Show #152 - Modern Gardening: Better Fertilizer, Grass Seed, Soil & Lawn Care

Gardening technology and horticultural knowledge have changed dramatically, but many homeowners are still using products and techniques that belong in 1960.

In this episode of Great Gardens Radio, Steve Cockerham explains where gardeners and lawn services continue to fall short, from poor fertilizer and grass seed to incorrect watering, improper pruning, low-quality mulch, and ineffective spray programs.

The central lesson is simple: better products, correct timing, proper dosage, and specific care create better gardens.

The Biggest Gardening Problem: Failure to Fertilize

One of the biggest failures in modern gardening is surprisingly simple: plants are not being fed properly—or at all.

High-quality fertilizers should provide:

• High levels of nitrogen
• Significant slow-release nitrogen
• Low salt content
• Trace elements
• Long-lasting feeding cycles

Recommended fertilizers include:

• Agriform Tablets
• Plant Trust
• Garden Trust
• Fertilome Start-N-Grow

Slow-release fertilizer provides longer feeding, reduces salt problems, and helps minimize nutrient loss.

Trees Need Food Too

Trees are frequently watered and trimmed without being fertilized.

A large oak can move enormous quantities of water through its root system, but water alone cannot support long-term health.

When trees are fertilized:

• Feed close to the trunk
• Stay about 1 inch away from the trunk
• Place fertilizer underneath the mulch
• Remember there is no meaningful “dripline” feeding requirement

A 4-foot plant has an approximately 2-foot root ball, making proximity to the trunk important.

Lawn Service Contracts Don’t Always Mean Quality Care

Fall lawn-service contracts are another area where homeowners need to pay attention.

A quality lawn program should include:

• Correct grass seed for sun and shade
• Three-pass core aeration
• Appropriate seed quantity
• Quality fertilizer
• Proper liming
• Gallery weed prevention
• Spot repair instead of unnecessary full-lawn overseeding

Ask Questions About Your Lawn Service

Use your phone to photograph the grass seed and fertilizer labels.

Look at the “box of truth” and ask:

• What percentage of the bag is actually seed?
• Is the seed appropriate for shade?
• How much slow-release fertilizer is included?
• Is the lawn staying green into winter?
• Is it the first lawn to green up in spring?
• Are weeds appearing throughout the lawn?

A professional service should provide specific care rather than simply applying a generic program.

Marketing Isn’t the Same as Performance

One of the episode’s biggest warnings is about “me too” products.

Large brands may devote enormous resources to advertising, but the episode argues that package size, brand recognition, and marketing claims should never replace careful evaluation of the actual ingredients.

The lesson is:

Read the back of the package before buying.

Look at:

• Seed purity
• Slow-release percentage
• Nitrogen content
• Trace elements
• Fertilizer ingredients
• Actual product coverage

The Importance of Wilt-Pruf

Wilt-Pruf is presented as one of the most useful tools for improving spray coverage.

Without a non-ionic spreader sticker, liquid products may only cover a fraction of the target surface.

Adding Wilt-Pruf can:

• Improve coverage
• Help waterproof the spray onto foliage
• Reduce chemical exposure to beneficial insects
• Extend spray effectiveness
• Improve coverage during rainfall

For weed control, the episode explains that treated weeds can be seeded immediately after application because the dying weed itself can provide temporary cover.

Wilt-Pruf is also highlighted for its ability to affect mites, including mites associated with Rose Rosette disease.

Let 1960 Go: Better Grass Seed

The episode strongly warns against low-purity grass seed.

Some bags may contain large amounts of inert material rather than actual seed.

Look for High-Purity Seed

Premium independent-garden-center seed can contain approximately 99% pure seed, while some heavily marketed products may contain dramatically less.

Betty’s Super Bar is highlighted as a highly rated tall fescue option with:

• 25-pound bag
• Approximately 99.2% pure seed
• Multiple highly rated NTEP varieties
• Certified seed quality

The lesson is important:

The cheapest bag is not necessarily the cheapest grass seed.

Modern Soil Is Better Than Old Peat-Based Soil

Outdoor soil technology has also changed.

Choose Bark-Based Soil Amendments

Recommended outdoor amendments include:

• Betty’s Clay Cutter
• Fox Farms Happy Frog Soil Conditioner

Composted bark helps:

• Increase organic matter
• Improve soil structure
• Improve moisture management
• Increase soil insulation
• Improve long-term soil quality

Coir Is the Modern Alternative to Peat Moss

Coir, made from coconut husks, is highlighted as a longer-lasting alternative to peat moss.

Recommended options include:

• Fox Farms Salamander Soil
• Coco Loco

Coir lasts significantly longer and provides improved moisture regulation compared with older peat-based mixes.

Stop Guessing About Water

One of the biggest lawn-care mistakes is “drunk watering”—watering according to a timer instead of measuring actual water output.

A schedule such as 20 minutes three times a week does not tell you how much water your lawn actually receives.

Every sprinkler system is different.

Use a Rain Gauge

Place a rain gauge in the sprinkler’s coverage area and measure actual water delivery.

A rain gauge allows you to determine:

• How much water your sprinkler provides
• Whether your lawn is receiving enough moisture
• How adjustments in weather affect watering needs

Measure your water rather than guessing.

Lime Is One of the Most Important Lawn Treatments

Lime is described as one of the most overlooked components of successful lawn care.

The recommended application is:

• 40 pounds per 1,000 square feet
• Once per year for lawns and other soft-tissue plants

If a lawn has gone two years without lime, the episode states that fertilizer efficiency can be dramatically reduced.

Plants That Need Regular Lime

Annuals, perennials, bulbs, lawns, and especially vegetables benefit from regular liming.

Certain woody plants are also highlighted, including:

• Boxwood
• Roses
• Lilac

Prill golf-course-grade lime is recommended, with pelleted lime as another acceptable option.

Stop Leaving Grass Clippings on the Lawn

Another major gardening myth discussed is that grass clippings should always remain on the lawn.

The episode recommends bagging clippings, particularly during heavy spring growth.

Reasons include:

• April produces enormous mowing volume
• Cool temperatures slow decomposition
• Clippings can contribute to fungal problems
• Removing clippings also removes winter debris

Grass clippings are mostly water, leaving relatively little actual material to decompose.

Sharpen Your Mower Blades

For healthy mowing:

• Sharpen blades about once a month
• Never mow below 3 inches
• During heavy spring growth, mow every 4–5 days rather than waiting a full week

Sharp blades produce cleaner cuts and healthier turf.

The Three Biggest Gardening Failures

The episode ultimately identifies three major problems:

Failure to Feed

Plants, lawns, and trees are frequently under-fertilized or never fertilized.

Failure to Communicate

Homeowners often pay for services without checking what products or techniques are actually being used.

Failure to Read the Label

Marketing claims mean very little compared with the actual information printed on the package.

The answer to all three problems is better knowledge.

The Modern Gardening Checklist

For a healthier lawn and landscape:

• Use high-quality slow-release fertilizer
• Feed trees and new plantings
• Read the fertilizer and seed labels
• Use premium seed with high purity
• Choose bark-based and coir-based soils
• Measure irrigation with a rain gauge
• Lime lawns and appropriate plants regularly
• Use Wilt-Pruf with liquid sprays
• Bag spring grass clippings
• Sharpen mower blades regularly
• Avoid outdated “1960” gardening products

Final Takeaway

Modern gardening should be based on performance rather than marketing.

The best results come from combining good fertilizer, quality soil, premium grass seed, proper watering, lime, mulch, and correctly timed care.

The biggest improvement any gardener can make is learning to look past the front of the bag and understand what is actually inside.