Here’s the question, can you get away with only one fertilizer application a year? Well I might be skeptical, there are some options out there for people who don’t want to spend a whole lot of time on their lawn. For most of you, you like to get out there and work and your hobby is one that you are proud of. The thought of doing one fertilizer application a year won’t appeal to you. However, there is a large, very large group of people that this would be a godsend. These are people who don’t know how to read a fertilizer label, they don’t know what the numbers mean on a fertilizer label, they don’t know how to apply a simple 20-20-20 fertilizer. In other words, these are normal people.
There are probably quite a few of you out there who already have an annual Lawncare program. There’s also a lot of people who have no idea what a lawn plan is. This is typically going to be the average consumer who is going to buy something off the shelf and apply at one time. For a good majority of the population, one fertilizer application per year is plenty.
Let’s take a dive into one of the 180 day slow release product called duration. After you finish the video, please let me know what you think about this kind of thinking and, let me know if you have used a one app product in the past.
4:03 duration fertilizer
27 Comments
I wonder how much of the sales in Spring are for the entire season. I try and buy as much as I think I need throughout the year at the beginning of the selling and then end up only purchasing here and there if needed later in the year. The percentage of these types is likely very low though.
Best video I have seen this week.
For me I enjoy spending time in my yard, I look at it as a challenge to make the turf look it’s best plus studying the effects of those products I’ve chosen to apply? I use mostly organic products and the use of Next products as well to enhance the soil. I do not make any applications in the hottest three months, June July and August but I do try very hard to stay on top of things. Great content as usual JP!!!
Great video. Time is of the essence. For me it's become a passion and one I teach my daughter to care for the lawn and nature. What you put in is what you get out of it
Great video John. You're killing it already this year!
Thumbs up.
Something that's twice a year would be nice!
Retired golf course supt. here …… I have never made more than 2 fertilizer applications per year on my lawn. Never applied any pre-emergent weed control nor insecticides. Only spot treated broadleaf weeds. I do water my lawn. Always have had the best looking lawn in my neighborhood. Go figure.
Interesting, I didn't know these existed. A quick search and I found Simplify, which is a 35-0-6 available locally for under $20 @ 34lbs. I probably won't used it but is nice to know it's an option.
I really appreciate these videos which offers a different take than all the others on YouTube. 👍
Sounds like a great idea! Now we just need about 2 lite rains a week around 1/3-1/2 inch each and all summer we have highs in the mid 60’s. 😂
Stay organic and the slow decomposition will feed the soil over the optimal growing times.
Polymer coating! Yeah I’d spread that crap around my well any day
I’ve got that Bermuda scalped to the ground now and I’m just itching to get out there. Count me as a one percent- er
I really enjoyed this video with the history and the phyche behind the average person and lawn enthusiast, if you will. For me even if I had one bag I could throw down once a year I would still probably find a reason I needed to be out there, I'm sure there are many others like that too. Looking forward to part two.
If these ferts lasted as long as they claimed, I would use them exclusively. Right now its just a pipe dream.
I would say that as it stands right now, tech wise, one app for a DIY'r looking for "green grass for the kids" will do well with these even at the higher cost. But do these products fine tune based on conditions and needs? They never will, unless we would produce and keep in stock possibly 100+ variations with different combinations nutrients at varying rates. Maybe for the minimum contribution of N our programs require, we could throw down a one app product that carries the bulk of the burden, and our additional apps are still fine tuned to what we need on a particular location. But whats the difference if I add the N to those additional apps or throw it one time at a higher cost? Im going to Irish up my coffee now this was too much thought process for a Sunday 😃
The company I work at used Polyon in some trials last season and had good results, but there are a lot of homeowners that just don't understand the concept controlled released fertilizer
One and done is definitely not for me. I enjoy the learning about products, field testing and being outside. Thanks for the videos.
Ugh, way to leave such a cliffhanger! 😵 “I hate waiting” 😂
I see it every year…it’s very hard to convince the majority of homeowners to invest into lawn care come September. In their mind summer is lawn season and everything spent on lawn stuff past that time is a waste of money. Many of us want instant results and are not programmed for a long term approach.
I couldn’t see myself ever doing a one fert application. I enjoy being on the lawn and hearing the compliments I get from passerby’s. One application would bore me and drive me crazy.
If time was the issue: stop social media use.
That is all. After that, it is your own time management and scheduling preventing you from working around your home.
Be interested to see your next segment on this. My lawn is 15,000sf and time (frequency of apps) is a factor for sure. A one and done might be cool – if it performs the same. Otherwise, I'll stick with the 4 granular apps a year that I do now.
55% of homeowners in my county don’t use any fertilizer at all.
Are we talking about plastic-based polymers or natural components? Plastic-based polymers unfortunately degrade very slowly and can remain in the soil for up to 400 years.
Which really shouldn't be the goal! Or what do you think?
For the last several years I have been using IBDU as my spring application at 1 #. Not alot of extra surge growth and lasts until my end of summer application of Methelyne urea while the soil microbes can process it efficiently. as the temps drop going into fall I switch over to spoon feeding urea then ammonium sulphate near the end of the growing season. I target 3-4# N per year.
I think the "why not grow a field of native plants, daisies, and wild flowers with golden geese" are the 1% of "Need To's" that hate lawn care so much, they blog about alternatives to it.
Lesson to the "Have to's": don't make your children mow your lawn like it's a punishment, or they'll turn into the resentful "Need To's."
No I would not. I enjoy putting something down really at this point every 2 to 3 weeks. Its also exercise. Now maybe when I get older and I am not moving well or in pain the once a year would be a good option but for now I would not even consider it.