Tall Fescue treated with iron. (my lawn)
Do you want a deep green lawn that will make your neighbors jealous? How about a deep blue-green that looks almost fake? Well, it’s actually pretty easy to get to that point with just a little product knowledge and the right timing. Check it…
Chelated Iron Turns Lawns Blue-Green
Pretty much any grass type will benefit from iron, but the three that get darkest are Kentucky Blue Grass, Perennial Rye and Turf Type Tall Fescue. The key is the iron must be “chelated” in order for the grass plants to utilize it.
Iron is a funny little element and get bound up in soil very easily. When it is suspended it cannot be taken up by grass roots. However, chelated iron has been modified so that it can be taken in immediately.
When To Apply Iron
The time to apply iron is when temps are above 55 degrees and below 75 degrees. Anything outside of this range and you won’t get the full benefit of the application. Apply iron when it is too hot and you could get a gray-coloring. You also need to watch out with over-applying iron because too much will turn the lawn almost black! Fear not if this happens as the lawn will recover in a week or so.
Safest Chelated Iron To Apply
You can avoid all the risk with iron and use my favorite organic fertilizer Milorganite. Milorganite contains chelated iron and nitrogen as well. Apply it in the later spring and again in later summer and you are golden.
Keep in mind that Milorganite must be applied VERY heavily. 18lbs per 1,000 square feet of lawn space is the recommended dose. If you have never applied this much fertilizer before, it will seem like you are dumping buckets on the grass.
