Fertilizer prices are way up
To learn more
For more information about soil tests or fertilizer, contact the Rock County UW Extension at (608) 757-5676.
JANESVILLE — Leave your grass clippings on the lawn.
Fertilize selectively.
Or, open your wallet and get out the big bills.
Fertilizer prices have risen significantly, leaving homeowners wondering if their emerald green lawns are worth it.
“Fertilizer is tied to the cost of petroleum and commodities,” said Dave Riemer co-owner of five Ace Hardware stores in Janesville, Beloit and Monroe. “We ordered our fertilizers last fall, when the prices were still high.”
Here’s how it works: Petroleum is used in the manufacture, processing and transportation of most fertilizers, explained Jim Stute, UW Extension soils and crops agent.
Most people remember when the cost of oil rose to an unprecedented $150 a barrel in July 2008.
Now add farm commodities to the mix. The price for corn and soybeans started to rise in 2006, driving up the demand for fertilizer. In July 2008, commodity prices peaked and then plunged, cutting the demand for fertilizer and leaving companies with fertilizer that had been expensive to manufacture but with few buyers.
It was this expensive fertilizer that most retailers had to order last fall.
So what’s a smart homeowner to do? Let their lawns go from plush to pathetic?
Actually, they’ve got plenty of choices
-- First, watch for rebates
“Fertilizer prices have come back down since last fall, and manufactures have been good about offering rebates,” said Riemer. “They’re a little bit higher cost initially. But with the rebates, fertilizers come down in price to about what they were last year.”
Rebates range from $3 to more than $30.
“One of the four-step fertilizer programs has a $35 rebate,” Riemer said. “That’s the biggest rebate I can recall.”
Phyliss Williams, of K&W Greenery, cautioned against grabbing up the cheaper, off brands.
“Companies that are not quite scrupulous are making fertilizer overly hot,” Williams said. “People wanting to be economical can save a buck, but ruin their lawns.”
A “hot” fertilizer means the ingredients are in a raw form that can damage or kill plants.
-- Next, consider cutbacks carefully.
“Sod is a heavy feeding plant,” said Williams.
Ideally, grass should be fed four times a year.
Mike Maddox, UW Extension and Rotary Gardens horticulture educator, recommends the holiday plan: Memorial Day, July 4—unless it’s very hot and dry—Labor Day and Halloween.
If you can only afford to fertilize once, Halloween is best, said Maddox.
“The grass is still growing at that time and will suck up the nutrients right away,” Maddox said. “Then in the spring, it will be nice and healthy.”
If you can fertilize more than once, work your way back through the holidays. For established lawns, fertilizing in the spring is the lowest priority.
In addition, be sure to leave the grass clippings on your lawn after mowing. The clippings provide extra nitrogen and other nutrients.
-- Buy the right product.
Nitrogen is the most important nutrient for sod. Fertilizer bags contain three letters, N, P, and K, and they stand for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Pick a fertilizer with high nitrogen number, even if it’s more expensive. Cheaper fertilizers with lower numbers mean you’ll have to use more to get the same effect, Maddox explained.
Consider using a “maintenance blend,” which is usually less expensive than a targeted blend.
However, if you’re starting new grass, fertilizer labeled for grass starting has the best mix of ingredients.
-- Leave off the lime.
Plenty of people add lime to “sweeten” their lawns.
“Our soils tend to have plenty of lime in them already,” Maddox said.
Before adding lime, spend $15 on a soil test to see what nutrients your lawn really needs.
May 6, 2009 at 5:10 p.m.
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Callit...., you're being a little harsh on the believers!
May 5, 2009 at 2:40 p.m.
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thekid, we'd hate to lose ya.
And that's "we'd" not "weed."
May 5, 2009 at 2:30 p.m.
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gmaof3: I agree. But, sometimes those chemical treatment trucks are also there for soil tests, etc.., (of course this isn't the rule--more like the exception to why they are parked out front.) I had a neighbor who had their yard sprayed and maintenanced all the time. Seemed like such a waste and danger to me!
May 5, 2009 at 2:27 p.m.
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I need to re-landscape my yard. Who has the best prices on mulch and cocoa beans?? I'm excited to try those....heard it gives off a chocolatey aroma :) I plan on putting the cocoa beans near my front door. (My poor husband will come home from work thinking I actually baked him something...poor guy! haha).
