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Unless you’re completely new to lawn and landscape care, you probably think you know quite a bit — or, at least, enough — about the different types of turf fertilizers available and how to apply them. And, maybe you do. However, research has shown that some landscape contractors and lawn care operators are harboring misconceptions about fertilizers, how they work, how they affect the environment and how to use them to get the best results for their customers. According to Dr. Eric Miltner, agronomist for Koch Turf & Ornamental, fertilizer technologies and best practices are continuing to evolve, making it a good idea for lawn and landscape contractors to periodically educate themselves on the latest developments.
“The most important asset a lawn care contractor can have is knowledge,” said Miltner. “We've seen some mistakes because the contractor doesn't know how to choose the best product or use it most effectively. For instance, if you're putting down a controlled-release fertilizer that is designed to last for several months, you have to put down enough of it. You have to understand how the product works.”
Miltner said that when he consults with customers or speaks with trade show attendees, he often hears a lot of misconceptions about fertilizer types, product quality and application practices. The following are a few of the most popular misconceptions he’s heard tossed around the green industry during his years as an agronomist.
Misconception: All fertilizers are the same. Nothing works better than good old urea or ammonium sulfate.
Reality: There are many fertilizers that perform better than readily available, quick-release nitrogen (N). Enhanced-efficiency fertilizers, such as those produced by Miltner’s company, Koch Turf & Ornamental, claim that a greater percentage of the N applied actually gets into the plant. This means that less N is left behind to be lost to the environment. “More of the nutrients that you buy and apply get into the plant, where they belong,” Miltner explained. “In addition, slow- and controlled-release fertilizers meter out nutrients at a leisurely rate, over a longer period of time, as compared to quick-release fertilizers that aim for very fast, but unsustained, green-up. This reduces undesirable ‘feast or famine’ cycles of nutrient uptake, resulting in more consistent growth and healthier plants.”
Misconception: Slow-release and controlled-release fertilizers are basically the same thing.
Reality: Slow-release fertilizers are dependent largely on environmental conditions in order to release nutrients. Methylene urea, ureaformaldehyde and natural organic fertilizers depend on the activity of soil microorganisms to release N (and possibly other nutrients). Sulfur-coated fertilizers depend on rupture of the sulfur coatings, either due to damage or internal pressure following water uptake. Controlled-release (polymer-coated) fertilizers rely on the properties of the coatings to regulate release. Water is necessary to activate release, but the coating is in control — there is no variability due to soil microbes or excess water. Highly engineered, highly predictable coating technology controls actual nutrient release.
Misconception: If it rains right after you fertilize, all the nutrients run off the lawn and into the gutter, making their way to lakes and streams before they can actually have a positive effect on the landscape.
Reality: There is abundant research showing that healthy turf greatly restricts runoff of water and nutrients. Grass slows down the lateral movement of water even during heavy rains, allowing it to infiltrate into soil, which has been made porous by healthy roots.
Misconception: It is better to leave turf unfertilized to eliminate the risk of nutrient runoff.
Reality: Research shows that under-fertilized turf can actually result in more runoff of water and nutrients than well-fertilized turf. Without proper fertilization, turf may thin out, which encourages weed and disease problems. “This patchy turf also allows water to move more freely over the soil’s surface, carrying soil particles and nutrients with it,” Miltner added. “Maintaining well-fertilized, healthy turf is actually one of the best ways to limit nutrient runoff.”
Misconception: Synthetic and organic fertilizers feed your turf with different forms of nitrogen.
Reality: All nitrogen fertilizers, regardless of their source or composition, are converted into ammonium (NH4+) and/or nitrate (NO3-) in the soil before the N is taken up by the plant. In the end, organic and synthetic fertilizers supply N to the plant in the same form.
Misconception: Stabilized nitrogen or inhibitor products are the same as slow-release nitrogen.
Reality: Stabilized or inhibitor products are made by introducing an additive into or onto the outside of urea. These additives do nothing to change the urea itself. The urea still dissolves upon watering and is immediately released into the soil environment. The stabilizers or inhibitors change the way that urea is transformed in the soil. “If the fertilizer includes an established nitrification inhibitor, this can help keep N available for a longer period of time,” said Miltner. “If only a recognized urease inhibitor is included, volatilization potential is decreased, but there is no significant impact on longevity. Both stabilized nitrogen and slow-release nitrogen have their own unique characteristics and advantages, but they fill different roles and satisfy different agronomic needs.”
Misconception: Applying an enhanced-efficiency fertilizer one, two or three times each year is a poor business decision for contractors who are paid on a per-visit basis. The best program is a fertilizer application every six weeks, supplemented with herbicide and insecticide treatments as necessary.
Reality: Enhanced-efficiency fertilizers just make sense, from both an environmental and an economic perspective. By applying a more efficient product, lawn care professionals can achieve better results while optimizing labor and resources. And, they can differentiate themselves from their competition by promoting better environmental stewardship and contributing to their companies’ bottom lines. “Let’s say a contractor has a customer agreement where he’s paid a fixed fee for providing a certain service each month,” said Miltner. “EEF technologies work in his favor because labor is often a company’s biggest expense. If that contractor can save a trip across his entire account base, all of that money goes straight to his bottom line."
Buying and applying fertilizer may be one of the simplest, most straightforward tasks that lawn and landscape contractors face. Yet, many contractors are still trapped in the cycle of always purchasing and applying the same formulations year after year when an alternative may exist that’s better for their customers and their businesses.
“The fertilizer industry is working diligently to develop new formulations that are efficient, effective and more sustainable,” said Miltner. “It’s definitely in a contractor’s best interest to investigate the new products that are out there, learn their pros and cons, then determine whether it’s time to make a switch. If you don’t know what you don’t know, as they say, you can’t make educated decisions that could potentially have a positive impact, both now and in the future.”