Why Use Low or No Phosphorus Lawn Fertilizers?
Lawn fertilizer carried in runoff is a source of phosphorus in Honeoye Lake. Fertilizer that grass cant use washes away in runoff or enters the groundwater which is also moving toward the lake Most established lawns do not need additional phosphorus. Cornell University surveys indicate that most established lawns dont need fertilizer. Only one of every ten lawns examined needed any fertilization at all. What most lawns needed in order to stay lush and healthy was less care! Mow grass high about 3 3 1/2 inches. This enables grass to root deeply and grow thicker, crowding out weeds and keeping the roots cooler which reduces the need for irrigation. Leaving grass clippings on the lawn instead of bagging them up recycles nitrogen into the root mass. This does not cause thatch. Thatch is a layer of decomposing plant tissue made up mostly of stems and roots, not grass clippings. A thin (up to in.) layer of thatch above the soil is beneficial. A thick layer leads to increased disease and inse
