By The Numbers: Using Fertilizer On Your Lawn
April 16, 2011
Many people think a beautiful lawn is unattainable, but that is not necessarily true. A good lawn can be achieved if you develop a good understanding of proper fertilization, watering, pest control and mowing.
Larry Williams, Horticulture Extension Agent in Okaloosa County, provides some basic facts relating to fertilizing a Florida lawn:
Many popular lawn fertilizers have too much nitrogen and too little potassium. A common example is 29‐3‐4. These numbers represent the percent nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), respectively. A 29‐3‐4 fertilizer has a lot more nitrogen (29%) than potassium (4%). Despite the fact it’s readily available, it’s not a good choice for a Florida lawn.
It’s better to select a fertilizer where the first and third numbers are equal or close to equal and the center number is very low. A few examples found locally include 15‐0‐15, 16‐2‐16 and 18‐0‐18.
You may be able to produce an attractive lawn for three, four, five years or so using a high nitrogen and low potassium fertilizer such as 29‐3‐4. But at some point in time, your lawn will begin to decline. This is the misleading part. When the lawn begins to deteriorate, most people blame mole crickets or something else. They never realize the true cause for the decline in their lawn. The excess nitrogen creates a nice green lawn short term (for a few years). But the lawn needs adequate amounts of potassium and other essential plant nutrients, which are not provided by a 29‐3‐4 or similar analysis fertilizer. As a result, the lawn declines with time.
Of the three primary nutrients (N, P and K), potassium is second only to nitrogen in utilization by lawns. Adequate potassium has been linked to reduced disease problems,
improved drought and cold tolerance and enhanced root growth.
Lawn grasses use much less phosphorus (center number) than nitrogen and/or potassium. Because of this and because phosphorus has been implicated as a cause for
problems in our surface waters, it’s recommended to base phosphorus rates on the results of a reliable soil test. In the absence of a soil test, select a fertilizer with 2% or less phosphorus. For a newly planted lawn, choose something like 8‐4‐8 or 10‐4‐10 when a soil test indicates a need for extra phosphorus.
Finally, look for slow release lawn fertilizers. It’s best to purchase a lawn fertilizer with at least half the nitrogen in a slow release form. Usually in very small print beneath the guaranteed analysis you can find a statement about the amount of slow release nitrogen. The words water insoluble, slowly available or slowly available soluble nitrogen or coated are types of slow‐release nitrogen.
Then, some calculations are necessary. If, for example a 10‐10‐10 fertilizer says it contains 5% slow‐release nitrogen, divide the 5% by the total percent of nitrogen (10% in this example) and multiply by 100 to get the percentage of nitrogen that is in slow-release form. In this example it is 5/10 x 100=50%.
Choosing a fertilizer with the right numbers is an important part of maintaining a healthy long lasting Florida lawn. For additional information on this topic, contact your
local UF/IFAS Extension Office or visit http://hort.ufl.edu/yourfloridalawn/ .
Escambia’s Top High School Seniors Are Honored
April 15, 2011
Escambia County’s top seniors were honored Thursday night at the 2001 Senior Academic Awards at the Mustin Beach Officers’ Club.
The banquet was sponsored by the Escambia County Public Schools Foundation and Kerrigan, Estess, Rankin, McLeod and Thompson.
Recipients were:
Northview High School
Ashley E. Digmon
LaNeicia D. Gomez
Jocelyn M. Gould
Sarah Malinda Killam
Emily F. Vickrey
Mallory Ann Bell
Christina N. Sepulveda
Colton Sims
James Tyler Garrett
Hayley Renee Simpson
Allyson M. Bullard
Tate High School
Caitlyn Nicole Gallagher
Michael Todd Lowery
Kimberly Noelle McCroan
Caroline Marie Merritt
Shawna Rachelle Murphy
Jessica Lee Mack
Denis Alex McKinnon III
Kelly Hendricks Ewing
Christopher Taylor McKeon
Bryan Jeffrey Rhodes
Kristyn Alyse Covotta
West Florida High School
Hieu Chau
Rocio Gomez Novo
Daniel L. Grenier
Stephanie M. Hayley
Matthew O’Rear
John P. Ansardi, Jr.
