Back Lawn - N-Ext Only Applications: The Journey and Results
Back Lawn - N-Ext Only Applications
(from Bio-Stimulant Pack and Soil Activator Pack)
January - November 2018
The Journey and Results
By Allyn Hane, “The Lawn Care Nut”
There is also a supporting video with this content where I give further detail. This post actually takes you all the way through November, so pack a lunch. See that video here. I am just rolling this into a PDF but will have it on the blog for now, eventually it will be formatted a little better.
Introduction:
The idea for my back lawn was to treat it with only products from the Greene County Fertilizer N-Ext line. If you’ll recall, when I started this project I didn’t know much about the products but was truly a believer since I’d had meetings and conferences with John Perry.
Over this entire year I have experimented with the products and flexed them to the low end of the scale, and of course, the high end too. I’ve used them up north in our project lawn and down here in my own lawn, especially relying on RGS and 0-0-2 MicroGreene during my summer blackout.
Additionally, I’ve drenched the root zones of all my palms and they are looking amazing. Lastly, I’ve seen the incredible results that folks are getting in my FaceBook Group.
That said, you want to see some further evidence that these products actually work and I’m happy to show you what I have learned below.
So to follow along with what I did I’ve taken bits and pieces of videos where the back lawn is either shown or talked about or sprayed, etc.
I’ve also laid out the apps and rates as I have them recorded in my Lawn Journal. (I was using the old red one back then).
This video here (time stamped to take you to the exact part) is where I set up the strategy for the back lawn:
January 2018
1/27/18
LCN’s Custom JooJoo Mix. This is when I first heard about Humic acid and Sea Kelp products and decided to try and make my own:
(also watch this entire video to see how bad my palms were coming out of the freeze)
Here is where you can see from that video just where I sprayed the lawn:
https://youtu.be/gIz5stxZiO8?t=1002
The custom mix had sea kelp, humic acid and a little 4-0-2 fert that I had laying around. Not nearly enough N to even register anything when it comes to a lawn. Again, this was me messing around with a new concept I had just started learning about.
February 2018
2/3/18
4-0-2 FloraGreene, 3oz/gallon. 1 gallon over 500 sq ft.
I was using 4-0-2 FloraGreene to help the palms recover so I sprayed some on the lawn too. You can see me reference that here (there wasn’t a full video on that app). I mention in that video clip that I sprayed it at a “pretty heavy rate” but I was very much mistaken on that. The 4-0-2 at 3oz/gallon is not really much at all. A fraction of a pound of N per 1000.
(at the very bottom of this blog, I revisit the calculations of Nitrogen and liquids for those of you who are really into the math)
2/10/18
RGS, 3oz/gallon, a gallon over 1,000 sq ft
I did a liquid prodiamine application in the backyard and mixed RGS in with that. (3oz/1000 rate)
https://youtu.be/mKDGOQVFmsY?t=548
2/18/18
---Soil Test --
Keep in mind, I use the Soil Savvy test which is much different. Their technology is designed to show you what is actually available in the soil right now. It’s much more “exact” in that regard and really more simple. You just look at what is available right now and then apply nutrients based on that.
If you want to learn about traditional soil testing and how it can be used (more advanced) then I recommend you watch the excellent series that John Perry recently completed where he talks much more in-depth. For now, though, I’m keeping things shallow end of the pool so remember, when we are comparing the Soil Savvy tests - we are showing you only what nutrients are currently available to the plant meaning, they are not locked up in the soil.
Here is the soil test, taken BEFORE the Epic Dose was applied:
This back lawn had not had any fert at all for several months leading into the 2018 season. It was just irrigated, nothing more. It did get a very light shot of 4-0-2 FloraGreene 2 weeks before this test.
March 2018
3/17/18
Epic Dose
Here is the video about that as well as the initial soil test we did:
The Epic Dose was:
3 oz / 500 sq ft
De-Thatch
Air8
7-0-0 Greene Effect
Humic12
0-0-2 Micro
I don’t recommend mixing all this like this anymore, it’s dumb, but I was learning at the time and also trying to max things out like I always do. In reality, though, this isn’t much of a “max dose” anyway. There is a lot of stuff in here but it’s all at very low concentrations.
