Feb. 16, 2012

Here's Randy's Weekly KTRH GardenLine Tip:

Issue #245

That's the gist of about 100 emails I've received in the past two weeks. "Tell me more," they say.

Well, since it's time to apply our first fertilization of the season, I'll give you the 411 on the first entry to the organic fertilizer market from Nitro-Phos.

Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce Nitro-Phos Sweet Green 11-0-4.

I speak so highly of this product because I truly consider it a "game-changer" in the lawn fertilizer market. However, if you've been having success with Nitro Phos Imperial 15-5-10 — the regular early green-up fertilizer — I'm also going to suggest "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!" Go ahead and put down the Imperial 15-5-10 if you want to stay true to the schedule.

Now, let's look at Sweet Green 11-0-4 and see why I think it's a game-changer. In the 16 years that I've been doing GardenLine, there has never been an organic fertilizer that met all three important criteria that would garner my endorsement. I have endorsed many that meet two of the three, but I will never endorse one that fails in all three:

1. It can't smell bad. Although exceptional in fertilizing abilities, most poultry-based (chicken poop) organic fertilizers smell to high heaven. The odor will gag the average person.
2. It has to be usable in a typical broadcast spreader. I can name at least a half-dozen manufacturers who have, over the years, pitched products to me that looked like extruded rabbit food (and in some cases, rabbit poop). They could never be dispersed in a broadcast spreader. And many "chicken-poop" varieties, while spreadable, leave a mess.
3. It needs to be cost-effective. Several entrepreneurial con artists thought they could overcharge for their products because they had the first "true organic fertilizer" in the Houston market and were the only game in town. Thankfully, most of them no longer exist, although their pricing scheme does — some organic fertilizers cost $25 dollars for a bag that covers only about 1,500 square feet. There are many good organics on the market at roughly $30 per bag covering around 3,500 square feet. While that's much better, a $30 bag of Sweet Green covers nearly 5,000! Now, I wasn't a math major at Texas A&M, but it doesn't take a PhD to figure out which is the better deal.

So, you may be wondering why Sweet Green smells so sweet? (I liken it to a combination of coffee and molasses.) It smells so good because it is derived from molasses and sugar beets. It also has the highest nitrogen content (the "11" in 11-0-4) of any true organic fertilizer available. Previously, 8-2-4 was the highest among all-purposes fertilizers. There are some 9-0-0 organics ... nothing but nitrogen ... but I couldn't recommend those for my fertilization schedule.

Also, because Sweet Green is produced in uniform fertilizer prills, it is one of the easiest organic fertilizers to spread. And it doesn't generate a putrid cloud, nor does it leave a sticky, dusty film in the broadcast spreader.

Okay, so now you're asking, "Do I use it instead of 15-5-10, or what?"

Yes! No! Maybe so!!! Does that clear it up for you?

Seriously, if you've been successfully using Nitro-Phos Imperial 15-5-10 for early green-up as recommended in my fertilization schedule, you can continue. But, if this is the year you've decided to go more organic, Sweet Green is the best first step. It's completely interchangeable in any of the fertilizations on my schedule ... even the winterizer. You can mix and match - it just doesn't matter! That's one of the beauties of this new product. But there's one big no-no! Don't mix the two during the same application time. Choose one or the other for each specific application period.

If there's one downside to the product, it's that it isn't available at every single garden center, feed store and hardware store in the region right now. The good news is, if you keep asking for it, eventually every retailer will have to carry it. But many, many places stock it already. In fact, you'll find it at almost any retailer that carries other Nitro-Phos products.

Finally, let me emphasize that Nitro-Phos Sweet Green 11-0-4 is for the lawn. While it can be used for trees and shrubs, it is not a fertilizer for vegetable gardens, fruit trees or flowering plants that need significantly more balance and, in some cases, far more phosphorous (the middle number in a fertilizer ratio).

First GardenLine Appearance of 2012 - Cornelius Nursery on Dairy Ashford
Pretty much every Saturday, rain or shine, beginning this weekend and running through June, I will be broadcasting live somewhere and talking to you in person. This spring's GardenLine remotes, personal appearances and book-signings all start in earnest at a nursery I sort of grew up with - Cornelius Nursery on Dairy Ashford, just south of the Katy Freeway.

We'll be there to help celebrate their GardenFest, which is actually taking place at both Cornelius locations. Highlights will include classes on different gardening and landscaping themes like fruit, nut and berry gardening and using color correctly in landscaping. For the speaker schedules at each location, check out www.corneliusnurseries.com.

And guess what? The newest generation of the Lemmonhead shirt will be available for the first time at this appearance. Tune in GardenLine 6-10 a.m. Saturday before I head out to Dairy Ashford to hear about several ways you can earn one. Begging does work at appearances, but never on the air.

We thank our partners Soil Menders for sponsoring our Lemmonhead shirts this spring. Their team will be hanging out with us at Cornelius this Saturday, and you know they will have plenty of goodies to give away.

Exclusive for GardenLine Listeners and E-mail Tip subscribers:
The new book, 1001 GardenLine Questions with Randy Lemmon
is available NOW at a discount!
It covers how to grow and kill things in the garden,
especially those in the Houston area and along the Gulf Coast.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER!

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