# Correcting Fertilizer Stripes



## Pezking7p (May 23, 2020)

Ive managed to create some mild fertilizer stripes in my lawn in a few areas. These are areas that got a bit less fertilizer, rather than bright green awful lines. I made them by rushing a 0.5 lbs application of AMS with my spreader that turned out to be closer to 0.75 lbs, in wind, and trying to compensate with my distance between passes. I should have just down two 90 degree passes but hind sight is 20/20.

I'm planning to spray another 0.25 lbs this weekend and plan to take a quick "extra" pass down the center of each line before spraying, then spray the lawn as normal but at 90 degrees to the lines.

Can this work to fix/lessen the lines?

TIA


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## CarolinaCuttin (Sep 6, 2019)

@Pezking7p Are you overlapping 50% into your previous pass? You should be throwing fertilizer in between the two wheel tracks of your previous pass. Note that this will double the rate at which you are fertilizing so you need to dial back the spreader setting but it will allow you to get much more uniform coverage. Two directions 90° to each other will improve but may not fix the problem entirely, the most important thing is 50% overlap into your previous pass.

The reason for this is that the spreader does not put out the same rate over the entire swath. It may be 0.6 lbs N right. between the wheels and 0.2 lbs N on the outside 12 inches of both sides of the swath

In all honesty it doesn't look that bad, in two weeks you will have sprayed 0.50 pounds of additional N and that will likely be enough to remedy the issue. If you do pull the spreader out again just check your overlap and you'll be good.


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## Pezking7p (May 23, 2020)

I throw to the last wheel line, but the spreader throws a bit farther on one side than the other, and the wind was really really blowing, and it was dusk and the AMS is gray so, yah, all kinds of things could have gone wrong with my overlap. I winged it on the setting a bit rather that double checking beforehand, and I put down more than I wanted which also didn't help.

Anyway, obviously my spreading game needs some work.

I was only planning this last application this spring. Do you continue to spoon feed through spring? If so then yah, I'll probably just do a normal app.


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## Lawn Whisperer (Feb 15, 2021)

I had fertilizer stripes when I used to have Scotts spreader. The fertilizer was hitting the wheels. I applied it in late spring and attempted to fix it with Milo to avoid nitrogen burn. Since organic took a while to work, I had to live with the "lawn of shame" for a few weeks.


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## Pezking7p (May 23, 2020)

Lawn Whisperer said:


> I had fertilizer stripes when I used to have Scotts spreader. The fertilizer was hitting the wheels. I applied it in late spring and attempted to fix it with Milo to avoid nitrogen burn. Since organic took a while to work, I had to live with the "lawn of shame" for a few weeks.


Thankfully it's nothing like that. Just a few broad streaks where the grass isn't growing very fast yet. Most people probably don't see it and think my lawn is perfect, but they bother me


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

Pezking7p said:


> I throw to the last wheel line, but the spreader throws a bit farther on one side than the other, and the wind was really really blowing, and it was dusk and the AMS is gray so, yah, all kinds of things could have gone wrong with my overlap. I winged it on the setting a bit rather that double checking beforehand, and I put down more than I wanted which also didn't help.
> 
> Anyway, obviously my spreading game needs some work.
> 
> I was only planning this last application this spring. Do you continue to spoon feed through spring? If so then yah, I'll probably just do a normal app.


I stopped fertilizing my turf for the Spring season. I use an aggressive program in the Fall and that's it. On the upside, less excessive top growth flush, less fert runoff into waterways, less fungus and grub issues, less work. On the downside, not much really. I haven't noticed much difference in appearance.

For the fert stripes, they don't look that bad at least from the photos. If it really bothers you, you could do another app so the deficient areas catch up (just don't make the same mistake again, lol). I'd be more inclined to just leave it alone - it will all even out soon enough.


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