April 2018
No applications done in April - just updates:
4/2/18
Here is a video from April 2 where I show you an update of the back lawn. Once again, no rainy season yet but we are starting to see a few storms that indicate the summer pattern is developing.
https://youtu.be/vFX9K-RzKOg?t=303
Later in the video you can see it again, after all that rain:
Overall though, not much results visually, and that is what I was learning. Once again, Humic Acid and Sea Kelp don’t make the grass green. Their job is to maximize the use of what’s already in the soil.
The MicroGreene and Greene Effect will certainly make it green but not at these super low rates. You really need to be at 9-12 oz/gallon/1000 of Micro or Greene Effect in order to see a visual response. And that visual is more from the iron, not the nitrogen anyway. As I keep stressing here, I was also learning as I went.
Note: You do need some macros to have a green lawn, it’s a fact. As I have progressed and gained new experience over this season, I’m super interested in the “lower inputs overall” strategy for sure... but there isn’t anyone out there telling you to stop using Macro Fertilizers (fert with N-P-K) all together. I did that here because I thought it would be fun… which it was, and also, remember, during the rainy season here in Southwest Florida, we get a lightning storm nearly every afternoon. That lightning brings down nitrogen from the air. Naturally. Most of you won’t have that same free N where you live… at least not every day like I do here.
With that, let’s continue to follow the journey of the back lawn...
4/22/18
I was going to spray 7-0-0 Greene Effect at this point and started the update video and was about to mix everything when I had rain hit and had to stop. This is why this video never got published because no app ever got done. You can view those clips in the video that supports this post here and at least get an idea of what the back lawn was looking like on this date.
This was also the same time when I put my lawn mower blades on backward, remember that?
(FYI May 2018 was one of the rainiest on record here in Florida)
May 2018
5/6/18
Here you can see the back lawn as it looks in early May just before the “Double Dark” app. We are getting more lightning storms at this point bringing in more natural Nitrogen.
5/8/18
Double Dark applied
9 oz 0-0-2 MicroGreene
6 oz 7-0-0 Greene Effect
I applied this using my Chapin Battery Sprayer. It worked ok but did clog a bit so I had to really dance to keep the mix agitated. This is one of the reasons that during the year I started messing more and more with hose-end-sprayers.
They tend to do much better with the nutrient loaded products like Micro, Effect, Punch and 9-0-1. I’ve settled on the Chameleon as my choice going forward until something better comes along.
Here are the results of that application, photo taken May 19, 2018:
Here are the results of the “Double Dark” a full month after it was applied as shown in a video on June 10::
https://youtu.be/meAeLJUvnu8?t=736
You can buy the Double Dark right here: Use Coupon Code “cousineddie” for an additional $5 off.
----
June 2018
6/1/18
Here you can see when I applied by granular grub and insect control, the lawn is looking stout. We are fully into the rain and storm season now and the “Double Dark” is also holding strong.
https://youtu.be/H7cP1KWqXoA?t=573
Also at this time, I applied Humic12 at 3oz / 1000
6/10/18
You can see the back lawn update here. This is about 4 weeks after the “Double Dark” application:
6/14/18
Turf and Tree Cocktail Menu Published on Blog and in email newsletter
https://thelawncarenut.com/blogs/news/lcn-s-turf-tree-cocktail-menu-aka-how-to-use-n-ext-products
So far I’m pretty happy with what I’m getting here. It’s very obvious to me that the iron products, when mixed heavily like this, will give you a VERY nice color pop.
This video has been referenced a few times already - but watch the whole thing and you’ll see the results of me using Micro and Effect with regular fert in the front and sides:
July 2018
Pictures taken July 27
No applications applied to the back lawn until July 29. Steady lightning storms every 2 days or so. All I’m doing is cutting at this point and only have to cut every 7 or 8 days. (this is Floratam St Augustinegrass)
7/29/18 Soil Sample Taken (mailed 8/2/18), here are the results:
First off, go back up and look at the pictures from July 27. See how nice and green the lawn is? No macro fert for many many months. Just stuff from Next.
In my video I put out to go along with this post, I do a comparison of the two. But in general, you can see we have more N, more K, more Fe and the pH has stayed static. Most of the Micros are up overall. I have no idea why the Phos is so high but it’s certainly an indicator that I don’t need MILO!
