Winter fertizling

[Greenkeeper2021]

Hi all,

Just looking for insights on organic lawn winter care.

I've heard of the tea spoon method in the UK which is a little bit of fertilizer being applied more often. Has anyone incorporated this method?

Winter is coming to Ireland soon, and the grass growth is still quite strong.

I'm hoping to make an organic high potassium and phosphorus fertilizer to keep the roots strong. If anyone has any recommendations for which organic material use, it would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

 

[Esther Knapicius]

The only thing the Amish around me put on their vast acres ect for the winter is Lyme. So riding about you see land covered in white powder, during the winter with snow etc, it slowly mixes in with the soil.

 

[Meadowlark]

The only thing my lawn gets in summer, or winter is whatever Nature provides. I have a lot of white clover, and it provides excellent Nitrogen sourcing.

The Amish have it right in my opinion when it comes to growing grass.

 

[WarrenJ]

Use an iron based fertilizer at this time of year to strengthen your turf for the coming months.
You will most likely only need to apply once as the grass becomes dormant in the winter months. This doesn't mean you can't protect what health it currently has ready for spring.
Best thing you can do is keep it clear of leaves to allow heat and sunlight through and don't walk on the grass when the ground is frozen or there's a heavy frost.

 

[oneeye]

The most importaint thing when fertilizing during the Winter is to never use anything with nitrogen in it. You want to make sure the first number is 0 and the other very low.

 

[oneeye]

The only thing the Amish around me put on their vast acres ect for the winter is Lyme. So riding about you see land covered in white powder, during the winter with snow etc, it slowly mixes in with the soil.

They use dolomite lime to raise the soil pH and increase the amount of calcium and magnesium in the soil.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

They use dolomite lime to raise the soil pH and increase the amount of calcium and magnesium in the soil.

What I see is vast acres covered in white powder. Some Amish go about with a cart full of manure and a turn thing that throws it about as they move forward. Maybe the same area later is then powdered with the white stuff. Of course, if the field happens to be downwind from your open window it not much fun.

 

[Meadowlark]

They use dolomite lime to raise the soil pH and increase the amount of calcium and magnesium in the soil.

When I first got into ranching (which is really just grass farming), dolomite lime was cheap to purchase and cheap to apply.

Big liming trucks could carry in about 30 tons a load and fill spreader trucks which could spread about 10 tons per load. My soil tested out needing 4 tons per acre which I had applied to a 20-acre hay field at a cost of about $250.

An incredible bargain that resulted in an immediate doubling of the hay production annually and untold increases in my sold cattle weights.

The application lasted about 5 years before losing effectiveness.

Prices doubled, then tripled, then I couldn't get it at any cost.

The Amish absolutely know what they are doing. I have great respect for their farming methods.

By the way, liming is also very effective in gardens like mine with high acidic soils.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

a cart full of manure and a turn thing that throws it about as they move forward.

A muck spreader, there is a video somewhere of a farmer freeing one that has jammed, he is leaning over it when it suddenly starts working again.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

A muck spreader, there is a video somewhere of a farmer freeing one that has jammed, he is leaning over it when it suddenly starts working again.

The spreader the Amish use is somehow connected with the horses that pull it. If the horses don't move the spreader does not work. Can't think I have ever seen a "non" Amish farmer use one of those spreaders. Recall some type of truck and a tank on it with sprayers on the side and the farmer just driving the truck.

 

[Meadowlark]

The spreader the Amish use is somehow connected with the horses that pull it. If the horses don't move the spreader does not work. Can't think I have ever seen a "non" Amish farmer use one of those spreaders. Recall some type of truck and a tank on it with sprayers on the side and the farmer just driving the truck.

Actually @Esther Knapicius ground driven spreaders are quite common with many versions made just for households.

I plant most of my cover crops and spread dolomite lime on my garden using this one. It has worked great for many years...ground driven and the human is the "horse"

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Actually @Esther Knapicius ground driven spreaders are quite common with many versions made just for households.

I plant most of my cover crops and spread dolomite lime on my garden using this one. It has worked great for many years...ground driven and the human is the "horse"
View attachment 112026

we have a small one like that for grass seeds.

 

[Mike Allen]

Hi all,

Just looking for insights on organic lawn winter care.

I've heard of the tea spoon method in the UK which is a little bit of fertilizer being applied more often. Has anyone incorporated this method?

Winter is coming to Ireland soon, and the grass growth is still quite strong.

I'm hoping to make an organic high potassium and phosphorus fertilizer to keep the roots strong. If anyone has any recommendations for which organic material use, it would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Here in the UK. and as a retired professional. Forget winter fertilizers.

 

[DirtMechanic]

I toss dolomitic lime with this spreader, or a pull behind I have for my lawn tractor. The dolomitic has magnesium which along with calcium and other alkaline nutrient leach from our clay due to our higher rainfall.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

The manure spreader I am referring is-----a cart about 10 foot by 6 foot, pulled by a team of horses. In the cart is a big tank that just fits in the cart, it has some sort of pump on it and spinner thing. The team of horses, usually about 3 of them pulls this with the Amish guy at the front guiding them. its up on 4 wagon wheels. Somehow the spinner thing is hooked to the motion of the wagon, so if the wagon stops the spinner thing stops.