# Fast Acting/Heavy Nitrogen Application



## Tbspivey (Apr 13, 2020)

I'm looking to hit my bermuda lawn with a boost of nitrogen before temperatures get too hot to cover some weak spots. I have been using pgf complete every 2 weeks putting down around 1 lb per month. I used this last year as well and had great results. However, I got my first reel mower this year and have been keeping the lawn around 3/4 of an inch tall as opposed to 1.5-2 last year, I've noticed some bare spots I would like to tackle before the temperatures get too hot to apply a heavy nitrogen application. This week we are starting to get into the 80s in Alabama.

1) Would you suggest putting down a 46-0-0 urea product at around 1 pound per throusand sq feet or more (I've already been applying 1/2 pound of nitrogen every 2 weeks) via pgf complete

2) If you suggest a different method please let me know what you suggest

3) If urea is the way to go until temps are too hot, where would you suggest purchasing it? Any particular brand?

Thanks in advance for your help and looking forward to hearing your advice!


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## Jeremy3292 (Apr 30, 2020)

You could spoon feed 1/2 lb N on the weeks you aren't doing PGF Complete. Wouldn't recommend exceeding 2 lbs N per 1,000 sq ft per month. Also doing PGF Complete every 2 weeks is a huge waste of money IMO. I know Doc pushes that, but he's just trying to sell product. PGF Complete once a month and spoon feed N other weeks would serve you just fine IMO.


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## Tbspivey (Apr 13, 2020)

Thanks! Glad to confirm my suspicions about pgf complete. Doc has been super helpful in turning my lawn around but I am just realizing how much of the product you have to put out and it definitely adds up. Not to mention the $90 bags of humichar!

I think pgf will be used occasionally from now on out as a supplement and as a light fert in the summer.

Anything I should look for in a straight nitrogen fertilizer? Looking forward to learning more here


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## Jeremy3292 (Apr 30, 2020)

Tbspivey said:


> Thanks! Glad to confirm my suspicions about pgf complete. Doc has been super helpful in turning my lawn around but I am just realizing how much of the product you have to put out and it definitely adds up. Not to mention the $90 bags of humichar!
> 
> I think pgf will be used occasionally from now on out as a supplement and as a light fert in the summer.
> 
> Anything I should look for in a straight nitrogen fertilizer? Looking forward to learning more here


Urea is generally straight nitrogen; if it's coated then it becomes slow release. You won't find it at a big box store usually; I get a 34-0-0 that's all fast release from a local turf supply company. I have watched a lot of Doc's videos and he can help you get on the right track for sure by explaining things such as pre-emergent's and simple bermuda facts. But the products he pushes are super expensive and not worth it for the average homeowner IMO. I've used PGF Complete and it's definitely a good fertilizer, but at $35 a bag for 5,000 sq ft and only 1/2 lbs of N, I can't justify it. Humichar is by far his biggest joke of a product at $90 a bag. The Humic DG from Anderson's is a good product though, but still expensive.

I personally think for the avg guy the Scott's Southern Lawn Food is a good maintenance fertilizer at 0.90 lbs N per 1,000 sq ft and it has some iron and potassium as well. Plus it's only like $17 a bag. You can then supplement with 0.50 lbs of straight N over the course of a month as well. If your soil test says you are deficient in P, then get a starter fertilizer which has high P.

Overall, yard care is all what you make it IMO. You can get a pretty decent bermuda lawn mostly by using the products at Lowes or Home Depot, as long as you know what you're doing. But there are some things you can't get there; just depends on what your needs are and what you're trying to accomplish.


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

Tbspivey said:


> I'm looking to hit my bermuda lawn with a boost of nitrogen before temperatures get too hot to cover some weak spots. I have been using pgf complete every 2 weeks putting down around 1 lb per month. I used this last year as well and had great results. However, I got my first reel mower this year and have been keeping the lawn around 3/4 of an inch tall as opposed to 1.5-2 last year, I've noticed some bare spots I would like to tackle before the temperatures get too hot to apply a heavy nitrogen application. This week we are starting to get into the 80s in Alabama.
> 
> 1) Would you suggest putting down a 46-0-0 urea product at around 1 pound per throusand sq feet or more (I've already been applying 1/2 pound of nitrogen every 2 weeks) via pgf complete
> 
> ...


