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Lawn Care Tips |
Testing your soils.
Find out about your soils before you add fertilizer. It's easy. Contact the University
of Minnesota Extension Service, Dakota County, at (651) 480-7700.
Use low zero phosphorous fertilizer.
Established lawns in Dakota County
generally have enough phosphorus in the soil.
Phosphorous is the middle number on a bag of fertilizer.
Low phosphorous fertilizer has
the number "3" or lower.
Keep fertilizer, grass clippings, and leaves off driveways and streets.
Nutrients that wash into storm drains
cause "green" lakes.
Fertilize in the fall.
If you only fertilize once, fertilize in the fall. Grass clippings left on the lawn
equal one application of fertilizer.
Maintain a healthy lawn.
Mow grass to a height of 2-3 inches; seed in the spring and fall; and
aerate and dethatch in the fall.
Don't dump in storm drains.
Anything that enters a storm drain goes directly to a local water body.
The water does not go to a water treatment plant and is not treated in any way.
Why do I need to fertilize my lawn?
Grass plants require
sufficient amount of nitrogen [N], phosphorous [P], and potassium [K], along with small amounts of other nutrients to remain healthy,
be vigorous, and resist disease. Our lawn soils may not provide enough nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium for good growth
and health throughout the season.
So, what kind of fertilizer should I buy?
Know your soil nutrient status -- test your soil.
Usually additional nitrogen and potassium needs to be added. Most Dakota County soils contain sufficient amounts of phosphorous
for healthy grass growth. Use fertilizers with low or no phosphorous where a soil test indicates adequate existing levels of
phosphorus.
Unless a soil test indicate otherwise, lawn fertilizers containing nitrogen [N], phosphorous [P], and potassium [K] in a ration of approximately 4 [N] to 1 [P] to 3 [K] are appropriate. These numbers will always appear in this order on any fertilizer bag. Low phosphorous fertilizer has middle number of three [3] or lower.
Some "slowly available nitrogen" is a plus when purchasing lawn fertilizers. Slowly available nitrogen is identified as WIN (water insoluble nitrogen) or "slow release nitrogen" on the fertilizer bag under the nitrogen information. These products provide some nitrogen for use by the plant right away and some for sustained feeding over a longer period of time.
What's the big deal about phosphorous [P] in our lakes?
Even small amounts of phosphorous
[P] entering our lakes can cause significant algae blooms and promote excess weed growth. This plants and animals as well as
its recreational value.
How can i use lawn fertilizers responsibly?
There are many sources of potential phosphorous contamination into
our lakes, rivers and streams. One very common source is the phosphorus in water entering storms sewers and flowing into our
lake and ponds.
Therefore, keep all fertilizer products on your lawn area where they can infiltrate into the soil and be used by the grass and / or bound by the soil. Once the phosphorous in fertilizer in fertilizer is watered into the soil, it becomes immobilized and resistant to leaching.
Avoid getting fertilizer on sidewalks, driveways, and streets where it can be washed directly into the storm sewer by rain or irrigation. Sweep up any fertilizer that falls onto these areas. Use it another time or scatter it directly back into the fertilizer to frozen ground.
Be careful not to apply fertilizer products directly to lakes. Use drop type spreaders where accuracy of product placement is important. Rotary spreaders are faster but much less accurate in applying fertilizer. Use rotary spreaders away from shoreline areas where there will be little danger of direct application of phosphorous to a water body.
Keep grass clippings and leaves out of the street and storm drainage areas, as they can also be carried away in storm run-off to our lakes and rivers, contributing phosphorous to the water quality problem.
What else can i do to get the most from my lawn fertilizer?
Soil
compaction is a common problem for lawn and trees, reducing vigor and resilience to pest. Aerating annually or a least every
couple of years helps improve and enlarge the root growing areas for the grass plants. Grass plants will be able to tap water
and nutrient reserve from a larger area of soil, improving its drought tolerance.
For most lawns, maintain your height at 2 to 3 inches throughout the growing season. Leave grass clippings on the lawn since they provide the equivalent of one application of fertilizer per year. One to one and half inches of water per week, including rainfall, is usually needed to maintain a green lawn all summer.
Information
available form the University of Minnesota Extension Service
Home Horticulture Catalog
Publications and information are available from
the University of Minnesota Extension Service, Dakota County, 4100 - 220th Street West, Farmington, Minnesota 55024. Call for
a home horticulture catalog and other information at (651) 480-7700
Master Gardener Volunteer
"GARDEN LINE"
Master Gardener volunteers
answer routine phone inquiries on lawn and gardening questions for Dakota County residents. Residents can call and request the
"GARDEN LINE" at (651) 480-7700 and leave a message. A Master Gardener will response with the requested information.
INFO-U
Messages
on lawn care and gardening topics and a variety of other family issues are available through INFO-U. Call (612)624-2200 from
a touch tone phone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is a free public service. For a complete catalog of topics, call
the University of Minnesota Extension Service, Dakota County, at (651) 480-7700
Sample INFO-U Voice Message titles:
282 Phosphorous
- Fertilizer and Water Pollution
283 Fertilizer - Nitrogen and Water Pollution
284 Fertilizer - Manufactured vs. Natural
520 Aeration
of Lawns
521 Lawn Clippings Management
529 Watering Lawns
530 Summer Lawn Watering
535 Thatch in Lawns
538 Correct Mowing Height
INFO-U
FAXBACK
Text of University of Minnesota Extension Service fact sheets are available via a home of office fax machine. Call (612)
624-220 from a touch tone phone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is a free public service. A complete listing of titles
can also be faxed.
Sample of INFO-U FAXBACK titles:
5774 Characteristic of Natural and Manufactured Fertilizers for Lawns
5890 Lawn Care
Practices to Reduce the Need for Fertilizers and Pesticides
8521 Mowing - Lawn Clipping Management
2923 Preventing Pollution Problems
from Lawns and Garden Fertilizers
8300 Protecting the Water Quality of Urban Lakes
1123 Thatch Control in Lawns and Other Turf
2364 Watering
Lawns and Other Turf
6551 Responsible Fertilizer Practices for Lawns
5891 Responsible Use of Lawn Care Pesticides
Provided by Dakota
County Environmental Education Program
A cooperative program between the Dakota County Environmental Management Department, Office
of Planning, Soil and Water Conservation District, and the University of Minnesota Extension Service.
4100 - 220th Street West, Suite
100
Farmington, Minnesota 55024
(651)480-7734
Funded and distributed by the City of Eagan
(651)681-4300
