SumaGreen Update

Bottom line: Ineffective.

At week 7.5, and with two full applications down (at start and week 6) at the recommended rate, there is no difference from control in the following areas:

* Heavily fed main lawn
* Moderately fed back line
* Lightly fed tri-mix lawn
* Unfed tri-mix lawn

There were no differences in color, growth rate, density, quality of lawn, or drought resistance in any area.

This photo shows areas with and without SumaGreen. There is no visual difference, and the green lawn wasn't completely treated. Neither was the dormant neighbor's lawn.

June Photos and SumaGrow Update

I took photos earlier than the normal time today so the color of the lawn is a bit lighter than it would be otherwise.

As always, click on any photo to embiggen it!

The basic standard shot.  Color is fair, but quality and density are incomparable this year!


The "standard" garden shot, off the southwest face.


The Double Knockout red rose is finishing up its first bloom and throwing the buds for the second. I think the potassium I've added has really encouraged this bush as I've had to trim it twice this year so far!


These Asiatics don't generally blossom until the end of June, but the winter was so light and spring so warm and wet I'm not terribly surprised.


Some of the more unusual marigolds are visibly extremely happy!


Now the SumaGrow update photos. At each point in these three images is a control area--either with no SumaGrow, or with an area of SumaGrow in them. At no point can I pick out any difference by eye or on these images. This is week three since application.

SumaGreen: Two Week Update

It's actually Day 18+ on the SumaGreen addition.  I applied 2 ounces per thousand on May 11th.  This is an initial evaluation, with the main one around day 30 and an additional one during summer to measure drought resistance with respect to the weather.

There were five test areas, with each report below:

Control Area:  About five hundred square feet on the back line, fed organically at less than half the rate of the main lawn.    Lawn quality is excellent, color is OK.  There have been no changes to this area over the last two weeks.

Back Line:  Maintenance as the control area, except that I applied 2 ounces of SumaGreen.  Quality is excellent, color is OK.  No change.

Main Lawn:  Organically heavily fed, with kelp, humic acid, and iron regularly applied.  Quality is extraordinary, color is good.  No change.

Gardens:  Organically moderately fed, synthetically lightly fed, heavily mulched with hardwood.  I regularly apply kelp and humic acid.  There are many species of zinnia, marigold, verbena, Convulvulus, statice, Melampodium, celosia, salvia, and a large number of perennials.  Growth rate, quality, and blooming are very good, flower  color is excellent.  There are no visible changes from the SumaGreen application.

North neighbor:  I applied over about a hundred square feet over the line.  The lawn is mowed regularly and fed by TruGreen.  Color and quality are poor.  There is no change in the SumaGreen applied area.

South neighbor:  I applied over about a hundred square feet over the line.  The lawn is mowed regularly but never fed.  Color and quality are poor.  There is no change in the SumaGreen applied area.

While it's too early to evaluate at this point, the initial indications are that SumaGreen has no positive effects for at least the first two weeks.

May Photos and Experiment

The May photos for the lawn and gardens are below. The gardens were just planted, so as always this early in the season look rather sad and sparse. This will rapidly change.

I'm trying SumaGreen Turf on the lawn and gardens this year, a biological product with many different types of bacteria in humic acid. I had wanted the reference shots for today as I applied late in the day yesterday. Changes should take place over the next four weeks.

As always, you can click on any image to increase the size.

The May lawn. Density and growth rate are both excellent, although color isn't wonderful at the moment. I haven't had much time to keep up with the spray iron.


The purple rhododendron, which seems to be very happy where it is. It's tripled in size in the last two years.


The magnolia bloomed nicely earlier, and the rose bush behind it should be along shortly.


Newly-planted gardens always look sparse, and I just finished this yesterday.