when is it too late to fertilize bermuda mix in east Tenn

volfan – posted 08 June 2003 18:18

hey i’m new to this lawn maint. and need to know when its too late to fertilize my lawn here in east tenn. i have used some weed and feed by scotts a couple weeks ago and would like to hit it again soon and was not wanting to harm my lawn.. trying to feed the bermuda so it will choke out the other grass??? thanks. volfan

seed – posted 09 June 2003 12:14

volfan, bermudagrass is very responsive to high rates of N fertilization and normally there is no injury as long as there is adequate irrigation. “High” rates of N fertilization are 12-18 pounds of N per thousand square feet per year, as is often used on golf greens, and during grow-in as much as 1 pound of N per thousand square feet per week is sometimes applied. That’s not necessarily okay for the environment, because at those high rates there is a high potential for leaching and runoff, if the grass cover is poor. So, find out what you have actually applied in pounds of N per thousand square feet, and if there is an acual need for those high rates that I mentioned, you should be fine if there is adequate irrigation or rainfall to meet the bermudagrass evaporative demand, i.e., don’t let it wilt after a high fertilization.

Phil

volfan – posted 09 June 2003 17:36

thanks, seed for your interest.. i dont think i am even close to those rates. i have applyed some scotts weed and feed 28-3-3 and i used about 25lb for my 11,000 sq ft lawn. its really responding well to what i have put down. what i would like to do is let it choke out the other grass. i just moved in at the last part of march and it was pittyful.. it will take awhile to get in shape.. would small amounts every 3 weeks be better than hitting it hard.. and it looks like we will be wet for awhile too.. thanks again for taking the time to read my thread.. volfan

seed – posted 10 June 2003 08:31

volfan, based on this information, you applied only 0.64 pounds N per thousand square feet in your lawn, so for short-term rejuvenation, you can definitely keep doing this to bermudagrass at least every 3 weeks, or more often, during the growing season:

(25 pounds fertilizer) x (0.28 unit N / unit fertilizer) / (11 thousand square feet)=(25 x 0.28 / 11) pounds N / thousand square feet=0.64 pounds N / thousand square feet

If you did that every 3 weeks for 6 months, you’d only be up to 5 pounds for the growing season.

Later, you may want to back off just so you don’t have to mow it so much.

Phil

volfan – posted 10 June 2003 13:40

Thanks phil, will do..