Nicholas Dolan Rivers
Benjamin Parrish
James Sidney Clements III
Hannah Pate
Miranda Bjorklund
Pine Forest High
Sirikanya Sellers
Kristen Lassen
Nicole Scully
Krista MacMurray
Hillare’ LaFond
Joseph Mills
Kristi Spatter
Michael Core
T’Kara Mullins
Austin Williams
James Wood
Escambia High School
Hannah Bergstrom
Brianna Biggs
Jeff Cutaio
Khoa Cao Dang
Shawn Patrick Reid
Brandon Mejias
Jessica Reed
Raymond Tu
Anthony J. Bushey
Alexanderia Newman
Erick Hudson, II
Pensacola High School
Ivory Leonard
Edith Licona
John Michael Morales
Henry Nguyen
Sandy Nguyen
Uniqua Monae Rogers
Indy Daigle
Yu Ting Zheng
Christian Bulosan
Diana Nguyen
Aleitha Smith
Pensacola High IB Program
Jemimah Chen
Priya Garg
Nathan Prasad Gupta
Fareed Rifai
Julie Phuong Vu
Samantha Paedae
Nick Feroce
Kay Li
Michael Brusoski
Jamie Landa
Angela Joy Menah
Washington High School
Thomas Campbell Arnold
Tam Mai
Diana M. Manis
Shannon Robinson
Michael Cleveland Stavely
Aryn Bradley
Bradley Leon
Alex Goodspeed
Lindsey Shaw
Matthew Horne
Parvina A. Kudyakova
National Merit Finalists
Andrew Clark
Melody Dalton
Helie Dharia
Priya Garg
Nathan Gupta
Kay Li
Julie Vu
Savannah Wing
Moretz Honored For Core Values
April 15, 2011
Northview High School junior Melissa Moretz was honored Thursday by the Pensacola Suburban West Rotary Club as Northview’s Core Values Student.
Moretz, along with students from Tate, West Florida, Pine Forest, Escambia and Pensacola high schools received an award and spoke about core values to the PSW Rotary Club Thursday during their meeting at the Pensacola Yacht Club. The students were nominated by the individual schools and chosen by the Rotary members for exhibiting the core values of equality, integrity, patriotism, honesty , responsibility and respect.
The values are stated goals of the Escambia County School District and were adopted and fashioned after a Navy program created by Vice Admiral John H. Fetterman, Jr.
Moretz is the drum major of the Northview High School Tribal Beat Band, executive officer the school’s NJROTC and runs on the track team. She is employed by Lee Veterinary Clinic.
Pictured above: Northview junior Melissa Moretz was honored Thursday by the Pensacola Suburban West Rotary Club as Northview’s Core Values Student. Pictured below: Melissa Moretz with her parents, (far left) Lisa Moretz, James Moretz and (far right) Captain Charlie Code, Northview senior Naval science instructor. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia..com, click to enlarge.
Remember When? Ash Dept Store, Worley’s Food Store
April 14, 2011
One of Century’s oldest buildings was demolished this week. The building at 9510 North Century Boulevard was once, according to the signage recently uncovered on its facade, the home of Ash Dept. Store and Worley’s Food Store. Ash Dept. Store offered “Shoes, Clothing, Notions” while Worley’s offered “Meats, Groceries, Feeds”.
According to the Escambia County Property Appraiser, the building was constructed in 1935. During the last decade, the building fell into great disrepair, housing a second hand store. It was also cited by Escambia County Code Enforcement for unsafe conditions in 2010.
Do you have any memories of Ash Dept. Store or Worley’s Food Store? Share them in our comments section below.
Pictured top: Partial demolition of this building on North Century Boulevard near the Alabama State Line revealed signage for the former Ash Dept. Store and Worley’s Food Store. Pictured below: The building in 2003 and 2010. Pictured bottom: More images of the building just before demolition. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Century Man Among Last Honor Flight Vets
April 13, 2011
Just over 100 World War II veterans, including a Century man, are back at home today after the ninth and final Emerald Coast Honor Flight to Washington on Tuesday.
Among the veterans on Tuesday’s Honor Flight was the Rev. Willie H Carter, 89, of Century. For more photos of Rev. Carter and the Honor Flight arrival, click here.
Hundreds of people gave the veterans a hero’s welcome at the Pensacola Regional Airport. They were escorted by an honor guard and saluted by Marines as they were welcomed back by friends and family.
During the four years of the Emerald Coast honor flight, hundreds of Gulf Coast veterans had the opportunity to spend a day in Washington to see the War War II Memorial and other sights. Organizers have ended the program, saying they have served all the veterans that have applied for the special trip.
