do. I have a tote with 40 lbs of Scotts turf builder left and don't know what to do with it. Since may I have been using corn meal in the yard and plan on trying mollasses and compost teas as both foliar treatments and deep drenches to get the microherd going. I also have an idea to scout the river banks to amend myh microherd(get some worms) while I am down there fishing. I was very dissapointed by the lack of worms in my soil and still have not established a population.
My last home in Corpus Christi was St Augustine on deep hard black clay. I had so many worms they would crawl into the house after a heavy rain. I can't believe I miss that.
Thanks for the complimets. It is fun for me and my wife which makes yard work and gardening not a chore but a hobby.
I am hoping with all the trees(crape myrtles, Live Oaks, Cedar Elms, Lacebark elms and a Chaste tree) and perenial flowers and shrubs I can encourage a biologically diverse yard which will create great soil.
TanSedan, Due to your post earlier linking dirtdoctor.com I have discovered through that I live 10 minutes from the Cibolo creek Garden-ville compost facility. Now that is going to require a visit! (gotta see the cow compost!)
JHZR2
Staff member
This is a very good point... People dont think about this enough - what the runoff does to the waterways and probably even some drnking water supplies.quote:
Originally posted by 9296D21B14:
For those of you who are upstream of the Mississippi River water shed, I say no lawn fertilizer at all. Ever hear of the Gulf of Mexico dead zone? Down here we are in it. I'm no supporter of Greenpeace by any means. Farm based runoff for food production? Maybe. For cool green lawn pictures? Hmmm... Funny to me here how everyone knows right where to take their used oil for disposal but another petro based product, chemical fertilizer, it's let 'er rip!
Alas, someone will come back and tell you that they are excersizing their freedoms to be as socially responsible or irresponsible as they like, and if they want to overfertilize, they can, because it is their right to a green lawn using any legal to buy stuff that they can get.
JMH
Well, I for one will be one less house contributing to the "dead zone" thanks to this post. I'm trying Aggrand now (thanks MSparks) with good results so far, but it too soon to tell the long-term effectiveness, though I'm sure I will be pleased. I sprayed my trees, annuals and perrenials and they all look great. If the lawn looks this good into the fall, I'll be promoting organic fertilizing to everyone using chemicals.
Organic can run off too. As well as cause problems. Mechanical work means more, IMO: aerating, solving drainage, topdressing, plant selection, etc. Which is why I mentioned, but forget to say why: buried trash can cause hot spots (patches that dry out too quickly).
Sounds good, looks good, ccshfr! May be a supplier of worms in your area. I think it is 5-lbs per 100 s/f for lawn distribution. Worms are the key, IMO, and their presence seems to bring everything else that is good (birds, toads, etc).
I've always admired Sahara but always thought of it as a western versus southwestern mixture. I'll be trying TEX*ACE by East Texas Seed Co in the spring.
As for bulk compost and mulch, there is no substitute to having truckload deliveries; 3, 6 or nine yards at a time. I used such to build the lawn (at one house, badly neglected for years)
by eliminating all sharp corners on lawn (no "pull back" on lawn mower when mowing) and then, once lawn perimeter established, used compost topped by mulch around house, fence (both sides), etc. The compost/mulch was like a nutrient bank: Just water and allow to run into lawn. Broke down after first year, but lawn was like new afterwards (old fence, slab foundation house).
My landscape method is: eliminate lawn bit bit, with landscaping on all areas of the house. I work my way in from the property line or fence; and outwards from the house and other structures. Wind up with lawn as "connector" to different areas, and super-easy to mow (no wasted motion due to layout).
I'm still waiting on the aeration guy (fifth "appointment"), and my bags of sand are waiting to go to replace the cores in the sunniest areas of the lawn.
Cibolo, huh? Out near Scherz? Man, you lucky dog . . only a half-hour away from one of our top-three favorite BBQ joints: City Market in Luling:
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=583&RefID=583
Sounds good, looks good, ccshfr! May be a supplier of worms in your area. I think it is 5-lbs per 100 s/f for lawn distribution. Worms are the key, IMO, and their presence seems to bring everything else that is good (birds, toads, etc).
I've always admired Sahara but always thought of it as a western versus southwestern mixture. I'll be trying TEX*ACE by East Texas Seed Co in the spring.