7/29/18
18-0-1 Greene Punch app to half the back lawn.
This delivered just under .25 LB / N / 1000 - very low rate.
This ends the experiment of “Next Products Only” in regards to “No Macro Fert.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvGY0CN5NfU
That is because the 18-0-1 is a full-on fertilizer product. This was the first time it was being made available to DIYers so I needed to test it. We did that test on half the back lawn.
Here you can see what the lawn looks like at the time of the application:
https://youtu.be/IvGY0CN5NfU?t=375
In the screenshot below, also from the July 29 video, you can see the Soil Savvy box opened up - that’s because I took a soil sample prior to spraying the Greene Punch. I did not film the actual taking of the sample, but you can see the date on the test itself is August 2 which is the “date sample mailed” from my customer card that comes with the kit. Yes, it sat on my workbench for 4 days.
August 2018
8/5/18
Here is an update after I sprayed the 18-0-1 on half the back lawn:
https://youtu.be/4k3mz-bC1RU?t=1160
That is time-stamped to take you to the correct place but if you back it up a little, you will see that I am now learning how to truly use the hose end sprayer. I’m not happy at all with the application I got from the Ortho. Not consistent and it pretty much shows in the results. You can certainly see where the 18-0-1 made a difference but it should be much more dramatic.
I also went back with a different camera that same evening to give you another look:
https://youtu.be/4k3mz-bC1RU?t=1410
8/25/18
0-0-2 MicroGreene, 10 oz/ gallon / 1000
Here you can see me spraying it:
September 2018
9/16/18
0-0-2 MicroGreene, 10 oz / gallon / 1000
Humic12, 6 oz / gallon / 1000
I didn’t film this specifically but you can see me doing the rest of the lawn here:
https://youtu.be/lus2Kr3mEpo?t=463
This was in prep for my good buddy Connor Ward’s appearance. I needed the lawn looking super dark for his visit so I went for the MicroGreene since I’m still in fert restrictions at this time.
October 2018
Here’s a shot I took on October 6. Last app was 9/16 but the lawn is still looking nice and green. Rainy season is over and I’m having to irrigate on my own one time per week at this point.
No more apps were done after 9/16. I knew I was starting to talk to the growers about getting new sod so I stopped adding more apps. You can see a quick glimpse of how the back lawn looked in my first French drain video from October 28
https://youtu.be/Du96VeC_BfA?t=176
Color still holding strong!
November 2018
And here is how the lawn looked as it was getting ripped out in early November.
Why did I rip it out and get new sod?
I know it seems like a waste of perfectly good grass, and it is, but you have to understand how I make my living - on content. This is a channel driven by content. It’s one of the reasons I took several hours to get this very article together.
This back lawn was Floratam St Augustinegrass. In fact, my entire lawn was Floratam. I still have Floratam (the most common St Aug variety in Florida) on my side and front lawns. But in order to have more opportunity for content, I was able to obtain some ProVista St Augustinegrass for my back lawn. This is the newest player in the game and promises to revolutionize said game. Hint: it’s glyphosate tolerant St Augustine. It’s also bred from the original Floratam.
Anyway, more on that coming up, but I wanted to provide that bit of context for those of you who were wondering. We will now have a couple different varieties to compare (I have Palmetto St Aug in another part of the lawn)
Ending Summary:
Here is what the back lawn was treated with:
January :: Allyn’s JooJoo Mix - Attempt at 4-0-2 FloraGreene Clone
February 3 :: 4-0-2 FloraGreene 3 oz / gallon
February 10 :: RGS 3 oz / gallon
---- February 28 Soil Test ----
March 17 :: ‘not so’ Epic Dose
April :: no apps
May 8 :: Double Dark :: MicroGreene and GreenEffect
June 1 :: Humic12, 3 oz / gallon
---- July 29 Soil test ----
July 29 :: 18-0-1 Greene Punch over ½ back lawn
August 25 :: 0-0-2 MicroGreene 10 oz / 1000
September 16 :: 0-0-2 MicroGreene 10 oz / 1000
Pick up Next Products here:
https://thelawncarenut.com/collections/soil-optimization
Use coupon code “cousineddie” for an additional $5 off the already $10 discount.
