CoRoN 18-3-6 Plus 0.5% Reviews

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Great Color & Lawn Health without the Excessive Surge Growth

By Kyle in Big Orange Country, Tennessee on 06/22/2018

CoRoN worked great on my Zoysia lawn. Just as advertised, it provides a lush deep green color to turf grass, and does not overstimulate (surge) vegetative growth. The deep green color stimulated by …

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CoRoN worked great on my Zoysia lawn. Just as advertised, it provides a lush deep green color to turf grass, and does not overstimulate (surge) vegetative growth. The deep green color stimulated by the Iron and Nitrogen seems to last approximately a month depending on soil and weather conditions. I really like that this formula doesn't seem to surge vegetative growth as much as granular applications typically do. Excessive surge growth in Zoysia can really cause problems when thatch layers start becoming overly thick, and that hasn't been nearly the issue using CoRon as it has been in the past when I used granular broadcast fertilizer applications. I had the opportunity for somewhat of a field trial this year, as my adjacent neighbor also has a Zoysia turf lawn. He applied 32-0-0 (uncoated) in the same timeframe as I applied the first application of CoRoN to my lawn. The color of my Zoysia several days after application was a much deeper green, so it was evident that the Iron in the CoRoN visibly made a big difference in turf color. The growth rate for his lawn was dramatically higher, as well. Whereas my mowing rate remained at the typical (for Zoysia) 7-10 day interval, his mowing frequency increased to every 4-6 days for the first three weeks after application. The excess growth on his lawn also thickened the density of the turf, as well as thickened the thatch layer, which necessitated an increase in his mowing height. (To be fair in my comparison, had he used a coated slow-release fertilizer (instead of the uncoated Nitrogen-only formula), the difference in surge growth probably would not have been nearly so dramatic). The extremely low (salt) burn potential for CoRoN, and the fact that it can increase efficacy of some herbicides in tank mixes are also big plusses when compared to other fertilizer options. For my early June application, I used it in tank mix with Prodiamine pre-emergent, ProSedge, 2-4 D, non-ionic surfactant, and Lazer spray marker. I saw no visible detrimental effects or stunting of the Zoysia, and the weed control was extremely effective. (The main target weeds were nut sedge and some lingering broadleaf weeds. This was the second application of Prodiamine (generic Barricade), as the initial application was made in early March. The applications were very effective in preventing crabgrass and goosegrass.) I apply with a backpack sprayer, and I advise the use of a marker dye (such as Lazer or Mark-It-Blue) for this method to ensure a more uniform application and no skipped spots. Most university publications recommend 0.5 lbs nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft per application for Zoysia lawns, which works out to 33.5 ounces of CoRoN per thousand square feet. For ease of math and measurement, I round this down to 32 ounces, at which rate a 2.5 gallon container of CoRoN will treat 10,000 sq ft of lawn area. I like to apply at a rate of 2 gallons (overall tank mix) per thousand feet, so I use 8 cups of CoRoN in a 4 gallon backpack sprayer to cover 2,000 sq ft with each tank. I would not necessarily recommend this product for grow-in situations such as sprigging, repair of large turf injured areas, or along edges where spreading of turf grass is desired. In those cases, a slow release granular fertilizer would provide better stolon and growth stimulation, as well as provide longer residual activity in the soil itself. The only other real downside to this product is the price. Coated granular fertilizer blends (such as 24-4-12) will be available in most areas for much cheaper when compared on a dollar per pound of Nitrogen basis. The additional benefits of CoRoN, not available in dry granular fertilizers, is worth the additional cost in my case, though. I also like the 6-1-2 N-P-K ratio, which is a pretty good balance for Zoysia (unless P or K needs are shown to be different through a soil test).