Why would you be scared to put out nitrogen when temperatures get hot? Bermuda loves the heat as long as it's getting water. Yes you don't want to throw down ridiculous amounts of nitrogen during the summer but Bermuda will thrive when temps are hot. You just have to be careful not to burn the lawn. Urea May be a little "hot" to apply as a granular during the summer but don't back off the nitrogen. As long as the grass is dry when you apply and you water correctly nitrogen is your friend during the summer. Until temps hit 85+ your bare spots will be slow to fill in.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

It grows when it's hot; Ammonium sulfate or Urea at $15-20 bag works just fine.


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## Hapa512 (Mar 22, 2020)

I'm currently using this right now and have not had any burning, and seems like my lawn is coming in great. I leveled and topdressed in the last two months. I also over seeded after aerating, once before I topdressed and another time before I over seeded. I had some compaction issues so that why I core aerated twice.

https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Peasy-Urea-Fertilizer-46-0-0/dp/B071WCW6P7/ref=pd_rhf_ee_s_rp_c_0_7/131-3454715-7008430?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B071WCW6P7&pd_rd_r=34af5b7b-281b-4b03-b673-f94057b99f46&pd_rd_w=U5yMG&pd_rd_wg=IjXlJ&pf_rd_p=e7689c0c-effa-447b-90f6-431e8090e282&pf_rd_r=598FVV5106TEXVDD00X6&psc=1&refRID=598FVV5106TEXVDD00X6


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## Tbspivey (Apr 13, 2020)

Thanks so much, All Great info.

A little background, this will be our second full summer in the house. The pictures below off trulia were June-July of 2018 before we bought it and didn't do anything to the lawn that year.

Last year it made a huge turnaround and granted these pictures were at its best, I was very happy with the yard. However, this was at 1.5-2 inches with the rotary motor.

This year lawn was starting off well before I cut it down with the reel mower about a month and a half ago. It just doesn't seem to be filling in as well as it did this time last year? Do you think it's just easier to tell at 3/4"? Any reason I shouldn't be cutting this low? I'll try to get some pictures tomorrow if that helps.


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## Tbspivey (Apr 13, 2020)

From the other day. Hard to tell here I'll get close ups tomorrow but some weak spots for sure


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## T0R0 (Mar 4, 2019)

Whatever your doing it looks like the yard is liking it! Great job! Go to your local Ewing irrigation or Site one landscape and grab some 46-0-0 (urea) or 21-0-0 (ammonium sulfate) usually $20 or less for a 50lb bag. Both of those are fast release. I like using 21-0-0 because my soil ph is around 7 and the sulfur in AS helps lower it slightly. Also, I feel like I get better coverage with 21-0-0 when I decide to use a spreader (I mainly dissolve it and spray) because you have to put more product out to get your 1lb N per 1M compared to a 46-0-0.


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

@Tbspivey i can tell you from experience that Bermuda will look thicker when grown longer. However when you get down under the canopy it is very thin. What you are seeing now has always been there but was covered by the thicker canopy. Temps are just starting to get to Bermuda level so be patient. If you took it down to 3/4" did you bump the mower up a little afterwards? You want to use the lower cut as your scalp and then go up a little to allow the green to grow in. The lawn looks good for this time of year. Give it a few weeks and you'll wonder why you ever stressed. 👍


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## Tbspivey (Apr 13, 2020)

Thanks Toro! Looks like there is a Site One landscaping right down the road. I'll be picking some up today.

I scalped just over 1/2 inch and have been keeping it at 3/4. It just hasn't seemed to grow much. I spend so much time out in the yard I just realized the scalp was actually only 3 weeks ago. Seems like forever waiting on it to grow in ha.

Hopefully with a little more nitrogen and warmer temps moving in I'll be good to go. If not, I know where to come for more help. Thank you!


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## Tbspivey (Apr 13, 2020)

Picture of the backyard now to compare later (holes are from aeration 3 days ago)

From afar you can't see the thin spots at well but the closer you get, the more dirt you can see.

I just put down carbon x for the first time. If it works out I may be switching from pgf complete to carbon x and alternating it with urea or ammonium sulfate. Does that sound like a good plan as long as I stay around 2 lbs of nitrogen per 1k sq feet?


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## MarkLester (Sep 10, 2018)

TheAndersons make great products but there are so many different and better products out there than PGF complete. Doc is only trying to sell products so he can make more money. 
Check out your local Ewing Irrigation store and talk to those guys. Check out a company named Howard Johnson Enterprise. They make a great 25-0-0


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## Jeremy3292 (Apr 30, 2020)

Temps haven't been high enough, too mild of a spring. Wait a few more weeks and see if it fills in more.


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## Tbspivey (Apr 13, 2020)

Just got my soil test back!

