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 Post subject: SPREADER PROBLEM
PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 9:29 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2010 8:14 pm
Posts: 12
Location: CORPUS CHRISTI,TEXAS
I'm new to organics and this forum. Hope I'm in the right spot. I recently tried to apply greensand, lava sand and dry molasses with a Scotts brand drop spreader I used in my synthetic days. I ran a test strip and found I was dropping about 4 Oz. per 100 square feet with the spreader wide open. After applying about 1 pound the slots in the spreader became clogged and had to be cleaned out only to become clogged again. I also tried a small hand held broadcast spreader set wide open and it clogged after about two cranks of the handle. I have about 7000 square feet of yard so you can image how long it would take at 4 oz/100 square feet even without the clogging. This happened with all three products. I'm in Corpus Christi so we always have a lot of humidity but the bags were new and went straight into the spreader after opening. Do I need a different spreader?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks


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 Post subject: Re: SPREADER PROBLEM
PostPosted: Sun Jun 20, 2010 10:04 pm 
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Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2003 3:45 pm
Posts: 2884
Location: San Antonio,TEXAS
Hi Gmark and welcome to the forum. I have no good news for you. I'm in San Antonio and it is always too humid here to use a standard drop type spreader. Corpus is much more humid. The organic products, especially dry molasses, absorb humidity very quickly and form clumps in the hopper. Those clumps do not want to fall down into the spreader. My solution was to bounce the spreader along. That worked but my bottom-of-the-line Scott's spreader lasted one season and broke from being bounced around too much.

On a visit to an equipment rental business for something else, I looked at their fertilizer spreaders. Even their heavy duty spreaders looked like the same thing would happen.

What I do is fling the materials out by hand, but 7,000 feet would be seven times more than I do.

Did you try spreading any fertilizer with your spreader? I'm guessing it will clog, too.

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 Post subject: Re: SPREADER PROBLEM
PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 8:52 am 
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Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2003 10:51 pm
Posts: 747
Location: Garland, Texas
I've tried drop and broadcast style spreaders and neither work well with greensand, lava sand, dry molasses. As with Dchall, I spread those products by hand. You might consider breaking up the application into several steps. Don't know if you have a small lawn tractor, but maybe one of those pull behind spreaders would work though I don't know this from experience.

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 Post subject: Re: SPREADER PROBLEM
PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 6:31 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2010 8:14 pm
Posts: 12
Location: CORPUS CHRISTI,TEXAS
Thanks for the replies. I can't tell you how relieved I was when I read that ya'll had the same problems that I experienced with spreading the organic products. I ended up spreading it by hand which seems the best way after reading your replies. The front yard wasn't too bad because it is split up by driveway and sidewalk and I could do it in sections. Mr. Clean confirmed that was a good idea. The back yard (5000+ sq. ft.) was a different story. I have no idea if I got an even spread or totally missed spots. I read where Dchall said it takes about 3 week for organics to work so I'll keep looking for improvements with my yellowing st. aug. and keep my fingers crossed.

Once again, thanks for the replies. It's reassuring to know that there is a place for a rookie like me to ask questions and get advise from the pros like yourselves.


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 Post subject: Re: SPREADER PROBLEM
PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 9:23 pm 
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Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2003 10:51 pm
Posts: 747
Location: Garland, Texas
As for how quick to turn around your lawn, I can't say. When I first switched to organics, my lawn was already really nice looking (a mix of St. Augustine and Bermuda) so there wasn't much visual improvement. When we moved to this property it was pretty neglected, again a mixture of turf again with St. Augustine and Bermuda plus some Tall Fescue, I witnessed a significant (and quick) improvement after a core aeration followed by an application of humate. One thing about the humate, it runs really well through a broadcast spreader, just have to hose yourself off when you're done. :)

For the ammendments you mentioned, I wouldn't be overly concerned about how uniformly they were applied.