May 5, 2009 at 2:23 p.m.
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glad to see a leopard hasn't changed its spots....
May 5, 2009 at 6:49 a.m.
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good points hannah. its more brownish green...accept im gonna say it may not be so much who is complaining as who is posting. just a guess. i emailed mr angus as to why its acceptable on the front page of the paper but not on a blog here for your info is mr angus' response
"Listen, Kid, we do the best we can. We don't have a full-time staff to monitor all of this, and some of you make it mighty hard to keep up. We take down what we see if we think it should come down. We generally don't want people to use creative spellings of nasty words. As for the finger picture, we decided that had news value. Your creative attempts to get around our rules do not.
Bottom line: We do our best, but we don't have the staff to be as thorough and consistent as we'd like. You seem to like posting, so err on the side of caution and you'll be fine. And to be honest, we have little time and patience for people who continually push the boundaries and create headaches. You're stepping into that territory."
May 4, 2009 at 8:04 p.m.
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I'm lost... ?
May 4, 2009 at 6:56 p.m.
May 4, 2009 at 6:50 p.m.
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my grass is always green and take noooo fertilizers;)
callitasiseeit: funny stuff!!
May 4, 2009 at 6:15 p.m.
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I cringe when I see those chemical lawn trucks parked in the neighborhood. It seems so dangerous when they pop in those tiny signs saying the area has been "treated". Neighborhood children, dogs, birds... they can't read these signs!
Instead of paying someone to feed your lawn, feed a family of four, for a week, instead!
May 4, 2009 at 3:48 p.m.
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RAmen,
CallitasIseeit, RAmen
May 4, 2009 at 1:11 p.m.
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I just print out the comment section under the "Is the religious right imploding?" and "In school religion by any other name is still religion" stories and spread it on my lawn. There is enough BS in those posts to keep my lawn green without any store bought fertilizer.
May 4, 2009 at 12:10 p.m.
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If you don't plant a non-native lawn, you don't have to buy fertilizer. Having a turf lawn is no longer the acceptable status symbol in America; it has become a symbol of waste and greed. And by the way- lawn fertilizers with phosphorus will be banned in Wisconsin very soon, so watch the number on the bags drop to zero.
I am really shocked that Maddox stated to find the fertilizer with the highest concentration of nitrates, so it lasts longer. Different soils require different concentrations. Having a higher nitrate concentration only guarantees greater risk of runoff potential if applied incorrectly.
I would rather have a lawn full of beautiful dandilions than spray it with chemicals.
May 4, 2009 at 11:54 a.m.
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Where can I get a lawnmower blade sharpened? How much does it cost? I'm wondering if it may be easier to just buy a new blade.
May 4, 2009 at 11:02 a.m.
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Wisconsin-based horticulturist Melinda Myers has links on lawn care.
http://www.melindamyers.com/directory/ga...
.
Most people fertilize far more than is necessary for a healthy lawn. One of the best things you can do for your lawn is simply mowing correctly -- sharpen your mower blades, and leave 2/3 of the grass blades. Cutting too short stresses grass and leaves room and sun for weeds.
May 4, 2009 at 10:20 a.m.
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Your lawn fertilizer should not have any phosphorus (P) in it unless it really, really needs it. A new law banning phosphorsu was signed into law April 14.
http://www.wisconsinagconnection.com/sto...
The law won't go into effect until next spring, but many communities in Wisconson already ban phosphorus in lawn fertilizers.
May 4, 2009 at 8:53 a.m.
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Well we are just going with the green freaks out there. we like the clover and the violets and yes even the dandelions so we just mow when we have to. after all aren't fertilizers bad for the environment?? we are just leaving it to nature that way it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to maintain. we have better things to do withour time like spend it with the family!
May 4, 2009 at 3:12 a.m.
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Of course you should take care of your lawn, but hint hint, the off brand fertilizer is 9 times out of 10 better then the name brand stuff. Keep pride in your lawn and appearance of your house.
May 3, 2009 at 9:16 p.m.
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I've got far more important things to do than to diddle with the lawn..As long as it has grass and is green I'm perfectly satisfied.
May 3, 2009 at 4:50 p.m.
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I like my weeds, they're green and grow faster than grass! Just joking, but I don't do the whole weed killer, lawn fertilizer, blah-blah-blah. Not a priority for me. I'd rather feed my husband a nice juicy steak, than feed the lawn.
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