Anything stand out to you all? Phosphorus seems really high (maybe due to the pgf comolete) Do I need to do anything to correct that? Also the organic matter was surprising to me because I have terrible clay soul. Maybe all the humichar and chicken feed I've been putting on my yard has actually helped 😂


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## Tbspivey (Apr 13, 2020)

Clay soil* lol. It actually has no soul


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## Jeremy3292 (Apr 30, 2020)

Tbspivey said:


> Just got my soil test back!
> 
> Anything stand out to you all? Phosphorus seems really high (maybe due to the pgf comolete) Do I need to do anything to correct that? Also the organic matter was surprising to me because I have terrible clay soul. Maybe all the humichar and chicken feed I've been putting on my yard has actually helped 😂


Yes, this is why Doc recommending everyone use a 16-4-8 all growing season is ridiculous. Same reason why a lot of people who use Milorganite religiously have super high P levels as well. A 16-4-8 once a season is fine; then just using an N + K fertilizer and some N apps throughout the year is all you need. Soil test annually or biannually is the way to go also.

I'm curious where that soil test is from? Might start sending mine there; Clemson is still closed.


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## Tbspivey (Apr 13, 2020)

You're right. It's actually funny because I've heard doc say he doesn't use milorganite because of the high p.

I used Waypoint Analytical. It only took 2 days! The form is a little confusing but there is another thread I found here about how to fill it out.


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## Tbspivey (Apr 13, 2020)

With the results from the soil test, should I just stop adding anything with Phosphorus and maybe add some lime?


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## Colonel K0rn (Jul 4, 2017)

Tbspivey said:


> With the results from the soil test, should I just stop adding anything with Phosphorus and maybe add some lime?


With a soil test like that, I think you'd be fine to go with XGrn, which would probably be considerably less than the products from Anderson's and definitely Doc. You pH could use a slight bump, so 10#/M would do you some good.


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## FedDawg555 (Mar 19, 2020)

Tbspivey said:


> Just got my soil test back!
> 
> Anything stand out to you all? Phosphorus seems really high (maybe due to the pgf comolete) Do I need to do anything to correct that? Also the organic matter was surprising to me because I have terrible clay soul. Maybe all the humichar and chicken feed I've been putting on my yard has actually helped 😂


Interesting...I used PGF complete all last year on my GA clay soil and my soil test in February showed I was way low in Phosphorus. Did you do a test last year for a baseline comparison? I really liked the results of PGF complete but got tired of always out of stock and price. I'm curios did you do your soil test at least 90 days after your last application? What's your real thoughts on the whole organic matter from the chicken feed? I can't wrap my heads round it but hey I may work.


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## BermudaBoy (Jun 27, 2019)

FedDawg555 said:


> Tbspivey said:
> 
> 
> > Just got my soil test back!
> ...


The chicken litter is your slow release fertilizer in the Carbon Earth products. Once the fast release has fed your grass it's the manure that takes over and gives you sustained growth and not just a quick boost. The manure increases microbial action which continues to feed your lawn long after the synthetic material is gone.

Doc recommends putting down a full application of PGF Complete every 3 weeks until temps get hot and you need to back off. That's an insane schedule for putting down a full application of fertilizer and rather pricey but that's how Doc rolls. My evidence is only anecdotal but a full app of Carbon X gives me sustained growth over a much longer period of time and is far more cost effective.


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## Jeremy3292 (Apr 30, 2020)

BermudaBoy said:


> FedDawg555 said:
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> 
> > Tbspivey said:
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Doc only says to put PGF complete out every 3-4 weeks to sell product lol. It's also only 0.58 lbs of N / 1,000 sq ft, so the risk of over fertilizing is minimum.


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## BermudaBoy (Jun 27, 2019)

Jeremy3292 said:


> BermudaBoy said:
> 
> 
> > FedDawg555 said:
> ...


I know. I wonder what exactly is his relationship to Anderson's. He makes it seem as if he brings them these great ideas and they just make it happen. Those two are strange bedfellows.


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## Jeremy3292 (Apr 30, 2020)

BermudaBoy said:


> Jeremy3292 said:
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> > BermudaBoy said:
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I've always wondered the same but they do use the videos he makes on Amazon as like product info videos. It's really strange for sure. He just called up Anderson's and was like "hey guys my name is Doc let's make residential products and sell them for a lot of money" lol what???

Also there's no way he pays for that product; he definitely gets it for free. So if I had bags and bags of free Humichar and PGF Complete I would also use them a lot as well.


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