Talking about not having a spraying licence git me thinking about the pros and cons of the above. Am I right in saying that liquid fert can have a quicker effect by is shorter lived than micro granular?, in as much as liquid affects the leafi=of the plant rather than the root?
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
I Don't believe that fert comes under the pesticides regs.
Regarding the pros and cons of liquid/granular. a bit of both works.
I would need a licence for worm spraying though I think
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
Barry, liquid feeds are not as long lived as granular, but taken up by the plant much quicker, liquids are useful if you nee to apply during the playing season when a granule may affect the surface.
As i understand it you dont need a licence to spray fertiliser, but, given that serious damage could be caused if applied badly............
You would need a license to spray for worms, disease, weed control, etc.
Yes Neil
I wouldnt try spraying even fert without knowing how to do it properly. I suppose one advantage of liquidd as well is that you havent got to worry about irrigation. I put some granular fert onn Monday and its been bone dry every day since and I didnt want to water cos its too cold.
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
Barry
Caution! Some liquid ferts do require irrigation after. Use true foliar produts to avoid this. As foliars will be taken into the plant a lot quicker and be used a lot more efficiently compared to granulars there are considerably cost savings to be made. Depending on the foliar product you can expect at least 75% of that product to be within the grass plant within 12 hours. On average only 60% of your granular fert will ever get into your grass plant. With the low inputs you have on the square why not go foliars all year round. Frequency might have to increase regards apps. but you don't have to worry about granules on surface and mower pick up. Longevity mightn't be there either compared to granular but once that buggers down there's no picking it back up. Flushes of growth when you don't want them, increased disease pressures etc. You'll often find as well that your true nutrient input compared to what the grass actually gets can be worlds apart using granulars. I have seen some turf managers reduce their inputs by 50% when going to an all foliar programme ( not always recommended!) and still acheived the same quality vigour, growth, colour etc. etc.
Williams
I have no license and no applicator. I decided today to water the granular fert I put on Tuesday cos it was sitting there on top dry.But I can see aan advantage in season as Neil said, wouldnt have to worry about timing it like you have to with graanular so you et it on 2 hours before it rains!
Anywa, need to get hold of the money for a course and an appplicator, maybe next season.
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
Barry
Have you looked into Nutri DG granulars from Andersons. This will break down rapidly with water ie 5mins max into thousands of micro particles. For want of a better word it dissolves and therefore eliminates mower pick up and disruption to play. The product will then be taken up not only by the roots but also by the crown of the plant (good utilisation of product) especially at low heights of cut. Pricey but with such a small area (excluding out field of course) a good buy!
Good luck with the season ahead
Barry
You should'nt av watered the fert in it i,ll p**s it down as soon as you get your square mower back
11 Mar 2010 by IGS
Unless you have a major deficiency in your rootzone that are more cost effectively addressed with high analysis materials than liquids are effective as nutrients and allow total flexibility with application rates and tank mixing. Other materials can also be added when compatible.
don't over feed and let the plant roots find nutrients and moisture in the depth of the soil - slow release nitrogen forms make the plant lazy and may also lead to excess thatch build up
Sorry IGS, cant understand your first sentence.
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
Yes Paul, of course, it is raining just a nice amount this morning 
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
12 Mar 2010 by IGS
Neither can I , Barry - I'll try again
It was trying to say
that unless there is a major deficiency in a soil, and if so the major deficiency can be corrected (addressed) with an application programme of high analysis 'fertilisers', then liquids can provide a very flexible method of feeding the soil and grass plant.
In fact I picked up same very interesting add mixes only yesterday that when organically chelated provide even more flexibility and as their analysis are relatively high only small amounts are required.
With concentrated liquids the only filler is water that is normally added when you dilute in your spraying tank and not the array of inert materials used to fill the fertilisers on the market place
I hope I have my glasses on the right way this morning!
IGS
What are "high analysis fertilisers"
"when organically chelated"???
Sorry it may be my ignorance in such areas but I cant understand
this second paragraph. When you talk about the "inert materials used used to fill the fertilisers on the market place" are you talking about the make up of granular fertilisers?
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
12 Mar 2010 by IGS
High analysis fertiliser - straights
DAP - 18% N 46% P205
SOP - 50% K20
MgSO4 - 27% Mg
MnSO4 - 36% Mn
I will scribe some information regarding chelating agents and post on -
inert materials - these are the fillers that are used to buffer many granular fertiliser products out there - even good old 20-10-10 has about 20-odd% millstone grit as a filler.
look at that 8-0-0 + Mg based on ammonium sulphate the product is at least 30% filler
a granular fertiliser that does not contain any filler, with the exception of some additives to glue it all together is costly but on the other hand the application rates are much lower and therefore more cost effective
So basically, are you saying that one reason liquid is better than granular is that it is more "pure" as it were?
I presume a decent micro granular fert doesnt have this problem though.
Sorry didnt understand the first bit about High analysis - straights
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
12 Mar 2010 by IGS
The mini and micro-granulated products can have as much inert filler as any other grades. It all depends on how much nutrient (elements) are in the mix. Remember there can only be enough to make up a 100% product - any less and the free space needs to be filled.
Liquids may not be more effective at addressing deficiencies than granular as they have to be in solution which means that solutions total element content will be lower, where as a corrective high concentrate analysis material, say Manganese oxy-sulphate has a 27% content of Mn (elemental) - 34.8 oxide.
A soluble Mn liquid derived from 36% Mn is limited by its solubility of approx 46% and therefore a solution would be 15% Mn
Liquids can be beneficial especially when complexed / fused / reacted with organic chelators that inhibit lock-up / immobilisation, as nutrients can be taken up by the whole plant and not just the plant roots.
In the granulation say of a 12-2-6+1% Mg + 1% Mn using typical ingredient there could be some 43% inert filler to make up the 100% of product. - imagine an 8-0-0 product!
But then the micro-granule does allow for greater accuracy in application. In the same way that powdered 'fertilisers' (Blood & Bone meals) once common were mixed with sand and applied as a top-dressing - the sand here is the carrier / filler.
free space could be used to add an organic base or seaweeds, etc reducing the amount of inert filler.
With the accurate spreaders on the market and a skilled operator low application rates can accurately be achieved and therefore remove the need for low analysis / high filler content fertilisers.
10 years ago I produced a granular fertiliser using zeolite and lignite as the filler to add value and other benefits with no inert filler . That is what I call value, where one is purchasing a product with 100% active ingredient.
The product worked very well but then advancements were made and a new formula developed over the years only to realise that I can manage high quality sports turf without / or with very limited 'fertiliser' inputs - but that is another story.
Whilst on the subject I did notice the other day a zeolite based fertiliser containing 'slow release Iron', as Iron Oxide, it did not say whether the Iron is ferrous II oxide or ferrous III oxide.
I wonder how slow that release will be, probably in years, so why bother when there are probably tonnes in the soil already that will be made availible well before this.
Ok a little liquid iron can provide a cosmetic green up from time to time.
"Keep those mower blades sharp"
Back to Top - Go to Next Unread Message
This Message is closed, you may not post a reply at this time