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 Post subject: Re: SPREADER PROBLEM
PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 7:01 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2010 8:14 pm
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Location: CORPUS CHRISTI,TEXAS
I'm a little upset with myself. I thought about aeration after I put the soil amendment products down. Oh well, live and learn. I think I'm going to aerate this weekend anyway. Probably not the correct order of things but couldn't hurt.


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 Post subject: Re: SPREADER PROBLEM
PostPosted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 8:03 am 
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Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2003 10:51 pm
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Location: Garland, Texas
IMO no worries about the order, you will still reap the benefits.

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 Post subject: Re: SPREADER PROBLEM
PostPosted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 6:02 pm 
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Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2010 4:40 pm
Posts: 195
GMARK- how does your lawn look now(today 7/2/10),now that you guys got all that rain from Alex? :lol:


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 Post subject: Re: SPREADER PROBLEM
PostPosted: Sat Jul 03, 2010 7:59 am 
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Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2010 8:14 pm
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Location: CORPUS CHRISTI,TEXAS
Hi produce guy, I got right at 6 inches of rain from Alex. I hate hurricanes but thats about the only way we get any rain in Corpus. Got to take the good with the bad I guess. As far as my yard goes, I applied greensand almost 3 weeks ago and my yellowing SA was starting to show some signs of greening up prior to the hurricane. However, this morning I've found that areas that were green are now starting to yellow. I also noticed several areas where the blades of the SA (yellow and green) have small irregulare shaped brownish/grayish patterns with a darker ring around them. Did some research and appears to be gray leaf spot with common causes being poor drainage and/or improper watering. I had already started the deep (1") but infrequent watering practice 3 weeks ago. I was going to aerate about 2 weeks ago but decided to wait until I applied corn meal fertilizer on July 4. I'm extremely new to the organic approach but from what I've researched it looks like I need to double the CM for the GLS and apply some more greensand for the yellowing. My concerns are this: 1) I've never used a lawn aerator before. Will the aerator tear up my SA with the wet conditions I'm in? 2) The CM and greensand both have to be watered in. Will this additional watering on top of the existing wet condition I'm in cause more problems with the GLS? My yard has a slope so I don't have standing water anywhere, but we still have rain in the forecast into next week. I read where milk, compost tea, Garrett Juice, garlic tea, potassium bicarbonate and compost can be applied to help with fungus. So many choices. It seems like milk was used by a lot of people with similiar problems so I'm going to give it a try.

Sorry for all the questions. I'm doing a lot of reading and research about the various organic products but it's a lot to wrap my head around.

But, other than the GLS and yellowing my yard looks better than it ever has. Just switching to the deep/infrequent watering and mulch mowing on the highest setting has made a noticeable difference in the appearance. Hand pulling the weeds and the thicker turf is helping with the weed issue.

Thanks for the inquiry and any expert suggestions.


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 Post subject: Re: SPREADER PROBLEM
PostPosted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 9:17 pm 
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Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2010 4:40 pm
Posts: 195
gmark,I use the the shoes with the 2 inch spikes on the bottom of them to aireate my lawn ,I do this about 4-5 times and get some strange looks from the people in the hood,also it's harder to spike after the rain,wait a few days untill the ground has sometime to dry. :mrgreen:


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 Post subject: Re: SPREADER PROBLEM
PostPosted: Mon Jul 05, 2010 7:32 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2010 8:14 pm
Posts: 12
Location: CORPUS CHRISTI,TEXAS
Thanks produce guy.


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 Post subject: Re: SPREADER PROBLEM
PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 4:38 am 
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Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 2:37 am
Posts: 14
I am having the same problem with my lawn and this should help me as well, thanks for the help produce guy. Though I do now own an aerator so that's going to be a problem, I think I'd rent one from the construction equipment rental company at the Home Depot.


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 Post subject: Re: SPREADER PROBLEM
PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 7:47 pm 
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Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2010 4:40 pm
Posts: 195
I bought my spike shoes at Smith& Hawkens,which is now out of bussiness,but you can buy them at
www.northerntool.com ,for as little as $7 a pair.


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