Scotts Turfs Builder Lawn Fertilizer

You are not alone if you stand, staring at the fertilizer bags every Spring wondering what the difference is. All the bags show a lush lawn that creates envy. There are a few basic differences between organic/natural fertilizer and synthetic fertilizer to keep in mind.

Synthetic Characteristics
Synthetic fertilizers are generally much higher in Nitrogen. It is the Nitrogen that will give your lawn a rich, deep green color. It will also cause your lawn to grow more quickly. However, synthetic fertilizers also have a high salt content, which takes away from the moisture in the soil. Synthetic fertilizers generate fast growth and quick green up.

Synthetic weed control is generally included in most synthetic fertilizers, thus the term weed and feed. Weed control using synthetic herbicides is relatively easy and shows quick results.

Organic Characteristics
Organic fertilizer is much lower in Nitrogen and much lower in salt. Organic fertilizer feeds the microbes in the soil, which break down nutrients so that the grass plants can readily take in the nutrients. Organic fertilizer is low in Phosphorous as well, which is good to use around water sources, as phosphorous leads to algae growth. Results are slower and growth is more even when using an organic fertilizer.

Organic weed control is limited to corn gluten meal. Corn gluten meal products are more expensive than synthetic herbicides and must be re-applied over several years to be effective. However, weeds become less over time with an organic service due to the increased density of the turf.

Which fertilizer is right for you?

Reasons to chose synthetic:
want a near perfect lawn
results in a relatively short period of time
less expensive.

Reasons to chose organic:
personal safety and environmental concerns
willing to wait for the lawn to develop and weeds to be squeezed out
longer lasting results

In a nutshell
Synthetic fertilizers and herbicides concentrate on the visible growth while the organic fertilizers and soil amendments concentrate on the soil quality and root structure.

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Mulch is generally used at the beginning of the season but there is no hard and fast rules so even if the season is well under way, it’s still not too late to improve the soil with organic matter. Its important to make sure that the garden will perform well right through the season. In hot locations just a 4-inch (10cm) layer of mulch drops the soil temperature from 105 o to 80 o F. At the same time, it contributes organic matter and nutrients to the soil as it decomposes. Regardless of where you garden, you can still improve soil even once you’re growing in it.

Organic Mulches:

There are so many ideas for the best material with which to mulch; one that is particularly effective is kelp meal. Kelp or seaweed is a great source of trace minerals and growth elements. Just apply 1 pound per 100 square feet at any time during the growing season. Adding seaweed triggers an increase in microbial activity and fuels the decay cycle of organic matter in the soil.

Some of the most commonly used organic mulching materials are manures; bark chips, sawdust, grass clippings, leaves, and newspapers (shredded or in layers). Organic mulches allow some flexibility in fertilizing and watering since they can be raked back from the plants. They should normally be applied uniformly 2 or 3-inch (5cm-7.5cm) deep around the base of the vegetable plant.

Inorganic Mulches:

Black plastic is the most frequently used inorganic mulch. Clear plastic is of little use, as it does not exclude the light that aids weeds seeds to germinate. Gardeners should make sure there is adequate moisture in the soil before any mulch is applied. There are also several durable weed fabrics that are very effective in weed suppression. The decision of whether to use organic or inorganic mulch really depends on the season of the year and what the gardener is trying to accomplish. Organic mulches should be applied after the soil temperature has warmed in the spring. If applied to cold soils, the soil will warm slowly and the growth rate of most vegetables will be reduced. Inorganic mulches can increase the soil temperature by at least 6 to 80F. therefore, their greatest value is early in the growing season when soils are naturally cool.

Leaf Mould:

Even if you don’t have a compost bin you can still make compost from the fallen leaves. Simply collect the leaves and put them into a black plastic sack, place them somewhere out of sight in the garden and forget about them until later the following year, when you will have some rich compost to spread around the garden.

