# Am I reading this fert recommended rate correctly?



## andynewk (Nov 18, 2021)

This fertilizer that I bought contains 26% nitrogen. This means that to apply 1 lb. N /1,000 sqft., you'd need about 4 pounds of solution, right? However, the label recommends only applying 20 oz. / 1,000 sqft. Is this odd or just normal that labels recommend a low amount of N? Also, does this seem expensive for the amount of N?


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## Grizzly Adam (May 5, 2017)

My math says you need 46 ounces, which also comes out to 3.85 lbs. 1 lb/1000 is a good number, go with it. This product costs 1.42 per lb, which is about two as much as I spend for my granular.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

They are likely recommending a foliar rate instead of a soil. Either way it is expensive in my opinion. If you want something cheaper for foliar, Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF). It is sold for around $7 at walmart for 2.5gallons. 10oz ~= 0.1lb of N. It is urea + deionized water.


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## Bkeller500 (Jul 2, 2018)

I like to do granular apps of N but in-between those apps, I like to spray N from my tow sprayer. I like the convenience of 1-gal and 2.5 gal jugs of N but it seems to always work out to be 2x or 3x cost per 1,000 than granular. Diluting Urea 46-0-0 or AMS is normally easy but time consuming. Most often it dissolves within a few minutes and with a little stirring. Just pouring from a jug is simpler but more expensive. I have never tried DEF but if caught on sale it might be worth a try. I doubt it would be a better N for my lawn then Urea 46-0-0 just simpler to use. I dislike freight and shipping charges and shipping liquids is expensive as they are heavy. If a supplier offers free shipping than I have to assume the product has less value in the container when you subtract out the cost of freight. I will stick with diluting Urea but I would love to hear from someone who used DEF and can report back it was safe for their lawn and saw benefit from it. I know P & K are also necessary and I occasionally grab some N-P-K blends on sale and throw them down too. GCI and LCN also have micro nutrients to supplement that are normally harder to find locally.


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## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

There is nothing sacrosanct about 1# of nitrogen. The available literature suggests that It is a recommendation based on a combination of convenience and aesthetics. It's reasonably convenient to apply fertilizer once a month and four to 6 weeks following the application of N, the turf availability of N is usually reduced (turf uptake, soil life, run-off and leaching) to a point where turf growth and color becomes less aesthetically pleasing. Spoon feeding, applying smaller amounts of N, but more often, is used to maintain a more consistent availability of N and a more consistent aesthetic appearance. meh.


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