The Grass Doctor

Alternative fertilizer and methods for large lawns?

Greetings all. This question is probably best answered by someone who farms, maintains golf courses/parks, or has acreage. I'm a city boy moved to TX trying to learn your secrets. My neighbors and I have about 2 acres of lawn. Buying fertilizer by the bag (i.e. 5,000 ft coverage for $20) just doesn't make sense...particularly if you're doing it 3-4 times a yr per local experts. I had my Dallas area soil tested by those brainy people at A&M (thank you). It turns out that my P & K are ideal -- which apparently is very common in this area due to the clay. They recommended 100% nitrogen. I guess too much P&K is bad and adding more is unecessary and unhealthy. Question: farmers must have to apply comparable fertilizer in bulk. And I know they do it for other things (herbicides, pest control). And I don't think they buy it by the bag at Lowes. Can I go somewhere and purchase a good comparable slow release fertilizer in bulk? Neil Sperry's brand (as an example) is a 24-0-0 w/ 60% slow release in granular form, but it's $34 bag times 20. http://www.neilsperry.com/pages/neil-sperrys-texas-best-fertilizers.html We've got an earthway broadcast spreader and can dial in exactly 1 or 2 lbs/1000 ft. And I live close to farm country here in the suburbs of Dallas. It sure would be nice to buy bulk of good quality fertilizer w/o the filler and costs. Anyone care to share their thoughts and recommendations? You'll help us out in convenience, cost, and curiosity. Richard

Public Comments

1. Don't know if this will help because it won't be what you had in mind at all, but using fertiliser like that is terrible for the environment - it's all oil based, and it's expensive. Lots of gardeners make a simple nitrogen feed by soaking comfrey leaves in water overnight. This might be difficult to scale as you'd have to establish a very big comfrey bed somewhere and then harvest it and soak it in large volumes of water and strain it off, but if you could do it it'd save you a fortune! Maybe you could use a lawnmower to harvest the leaves, and a big water tank to soak it?
2. yes if you can find a farmers co-op maybe down in cow town. you will have to look it up in your area. But yes nitrogen pellets (they look like yellow confetti) put it your spreader and you are set for the year. I pay around 30 dollars for a 50 lb bag. I use 2 a year and have a 2.5 acres to cover. back yard bigger than front. I started using it because snakes hate (it it burns there stomach), and I hate snakes