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The growing season is winding down and many customers will start to mentally close the curtains on the garden and tuck it up for winter. They seem resigned to the fact that the lawn will look a bit rough until next spring - but that need not be the case. It is an ongoing process of educating our customers that the annual ‘spring sprinkle’ of fertiliser should be split into more, smaller applications throughout the year.
Several factors need to be understood: grass will continue to grow slowly and a weak lawn with no feed will come out of five winter months looking poor and needing a bunch of remediation work. Autumn grass will require energy to grow, however, too much energy (in the form of Nitrogen) can make a bad situation worse and bizarrely make the lawn weaker and more prone to disease.
A special feed is needed at this time of year - a standard spring fertiliser will cause a massive flush of growth, leading to straggly, gangly growth which is more susceptible to fungal disease such as red thread and rust. Higher rainfall at this time of year also means Nitrogen (Nitrate) is more easily leached from the soil – a waste of your money and environmentally disastrous for wildlife in nearby lakes and rivers. Autumn/ Winter fertilisers are formulated to have less Nitrogen.
The role of phosphorous, P in the N-P-K, is hotly debated. A lack of phosphate will show up in turf as poor growth and rooting, combined with a dark/ purplish discolouration to the leaf. However it is found naturally in most soils, is immobile in the soil, does not leach and interacts with soil microbes for availability to the grass roots. Some golf courses have had a ‘zero phosphate’ rule for over 30 years so, unless there is a clear deficiency, we advocate no extra phosphorous outside of spring time.
Progreen has a stable of granular fertilisers and chief amongst these are; Amvista no.5 and Amvista Long Life - which are both formulated with low Nitrogen and no Phosphate.
Amvista no.5 (3-0-12 +2MgO+2Fe) also has added Magnesium and Iron to harden the grass and provides a nice green colour, while the Long Life (10-0-20+3MgO + 6 CaO + 4 SO₃) is a slow release granule which will drip feed Nitrogen in small amounts whilst the weather conditions suit continued grass growth. This can be applied throughout a mild winter to keep the turf fed - this will also better withstand disease and repair itself quicker after aggressive use or harsh weather.
For advice and questions don’t hesitate to contact Progreen: (01778) 394052, info@progreen.co.uk
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