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 My lawn has just had new Zoysia sod put down. Location is S.C.
What kind of fertilizer should I use, when should it be fertilized and how often should it be fertilized?
Thank you for your help.
Answer The kind of fertilizer you should use depends of course on the SOIL TEST YOU DID BEFORE YOU PUT THE ZOYSIA DOWN. Right?
You did a Soil Test first, didn't you, Annie?
Because as you know, this is the most important step in growing a big, beautiful Green Lawn. Right, Annie?
Fertilizer then is completely unnecessary! Because you corrected your Soil BEFORE you spent the better part of your life savings on SOD!
Right?
You can never count on Sod people to tell you these things. That's why we have AllExperts Lawn people to tell you this for free.
And as you know, I point out whenever possible that bags of 'Fertilizer' are not only a waste of money (why would you add Nitrogen to Soil that is packed with Nitrogen?), but they are BAD for your Grass. They wipe out Soil microbes with a vengeance; they destroy the environment; and they make the Soil 'salty', a trait which is distinctly anti-Grass.
Zoysia is delightfully low-maintenance. Once established (which takes time), it builds a thick, dense carpet that resists Weeds almost as well as Bermudagrass and St Augustinegrass. It grows SO slowly (less mowing!). And it is SO drought tolerant (less watering!). Someone knew what they were doing when they rolled out the Zoysia this week.
Or, maybe I should take that back. Because that Someone did not have their soil analyzed... did they?
The most important thing you can do for your Zoysia right now is to keep it well watered to boost establishment of the root system. This can be accelerated and enhanced by application not of Fertilizer -- really, this is SO 20th century -- but of Harpin Protein, a substance you can purchase for spraying in a brand called 'Messenger', possibly available at your Garden Center. Spray and soak the roots and stems and leaves ASAP! Don't bother looking for this in the local discounter; it will not be off patent for another 6 or 7 years at least. It would be a very good idea to use it on your Zoysia.
Once established, the new Zoysia Lawn can be top dressed twice a year with Organic Matter. Earthworms will redistribute the top dressing like it was never there. Your earthworms by the way HATE Fertilizer (Salty as a French Fry -- ever stick one of those in your eye? It would sting to high heaven.)
