Florida Agricultural Experiment Station


 Two tests on Leon fine sandy soil to measure lime and fertil-
izer needs for maintaining stands and growth of 8 grasses were
started in 1942. The lime and fertilizer requirements of the
grass species differ widely. The Bahia varieties and carpet
grass require much lower fertility levels for maintenance than
the Bermuda varieties, Dallis and Pangola grasses. Under low
fertility levels grasses such as Bermuda and Dallis make poor
growth and tend to be crowded out rapidly by carpet grass.
The fertilizer and lime requirements for maintenance thus de-
pend upon species of grasses to be grown as well as the soil
and previous fertilizer practices.
When the soil is not suitable for growing legumes, the grasses
may be fertilized for maintenance as follows on the mineral
soils of western and peninsular Florida:
 FERTILIZERS FOR MAINTAINING CARPET OR BAHIA
 GRASS PASTURES
 1. 300 to 500 pounds of 6-6-6, 5-7-5, 4-8-8 or similar fertilizer ap-
 plied every other year. Nitrogen fertilizer at the rate of 100
 to 200 pounds per acre of sulfate of ammonia or nitrate of
 soda, or their equivalent in other sources of nitrogen, may be
 applied on years when complete fertilizer is not supplied. Lime
 may be supplied at the rate of 1 ton per acre every 5 to 7 years
 on the more acid soils; or
 2. Superphosphate at the rate of 200 to 400 pounds per acre every
 3 to 5 years will generally improve the phosphorus and calcium
 content of forage and also stimulate growth; or
 3. 1,000 to 1,800 pounds of rock or colloidal phosphate increases
 the phosphorus and calcium content of grass and generally
 stimulates growth. The addition of nitrogen and potash to the
 rock phosphate or superphosphate would improve growth of
 grasses. This treatment is not recommended for the red soils
 of western Florida; or
 4. Basic slag at the rate of 500 to 1,000 pounds per acre every
 3 to 5 years may be used.
 FERTILIZERS FOR MAINTAINING VARIETIES OF BERMUDA,
 PANGOLA, DALLIS OR NAPIER GRASS PASTURES
 WHERE LEGUMES ARE NOT PRESENT
 1. 400 to 500 pounds of a 6-6-6 or similar fertilizer applied an-
 nually; additional nitrogen would be desirable. Complete fer-
 tilizer can be applied biennially, with nitrogen applied in the
 alternate years; or
 2. If rock, colloidal, superphosphate or other phosphate is used,
 it should be supplemented with nitrogen and potash.
 Lime may be needed every 3 to 6 years.
 FERTILIZERS FOR MAINTAINING PASTURES ON MUCK
 AND SANDY SOILS UNDERLAID WITH LIME
 1. For non-acid sandy soils apply complete fertilizer and nitrogen
 as recommended for the acid sandy soils. Lime will not be
 needed.
 2. For muck soils apply 200 to 400 pounds of 0-8-12 or 0-8-24
 fertilizer per acre every 1 or 2 years.