Pictured top: Terri Sanders of Century (left) welcomes home the Rev. Willie H. Carter of Century at the Pensacola Regional Airport Tuesday night. Pictured left inset: Benny Barnes and Century Mayor Freddie McCall welcome Rev. Carter back to the airport. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Students Learn The Buzz About Bees
April 13, 2011
Second grade students from Jay Elementary School recently had the opportunity to learn about bees. Roy Smith and Ernest “Peaches” Peach of the North Escambia Bee Association spoke to Mrs.Roberson, Mrs. Steele, Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Floyd’s second grade classes, teaching them all about the different jobs of bees, their life cycle, the art of beekeeping and all about honey. Pictured top: “Peaches” shows a demonstration hive to students. Pictured inset: Peach and Roy Smith (left) explain beekeeping. Submitted photos by Julia Thorton for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Byrneville Elementary Students Take On 20,000 Massive Math Problems
April 12, 2011
Byrneville Elementary students have taken on the Massive Math 20,000 Challenge. Kindergarten-fifth grade students are solving addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and fraction problems on a School 3×6 foot posters. Each poster has just over 4,000 problems.
“Not only are the students perfecting their math skills, they are proving by working together they can accomplish what looks like an impossible task,” according to the school.
Pictured above and below: Students at Byrneville Elementary School work on 20,000 Massive Math problems. Submitted photos by Candace Thornton for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photos: Church Observes Earth Care Month
April 11, 2011
The congregation of St. Monica’s Episcopal Church in Cantonment is observing April as Earth Care Month. As part of the church’s commitment to become more aware and better stewards of the earth’s ecosystems, the church invited the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida for a presentation on Sunday.
Pictured top: An owl cools off in the fountain at St. Monica’s Episcopal Church Sunday morning. Pictured inset and below: The Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida visited the church Sunday as part of their Earth Care Month. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photos: Youth Livestock Show, Ashley Cunningham Has Grand Champion Steer
April 10, 2011
The 18th Annual 4-H and FFA Youth Livestock Show and Agricultural Exposition wrapped up Saturday at the Langley Bell 4-H Center.
Ashley Cunningham, daughter of Andy and Christina Cunningham of Molino, had the Grand Champion Steer. Hill-Kelly Dodge of Pensacola, represented by buyers Rusty Tanner and Eric Glofka, were the highest bidders at the auction with a bid of $3.50 per pound for the 1,340 pound for the Grand Champion Steer.
4-H and FFA members in Escambia, Baldwin, and Mobile counties in Alabama, and Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties in Florida had the opportunity to show their breeding heifers, preview steers, goats, sheep, rabbits, and poultry during the event.
Complete and final results were not available Saturday night; NorthEscambia.com will publish complete and more photos mid-week.
For a gallery of photos from the event by Charles Crumpton, click to enlarge.
Pictured top: Ashley Cunningham of Molino shows here 1,340 pound Grand Champion Steer. Submitted photo by Charles Crumpton for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge. Pictured below: Ashley Cunningham of Molino with her Grand Champion Steer and Eric Glofka (left) and Rusty Tanner of Hill-Kelly Dodge. Submitted photo by Jerry Marbut for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
New Farmers’ Market To Open In Cantonment
April 10, 2011
A new farmers’ market will open soon in Cantonment.
Beginning May 7, St. Monica’s Episcopal Church will host a Farmers’ Market on the first and third Saturdays of each month from 8 a.m. until noon.
The market will offer locally produced commodities such as seasonal vegetables, fruits, eggs, flowers, plants, cheese, pasta and more to consumers. Local artisans also invited to sell their wares such as art, clothing and more.
“Faith can and should be a major force for change towards sustainable development, sustainable communities, and a healthy environment,” according to a church press release. “Since local food does not have to be hauled long distances, fresher and more nutritious food can be eaten that does not require large amounts of fossil fuels to transport it. In fact, eating locally produced food, in addition to supporting local farmers and families, can reduce an individual’s carbon footprint by 12 percent. ”
Vendors are now being accepted for the Market at St. Monica’s. In lieu of vendor fees, vendors are asked for a donation of cash or food for Manna Food Pantry. For more information, call the church office at (850) 937-0001, Wednesday through Friday, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
St. Monica’s is located at 699 South Highway 95A , behind Faith Chapel Funeral Home, in Cantonment.