A slender , yellow lawn might be lacking sulfur . The right plant food and maintenance can get your grass growing again .
Fertilizing your lawn is a little likemaking a cake — fixings and accurate measurements are vital to success . Make a cake with common salt alternatively of sugar and the result is inedible . Apply the untimely plant food to your lawn and you start the peril of long - term hurt to both the turf and the environment . Fertilizer containing sulfur can assist or handicap your lawn depending on themake up of your ground . Below , get all the details on sulfur , how it might benefit your lawn , and how to apply it , if needed .
Why Your Lawn Needs Sulfur
Turf grass thrives whenadequate amounts of nitrogen , atomic number 19 , phosphorus , and several macronutrients , such as atomic number 16 , and micronutrient are present . Each food has specific functions in a plant . For exercise , sulfur is require for chlorophyll product in all plants . When a plant ’s chlorophyl production is hindered , plant take on a yellow color .
The characteristics of the native soil , along with the mood , determine which nutrients are promptly usable to plants . For representative , sandy soil in the westerly United States tends to have lower sulfur levels than atomic number 16 - rich loam grunge across the Midwest and Eastern United States . In fact , it ’s super rarefied to have gloomy atomic number 16 level anywhere except the westerly United States .
How to Tell If Your Lawn Needs Sulfur
If you suspect a sulfur deficiency , take a soil testbefore applying sulfur - rich plant food . It ’s important to note that sulfur is notoriously hard to measure out ; it motivate through the soil promptly . While grime tests are short at gauging sulfur availability , a test can identify other potential effort of weak growth . A lawn struggling with low sulfur availably will come out thin and yellow - green . A lawn lack N looks very similar . A soil trial can serve sort out which nutrient are deficient .
In many areas , soil test kits are useable from a local Cooperative Extension Service for a modest fee . There are several commercial-grade ground examination service too . When choose a soil run outfit , be sure the lab will quiz for S levels . While the examination kits variegate slenderly , the procedure more often than not includes garner a representative sampling of the soil and then place it to a research laboratory for testing . The lab will then station you a summary of nutrient levels and the pH reading of the soil . Most soil sum-up let in suggestedamendments for nutrient deficienciesand grease tips for growing specific plant , such as turf grass .
Max Kim - Bee
Credit:Max Kim-Bee
Types of Sulfur for Your Lawn
If a soil test identifies a sulfur deficiency , there are several atomic number 16 - rich fertilizers . In fact , most consummate lawn fertilizer will meet a lawn ’s sulfur demand along with providing nitrogen , Lucifer , atomic number 19 , and many other nutrients . When shopping for a man-made fertilizer , also called inorganic or chemical fertilizers , look for a ware that has the word “ sulfate ” in the ingredient tilt . Common example include K sulfate , ammonium ion sulphate , andmagnesium sulfate .
When to Apply Sulfur
The adept time to apply a pure lawn plant food is when forage is actively produce . Fertilizecool - season grasses , such as Kentucky bluegrass and Festuca elatior , in the fall after the heat of summertime is run and before freezing temperature become the norm . coolheaded - season sod can be fertilized in give as well , but fall applications are most effective . Warm - season grasses , such as Bermudagrass , zoysiagrass , and centipedegrass , all thrive when fertilized shortly after they green - up in spring . Aim toapply fertilizerprior to the intense heat of summer .
How to Apply Lawn Sulfur
Complete lawn plant food are available as easy - to - spread granules . Spread them using a walk - behind fertilizer spreader . Calibrate the spreader fit in to plant food parcel directions to ensure the intersection is applied at the right rate . overspread fertilizer on a serene day and maintain a steady take the air pace for even coating .
Natural Sources of Sulfur
Sulfur is naturally supplied to dirty through thebreakdown of organic matter . Grass clippings leave on the sward will breakdown in time , free sulfur into the grunge . While excessive amount of money Mary Jane clippings can build up tocreate a detrimental level of thatchabove the soil line , finely chop up clippings can be good .
Another born seed of sulfur is compost . Not only will compost supply atomic number 16 but it will also improve soil structure . Spread a ¼-inch layer of compost over the lawn . A thin bed is indispensable — a thickset level can put out the sod . Incorporate the compost into the soilby going over the area several times with a soil aerator . Rent an aerator at your local home melioration fund .
Frequently Asked Questions
Apply atomic number 16 only if a stain mental testing indicates the land is deficient in sulphur . Most soil has ample sulphur to grow a great lawn .
It would take many , many years of veritable sulfur software to come down pHof the soil even a small amount . Sulfur is not effective at lowering territory pH. You are just off applying a well - balanced lawn plant food .
A sulfate fertilizer applied to a atomic number 16 deficient lawn will green up the sward in one to three Day . Whenever you use fertilizer , keep abreast product label directions incisively for good results .
https://turf.purdue.edu/sulfur-is-not-effective-for-lowering-ph-of-turfed-soils/