It takes at least a year to compost down the leaves, depending on leaf-type: beech or oak leaves decompose readily, but waxy leaves take much longer. (Sycamore and London Plane in particular take years to rot down) Also warm, wet, weather conditions promote faster leaf decomposition.

Once fully decayed, there should be no whole leaves present in the leaf mould. If it contains debris such as twigs, it should be put through a coarse sieve. The leaf mould can be added to potting compost (1 part leaf mould to 4 parts potting compost), or used liberally in the garden as plant mulch, or dug in to improve soil structure.

By: Juliet S Sadler

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I recommend Scott’s Turf Builder with Moss Control. In the past, we had a moss problem to due drainage and winter shade but using Scott’s the moss died quickly (and mostly came up with a lawn mowing) and grew in the bare spots long.

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Scott’s Turf Builder Weed Prevent – A natural pre-emergent selective herbicide made from 100% corn gluten meal, effective on both crabgrass and dandelions - releases nitrogen as it breaks down. Limitations: It needs to be applied in early spring (before weed …. so may only be suitable for application to the lawn anyway. Having a mower with an additional mulching blade will facilitate the processing of clippings into organic fertilizer. 

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So when I looked more at the Scott’s brand fertilizers I found that the Scott’s Turf Builder WinterGuard Fall Lawn Fertilizer has a ratio of 22:2:14. This is as close as I can come with Scott’s brand fertilizer to a “high:low:high”.

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We had someone doing our lawn care until last year when I started doing the Scott’s thing. I decided to try it myself when the neighbor’s yard who used Scott’s looked better than mine that I was paying to be done. … The caption says “DIY Lawn Tips Advice, Turf is Life”. Is that turf grass? I’m thinking of changing out my lawn at some point.

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If you’ve burned your lawn up with fertilzer, one of two things has happened: you’ve either used the wrong fertilzer, or you haven’t spread the right fertilizer correctly.

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Properly fertilizing your lawn should be one of the simpler and less time consuming processes in your lawn care program. While you could get very technical about it, the basics you need to know are not as complicated as they might appear to be. However, listening to some lawn care professionals and gurus explain detailed processes and equations might leave you a bit confused about the whole deal.

How much to fertilize, how often, when, and what formula to use are all the right questions. However, because of all the different variables ranging from soil type to location to hundreds of grass varieties, it’s impossible to give an exact lawn care program that would fit every lawn.

Testing the soil isn’t usually necessary for determining lawn fertilizer needs. If you’re having trouble growing a lawn, testing may be helpful to figure Ph and to see if a nutrient level is extremely high or low. Otherwise, they don’t give a good indication of the amount of nutrients your lawn needs.

You generally only need to be concerned with the three basic nutrients of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. Other minor nutrients such as iron and zinc are usually plentiful in the soil. However, in some instances such as my own yard, I do apply one application of fruit and nut tree food to the entire lawn every few years. I have several trees that take these nutrients from the soil. Still it’s not common practice and isn’t necessary in most yards.

The right formula? I can’t give an exact. Just a guideline. The three numbers on the label (0-0-0) represent the product percentage of the three nutrients in order, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. A good mixture would be high in Nitrogen, low in Phosphorus, and medium in Potassium. An example might be 10-2-5. This is one of those areas that can get technical. However, if you’re not inclined to study up in this area, just keep applications low and safe. Keep Nitrogen, the first number, at 20 or below.

As my own rule for staying on the safe side, and in my opinion is a better way to feed a lawn, cut the amount in half and apply it twice as often or even less often. For some nutrients, plants will absorb all that is in the soil until it’s gone, grow very quickly, and deplete the soil before it’s time to fertilize again. A continuous feed is much better for the health of the lawn, reduces the risk of burning, and is easier to get an idea of what feeding program your specific lawn needs.

Again, all of this can’t be placed in a given formula for all lawn types. When to fertilize, of course, depends on your area, time of year, weather. Your soil type (clay, sand, etc) will influence many factors including how often and how much to fertilize. So it’s best to follow the steps of starting with less and working your way up. It also helps to keep a journal to keep track of your results.

