AboutThe Long Island Gardener Expertise Do you know the wrong fertilizer will keep your plants from blooming?
Do you know that too much Nitrogen can kill your grass, even if it does not burn the roots? Do you know that Roses need a LOT of Nitrogen to bloom -- and why is that?
There's some complex chemistry in those plant foods. The secrets behind N-P-K are the key to the ultimate lawn, the the biggest flowers, the most fruits and vegetables. And if you don't get it right, you could be sorry.
I'll show you what you did wrong, and how to fix it.
Experience Homeowner with gardens indoors and outdoors, lawns back and forth. I wrote my first gardening column for our college newspaper, teaching roomates about the right way to feed those windowsills gardens. Today I look for challenges. Organic Fertilizers are the key to proper feeding of all our plants. Can you make your own fertilizer? Some people think so -- but there are side effects. I have been there, done that for 54 years and there is nothing like the voice of experience when it comes to Horticulture and Fertilizers.
Publications Numerous and sundry but only in college did I write about plants.
Education/Credentials B.A., Botany and Mass Communications.
Question I accidently picked up Scotts Bonus S Winterizer fertilizer and spread over my
yard and now my centipede grass is turning yellow. What can I do to counteract
this?
Answer How do you accidentally pick up a bag of this stuff, Vickie? Tsk tsk tsk.
Scotts has a standing refund policy on its products. If you are not happy with the results -- which I would say is the case here -- you can send them the bag and they will send you money. Not a lot but it's something. They won't buy you new Grass or repair any other damage to the Lawn, but they will give you a token apology. They also have advice for accidental use of any of their Lawn products which pretty much goes that if you water it enough, it will be diluted and the damage will be less than if it was full strength. With slow release capsules, unfortunately, there is not much you can do except grin and bear it.
Vickie, these products are BAD for your Soil and BAD for your Grass. The one thing they are great for is keeping stockholders happy. And it keeps a lot of advertising people employed. Next time you are accidentally shopping for this stuff, remember that Scotts is in business to make money. 21st Century science has advanced beyond the 19th and early 20th century basics. We know a LOT now. Hell, we can juggle genes. We can decipher DNA. Doesn't it make sense that we would also be able to monitor plant cell growth, proteins, microorganisms, color molecules, all the things that no one knew 50 or 100 years ago?
Think about that nex time you find yourself accidentally paying for these products at the cash register.
Thanks for writing. Sorry about your Grass. Let me know when you are ready to quit smoking, so to speak.
