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Lawn Food
 
Hibiscus mutabilis --->
- Double Pink Confederate Rose -
No perennial Hibiscus should be 
fertilized until April, when it
resumes growth.
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NEVER USE A WEED AND FEED FORMULATION !!!

In spring, the optimal time to apply an herbicide is mid-February. The optimal time to apply the optional feeding is mid-April. And in fall, one should apply herbicides mid-September and fertilize mid- to late-October.

So, how can one correctly apply a weed and feed?

The buyers for the big-box merchants or corporate clone nurseries must be horticultural morons. Leave the weed and feed on the shelf and select the correct product instead.  Your grass will thank you.



SPRING FEEDING

The optional spring fertilization of grasses in central and south Texas should not take place until mid-April (south of San Antonio) to mid-May (Hill Country). Feeding too early, before the grass can use nutrients, is, at best, a waste of resources. At worst, premature feeding will  cause a flush of weed growth and encourage the spread of disease-causing organisms.

The best slow-release fertilizers for this area are 3-1-2 ratio products with slow-release encapsulation of nutrients. The old-fashioned "sulfur-coated urea" products, even those labeled as premium formulations are not as good.

Never fertilize Buffalograss. Feed Zoysia only every other year in the fall.
St. Augustine grass requires only fall feeding. Bermudagrass grown as a utilty turf should be fed mid-April and mid- to late-October. If you want greener grass, apply Ferromec, as needed, mid-March to mid-September.
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FALL FEEDING

Please, do not apply "winterizing" fertilizers before grass has become dormant in October. Feeding too early causes a flush of growth and does not promote the storage of nutrients which is desired.

Big-box retailers and corporate clone nurseries sell "winterizing" fertilizers which do not contain a 3-1-2 ratio of nutrients, as recommended by university turf experts in Texas. The numbers mean 3 parts of nitrogen to 1 part of potassium to 2 parts of phosphorus. Fertilizers with a 3-1-2 ratio of nutrients include: 15-5-10 and 21-7-14.
 
Never fertilize Buffalograss. Feed Zoysia only every other year in the fall. St. Augustine grass requires only fall feeding. Bermudagrass grown as a utilty turf should be fed mid-April and mid- to late-October.

Watch out for inflated claims of coverage for fertilizers. For example, if one wishes to apply the recommended one pound of actual nitrogen per 1000 square feet, a 20 pound bag of 15-5-10 will cover only 3000 square feet. 15% of 20 pounds = 3 pounds, at rate of 1 pound per 1000 square feet, the coverage is 3000 square feet.
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Spreader Settings for 15-5-10

Ev-N Spread Rotary - 14.50
    Ortho Rotary - 3.25
    Precision Rotary - 7.50
Quaker Rotary - 4.00
  Republic EZ Grow - 6.25
Republic EZ Rotary - 3.25
Scotts EasyGreen - 26.75
Scotts SpeedyGreen - 5.50
Scotts SpeedyGreen  1000 - 8.50
Scotts SpeedyGreen   2000 -10.0
 Scotts SpeedyGreen   3000 - 8.25
True Temper Rotary - 4.00
Vigoro Rotary - 12.0



Spreader Settings for 21-7-14

Ev-N Spread Rotary - 13.50
Greenview Rotary - 3.75
Ortho Rotary - 3.0
Republic Rotary - 3.0
Scotts Easy Green - 26.5
Scotts Speedy Green - 6.0
Sears Rotary - 3.75
Sta-Green Broadcast (Round Hopper) - 3.75
Sta-Green Broadcast (Square Hopper) - 6.0

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The botanical images on this site were produced by The Photon Hunt.

Thank you for visiting!,
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Copyright at Common Law by Manuel Flores