Ends Midnight EST, Dec 6, 2018
Bonus Learning:
Just to understand N rates in liquids a little more...
For those of you who really want to learn, let me further explain why the “Double Dark” works so well. Hint: it’s not because of the Nitrogen. In fact, the N is quite minimal. If you want a product that is full of Nitrogen and will kick your lawn blue-green quickly, then just go straight for the 18-0-1 Greene Punch.
But remember, our tests here was to just use the products from the Bio-Stim and Soil Optimization packs. When I started this test we did not have the other products in the line available to us.
With that in mind, let’s review some very important info about calculating nutrient values in liquid ferts.
It’s winter and you have nothing better to do right? Enjoy the education my friends!!!
This is straight out of my free “Liquid Secret Weapon” guide:
Analysis: 7-0-0
7% of the liquid is nitrogen (remember, the 3 numbers are your macros, N-P-K)
There is also a note that this product contains 6% Iron
What this is literally telling you is:
- 7% of everything in this bottle in nitrogen
- 6% of everything in this bottle is iron
Now let’s get this broken down into 1,000 square ft increments so it’s talking a language we know. We see on the label that for Warm Season turf the application rate recommended is 8oz/gallon/1000 sq ft.
The product weighs 10.6lbs and contains 128oz
That means that each 1 oz of product weighs .08 lbs
10.6/128 = .08 lbs
Our application rate is 8 oz per 1000 square ft
8 x .08 = .64 lbs
Our product is 7% Nitrogen (.07)
.64 x .07 = .04
So you get .04 LBs N with an 8 oz/gallon application rate.
(remember, 1 gallon covers 1,000 square feet)
Not much to write home about right? You guys are used to putting down some real “pounds on the ground” and at least getting .5 or .75 LBs/N per 1000… but that’s with our granular apps.
With this product, you are only getting .04 (point zero four) “pounds of nitrogen” per 1000 sq ft. It’s barely measurable, right?
That’s where the other piece kicks in and that’s the Fe - our old buddy IRON! Remember, iron is what gives lawns a deeper “blue” look that really sets them off. Our best friend MILO contains iron and that’s one reason we love him… but sometimes, you need just a little boost in between and that’s where this product really does shine.
Same math… Look at all this Fe we get: Our product is 6% Iron (.06)
.64 x .06 = .038
So you get .038 lbs Fe with an 8 oz/gallon application rate. (remember, 1 gallon covers 1,000 square feet)
You’re still not excited about this… I can feel it. But that’s ok because there is something you are forgetting here.
Nitrogen is a “Macronutrient” meaning there is a lot more of it needed for optimum plant health. In fact, it’s the mack-daddy of the macros! We lawn care nuts are addicted to it!
But there are some drawbacks to too much N - namely - over-pushing of growth. I think we do just fine with our N rates, pushing them to the max using Milo of course. I have a warm season and cool season ebook that you may want to check out. We definitely push the N pretty hard, but sometimes, we all want to push just a little bit harder.
Iron, on the other hand, is a “Micronutrient” meaning you only need small, spoon-fed amounts in order to push plants to optimum levels. It takes much less “pounds on the ground” of iron to get a visual response… Take a look at my Soil Savvy test and see the “parts per million” that are recommended of each:
The recommended amount of iron in the soil is 2-4 ppm. Nitrogen on the other hand, is 8-16 ppm.
And that is where the secret weapon of the 7-0-0 GreeneEffect is revealed. The iron is like a little liquid green bomb that you can apply in between your regular fert apps to keep everything looking double dark WITHOUT pushing a flush of growth. The N that is in the product is certainly going to help, but it’s really the iron we want.
Feel free to spray and pray but don’t apply more than the recommended 8oz/gallon rate and keep applications at least 4 weeks apart… perfect for those in between times.
Here is a quote about GreeneEfFect from my friend the lawn chemist, Matt Martin:
“This is an a-typical iron. What's brilliant about this iron source is that John chelated it with citric acid and enhanced the bioavailability with his lignin blended urea. ...an advanced chemistry move rooted in the most basic of science - absolutely brilliant. It's almost poetic.”
Want to get really funky fresh? Add in 3/oz gallon of RGS into your mix for a really sweet cocktail that will stimulate healthy root growth and optimize the nutrients from the GreeneEffect even further.
