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2009 Turfgrass Fertility Report
1 Oct, 2009 By: Ron Hall, Curt Harler Landscape ManagementIncrease Profits and Efficiency with Slow- and Controlled-Release Fertilizers
Today, landscape and lawn care professionals face greater pressures, especially in financial terms. Rising fuel, material and labor costs have dipped into profits and the slowing economy means some homeowners and property managers are eliminating services to accommodate their shrinking budgets.
Landscape and lawn care professionals need to make some changes in order to remain competitive. Re-evaluating fertilization is a good place to start.
When it comes to achieving green, healthy turf and plants, fertilizers represent a necessary and essential investment and a significant time requirement. If those commitments can be reduced, the efficiency and profit potential for the applicator can be considerably greater.
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More Weeks of Green Equals More Savings
Nitrogen is essential in all fertilizers, but not all fertilizers that contain Nitrogen are the same. The main difference is how Nitrogen is released, which impacts how often and how much to apply—this varies greatly from fertilizer to fertilizer.
Most traditional fast-release fertilizers are highly water soluble and typically release their Nitrogen quickly and all at one time. When this happens, nutrients may not be available to the plant later on. This means several more applications may be needed to keep the landscape green and healthy.
Slow- and controlled-release fertilizers, on the other hand, are manufactured in a way that prevents water from rapidly dissolving the fertilizer nutrients. Instead, nutrients are gradually and consistently released to the soil to meet plant demands over a longer period of time.
Slow- and controlled-release fertilizers allow landscape and lawn care professionals to increase their productivity and lower overhead costs. And, because nutrients are supplied gradually to plants, slow- and controlled-release fertilizers also minimize the chance of nutrient losses to the environment through leaching or volatilization.
Wasted Applications
Recent survey results show that landscape and lawn care professionals across the country typically average four to six fertilizer applications per year at any given location. That eats up quite a bit of time, energy, labor and fuel. Slow- and controlled-release fertilizers, like Agrium Advanced Technologies' XCU™ , DURATION CR® , NITROFORM® , NUTRALENE® and POLYON® brands, allow lawn care professionals to lower annual use rates, make fewer applications and provide a steady supply of nutrients into the soil over many weeks or months. This means customers' lawns will get the nutrients they need to stay healthy and look good, and you'll save money.
It's important for landscape and lawn care professionals to re-examine their approach to fertilization—especially in regard to weeks of green and the cost savings associated with enhanced efficiency fertilizers.
As the leading manufacturer of slow- and controlled-release fertilizers and plant protection products for lawns, landscapes, golf courses, greenhouses, nurseries and agriculture, Agrium Advanced Technologies is at the forefront of economic, environmentally friendly fertilizer technologies. Our company is working hard to provide innovative, cost-saving solutions with slow- and controlled-release technologies and we're committed to helping our customers discover smarter ways to grow. For more information, please visit www.agriumat.com.
SMARTER TURF FERTILITY
SUCCESSFUL LAWN AND LANDSCAPE PROS BASE THEIR FERTILIZER CHOICES ON CUSTOMER-PLEASING, SERVICE-DELIVERY MODELS
BY RON HALL, EDITOR AT LARGE
Fertilization is the best thing landscape contractors can do for turfgrass. It contributes greatly to turf color, density, uniformity and growth. Properly fertilized turf is able to compete with weeds and recover from damage caused by insects, diseases or weather-related stresses better.
 Bill Hildebolt says multiple visits are needed to solve the host of problems that can affect clients' lawns. |
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