By: Steve Boulden

Amelia Island Living.com New Florida Law Bans Certain LawnFertilizers

One way to do this is to agree to fertilize lawns and landscapes properly. This should not reduce the quality of the lawns, in fact, we are confident it will benefit the lawns.

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If needed, feed lightly with a balanced fertilizer. Aerate and dethatch cool-season lawns only if absolutely necessary; otherwise be gentle – since lawns are delicate in spring.

Any advice on taking Georgia Applic fef ators Test for fertilizing lawns?

Forum: Fertilizer and Pesticide Forums Posted By: Dawsonville Post Time: 02-24-2009 at 10:53 PM.  

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Once a specialty product purchased by a select few farmers and hobby gardeners, organic fertilizers have now become a common sight in virtually every garden center. With so much competition on the market, organic fertilizer manufacturers and dealers are looking at new ways to market their products and increase their sales.

Like all wise marketers, organic fertilizer distributors have learned that the best way to sell their product by combining loads of information with interesting displays and well-planned advertising campaigns. Cross-merchandising and educational marketing are two of the best sales strategies any organic fertilizer manufacturer can put into play.

Many organic fertilizer shops and garden centers rely on product displays to increase their sales bracket. The strategy in play consists of catching the consumer’s attention by placing entire product lines in one expansive display. Other suppliers will scatter displays throughout the store to increase product presence and encourage people to buy. Another popular sales strategy is the careful placement of organic fertilizer products amid the plant department. For example, you might see a potted rosebush with a small display of organic fertilizers next to it. In doing so, the shopkeeper indicates that the fertilizer will indeed encourage flowers to bloom.

Organic fertilizers are typically differentiated by their N-P-K formulations. A variance in these formulations helps to determine the specific area of use the product is most suited, whether it be fruits and vegetables, flowers, lawn care or turf grass. For example, organic fertilizers with N-P-K formulations of 6-2-2 carry a high Nitrogen content, and are best suited for lawn grass. By advertising this fact, organic fertilizer dealers are able to educate their customers and ultimately increase their bottom line.

The colours and packaging materials used can also be used to create a good sales strategy. More and more organic fertilizer manufacturers have repackaged their products, choosing to use plastic instead of brown paper in an effort to improve their sales. Organic fertilizers wrapped in bright resealable plastic bags and plastic containers are certainly much more attractive, and catch the attention of more shoppers. Sharp, eye-catching floral photography on organic fertilizer bags will also attract consumers, luring them with the notion that their flowers will look every bit as beautiful if they use this particular product.

Another important part of the marketing plan is advertising. With a successful ad campaign in magazines, newspapers, radio or television, the supplier can increase sales, and the manufacturer can increase productivity. Also important in the advertising process is consumer education. Telling potential buyers what the product is, and how it is used, will also help to increase sales. Consumers generally prefer not to purchase products that they have little or no knowledge about. Organic fertilizer producers and marketers are advised to offer informative packaging, giving shoppers the chance to learn more before they buy.

In 2002, many organic fertilizer manufacturers reported an increase in their sales. For example, the Scott’s Company reported a twenty percent increase in retail sales of its organic fertilizers and lawn plant food products. According to vice-president of lawn marketing Gordon Hecker, the Scott’s Company was able to achieve this boost in sales without making any changes to their organic fertilizers products. The increase came about due to marketing strategy and improved in-store material display.

Green Light is another organic fertilizer manufacturer that experienced double-digit increases in their sales. The company, based in San Antonio, Texas, has concentrated on marketing their specialty organic fertilizers and plant foods with all-weather displays and plastic packaging.

The trick to making a profit in organic fertilizer sales is really no trick at all. Just apply the basic rules or marketing, and watch your sales grow.

By: Mary Miller -

 
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