As for bulk compost and mulch, there is no substitute to having truckload deliveries; 3, 6 or nine yards at a time. I used such to build the lawn (at one house, badly neglected for years)
by eliminating all sharp corners on lawn (no "pull back" on lawn mower when mowing) and then, once lawn perimeter established, used compost topped by mulch around house, fence (both sides), etc. The compost/mulch was like a nutrient bank: Just water and allow to run into lawn. Broke down after first year, but lawn was like new afterwards (old fence, slab foundation house).
My landscape method is: eliminate lawn bit bit, with landscaping on all areas of the house. I work my way in from the property line or fence; and outwards from the house and other structures. Wind up with lawn as "connector" to different areas, and super-easy to mow (no wasted motion due to layout).
I'm still waiting on the aeration guy (fifth "appointment"), and my bags of sand are waiting to go to replace the cores in the sunniest areas of the lawn.
Cibolo, huh? Out near Scherz? Man, you lucky dog . . only a half-hour away from one of our top-three favorite BBQ joints: City Market in Luling:
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=583&RefID=583
I have not been to city market but now I must go.
I just applied some smelly "Sea Tea" from gardenville this evening. We will be building beds in the back yard for the next two weeks.
I just applied some smelly "Sea Tea" from gardenville this evening. We will be building beds in the back yard for the next two weeks.
JHZR2
Staff member
that's some interesting stuff! makes for some expensive plants!
Ill just stick to a bit of organic fertilizer, personally. Maybe someday though Ill need something else. this thread will continue to be a great wealth of info for useful products that I wouldnt have seen or heard of otherwise!
JMH
Ill just stick to a bit of organic fertilizer, personally. Maybe someday though Ill need something else. this thread will continue to be a great wealth of info for useful products that I wouldnt have seen or heard of otherwise!
JMH
"Ill just stick to a bit of organic fertilizer, personally. Maybe someday though Ill need something else. this thread will continue to be a great wealth of info for useful products that I wouldnt have seen or heard of otherwise!"
Yea that's real high end stuff.
Just a note: The Aggrand fertilizer is about the best fertilizer for home usage folks can purchase. It's almost an overkill. The fish and seaweed fertilizer which I looked at on the label is all top notch. It's complete with micro nutrients..the whole package.
Also I've used the fine seaweed products that Aggrand uses on a very concentrated level on turf(high end stuff).
There is difference even when using very fine organic fertilizer. The grass has a purple shade to it and you must remember grass doesn't store energy it sheds it. It's like pumped up hormone steriods being injected into the plants building cells. Cold water seaweed(kelp) is the finest fertilizer in this application.
Yea that's real high end stuff.
Just a note: The Aggrand fertilizer is about the best fertilizer for home usage folks can purchase. It's almost an overkill. The fish and seaweed fertilizer which I looked at on the label is all top notch. It's complete with micro nutrients..the whole package.
Also I've used the fine seaweed products that Aggrand uses on a very concentrated level on turf(high end stuff).
There is difference even when using very fine organic fertilizer. The grass has a purple shade to it and you must remember grass doesn't store energy it sheds it. It's like pumped up hormone steriods being injected into the plants building cells. Cold water seaweed(kelp) is the finest fertilizer in this application.
Mamala Bay, good stuff. I'm in agreement. Myccorhizhae (sp?) is the key so far as I can tell for wanting to get serious. Price is irrelevant compared to replacing a lawn, for, once well-established, the attendant costs and labor go way down.
I haven't read enough yet (this subject has been bookmarked in the ol' brain a few years) as the yards I've dealt with haven't reached the point I want to invest in this level . . I've sold them.
Bryanccshfr, City Market is good enough that it's like this: Order a pound to eat, another for seconds and a third packed to go. You still may not reach home with any. (And that is per person).
Call ahead for hours, and get there before the lunch rush if possible. Sonny Bryan's here in Dallas has been known to run out of brisket before noon . . and that's it until tomorrow!
I haven't read enough yet (this subject has been bookmarked in the ol' brain a few years) as the yards I've dealt with haven't reached the point I want to invest in this level . . I've sold them.
Bryanccshfr, City Market is good enough that it's like this: Order a pound to eat, another for seconds and a third packed to go. You still may not reach home with any. (And that is per person).
Call ahead for hours, and get there before the lunch rush if possible. Sonny Bryan's here in Dallas has been known to run out of brisket before noon . . and that's it until tomorrow!
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