Fertilizer Costs

We have all heard and read stories of prices rising this year due to the surge in oil costs. Higher prices are hurting us all personally, and will continue to in the future.

The cost of fertilizers on world markets is rising faster than anything I have read about to date. Fertilizer prices in the US have mostly doubled, and in some cases risen 500% during the last fifteen months due to many factors. Nope, the 500% is NOT a typo. Reasons for the cost explosion include:

-Surging worldwide oil costs.
-The United States' developing ethanol (corn) fuel dependence, causing higher
demand for fertilizer, and higher prices.
-Developing third world countries' demand for a modern diet, a diet that
includes protein based foods supported by higher yield plants and
animals grown with the fertilizers of modern agriculture.
-Mines and fertilizer refining plants operating at capacity, a problem
resembling oil refining capacity in the US.
-Hoarding by some national governments, driving prices even higher.

Obviously, costs to fertilize turfgrass have risen dramatically already this year for Potowomut. Fertilizer decisions, never taken lightly, have more ramifications today compared with last season.

Next time, I promise we will write about something positive!!