Originally Posted by hosepuller
Grace Sierra tried this in the late '80's with ONCE...then Scotts with Osmocote in the '90s and Purcell with polyon. They all flopped. Its is hard to get a release from thick plastic coated products like these when one cannot control temperature or rainfall. These products only work in container nurseries and golf applications during dry warm weather when you can water to rinse the fert into the soil as necessary. If you get a wet spell in the summer, better get ready to mow hay and make another one app or if it is a dry summer it stays inside the plastic;ready to release for a competitor, because the grass won't be green for you.
Hosepuller, youíre correct that it has been tried before but this is not a new product of the same old stuff. Similar but not the same. I know a lot of old Once users that are glad that there is a similar product that is available. They were happy with the results of Once and never understood why it disappeared. I personally think the end of Once had more to do with economics not results. SiFi certification did just begin however One AP, a SiFi certified blend is going into its sixth year in Chicago and the upper Midwest with a history of success. Itís never been a question of efficacy just value and marketing. To release properly, the finished product does need to be blended properly with the different release types of Duration CR for the growing zone. This is the reason for the SiFi certification.
You are correct that different types of weather from year to year does influence the release as it would influence any other fertility product but Iíve found that it influences Duration little compared to conventional programs. Using One AP would give the most predictable release. Shifts in the amounts of moisture do not overly affect the release. Experienced users do see a shutdown of the product entering into a drought. So much so that sometimes the turf may have an anemic look before entering a dormancy period. This happens because there is still enough deep soil moisture to keep the turf blades green but not enough to maintain the release of the Duration. This usually only lasts 2-3 days. Once in summer dormancy, the (cool season) turf turns brown just like it would with any fertility program. When the rain returns the turf bounces back and the Duration will begin releasing. Of course if the lawn is irrigated you would not notice any difference in the summer months. Markets, like Salt Lake City, where irrigation is necessary just to have turf we donít see this happen. Only in markets that allow the turf to enter summer dormancy.
I donít have any distributors in Atlanta but there is other SiFi certified blends available in your area. If you havenít done so yet go to the SiFi
website and click the Georgia map for suppliers in your area. You should try 8-10 bags to evaluate yourself. I know Jay Fountain from Howards and he would do a good job of helping you evaluate this year.