Commercial fertilizer/Residential fertilizer????

[cmfpi]

Hi, i'm very new to this forum. My partner and I are thinking of adding pesticide/fertilizer application to our business. I'm researching what i need to do to get a license and now have a question, is there a commerical fertilizer and residential fertilizer and if there is, is there a difference?

[enviouslawns]

All the same fertilizer, but in michigan to put any pesticides down on any comm. property youve got to have a "Right of Way" lisence

[cmfpi]

Awesome, thank you. There is a place here called Lesco and I called them and they gave me a quote for weed and feed at something like 40 something for a 50lb bag then i saw a bag at home depot of the same product, just covers a little less square yardage for about 20 less. So that's why i started wondering if there was a difference.

[enviouslawns]

Shop around lesco is very expensive

[CreativeEdge]

I have personally found lesco to be about 10 bucks cheaper than at home depot. Also, lesco pros should be able to tell you the best fertilizer or pre-emergent applications for turfgrass type.

[Runner]

All the same fertilizer, but in michigan to put any pesticides down on any comm. property youve got to have a "Right of Way" lisence

This is incorrect information.

[MOTES]

I'm trying to understand what the 3 number means on label. Could anybody give me a simple meaning of them? If there was a cheap brand weed and feed and compare that to expenive weed and feed but both have same numbers .......is it better to buy cheap then? Any advice will be greatly appreaicate.

[rcreech]

Sorry....but I have to disagree about fertilizer being fertilizer!

RULE #1 - Don't buy a bag of fert based on the price/bag!

You have to look at what you are getting and how much area it will cover.

I think there is a HUGE difference in the quality of "store grade" and "professional grade" fert.

Yes N,P and K is N,P and K, but if that is the case then why not just use the ol' ag grade stuff!

Back before I entered the lawn care industry I would have said all fert is the same but not now!

Things to look for are:
SGN
Dustiness
Consistency
SCU
ect.

I can't tell you how many times I have taken over a new customer and later in the year they tell me their lawn never looked so good.

What is probably the only thing I am doing different? Probably the fert!

That is my take!

I think there are big differeneces in fert....especailly when comparing store to professional grade.

Also, make sure you are comparing apples to apples. Look at the analysis, AI, SCU and square footage a bag covers.

9 times out of 19 you can actually buy professional grade product cheaper thent the store and you are getting much more for your dollar!

[Runner]

9 times out of 19? Hmm,..that's a pretty precise ratio! How many case studies and how much research was done to arrive at THESE numbers?

J/K, of course lol...:D

[rcreech]

Good catch Joe!

Dang fingers must not have been work'n right!

You know what I meant! :laugh:

But for those who didn't:

9 times out of 10

Time to go to bed I guess! :dizzy:

[enviouslawns]

This is incorrect information.

When i talked to Mi dept. of ag tahts wat i was told. Exact words- IF your doing Comm. pesticides you have to have your right of way. along with your applicators lisence and your comapny being registered.

[Runner]

Yeah,...this is incorrect. Even those guys screw up now and again,...unless he just misunderstood your question.
The Right of Way certification (category 6) in a sense has nothing to do with solely commercial properties. What the Cat.6 cert. does, is allow you to spray on areas such as open parking lots, curblines, roadsides, and even technically (but ignored) included in this is the area of yards that is between the sidewalk and the street that is public domain.
As far as it being required to be a commercial applicator, simply isn't true. There are many applicators - and even companies that do not carry their Cat.6....(even though they REALLY should). Most just carry their 3A (Turfgrass) fewer carry their 3B (Ornamental, which allows you to do trees, ornamental, and bed areas). But there are even fewer than this that carry their Cat.6.

[Grassmechanic]

Correct Joe. I could never understand why applicators don't carry the cat6. The state has really made it easy with the combo test (3a,3b,6) to NOT have it.

And are you ever right about the Dept of Ag guys screwing up now and then.

[naughty62]

Yeah,...this is incorrect. Even those guys screw up now and again,...unless he just misunderstood your question.
The Right of Way certification (category 6) in a sense has nothing to do with solely commercial properties. What the Cat.6 cert. does, is allow you to spray on areas such as open parking lots, curblines, roadsides, and even technically (but ignored) included in this is the area of yards that is between the sidewalk and the street that is public domain.
As far as it being required to be a commercial applicator, simply isn't true. There are many applicators - and even companies that do not carry their Cat.6....(even though they REALLY should). Most just carry their 3A (Turfgrass) fewer carry their 3B (Ornamental, which allows you to do trees, ornamental, and bed areas). But there are even fewer than this that carry their Cat.6. Exactly, in many states there is also grey areas concern the application of insect control up to stuctures.Apiary notification laws with on going colony collapse disorder ,county and state restrictions ,do to wildlife nesting. There are very few chemical that can be applied for non selective weed control on a residential,or commercial property.many people skirt again these issue ,until they get the wrong person on their case C.YOA . I stopped spraying a rocky area on a residential last because some stupid bird .No way in hell would I want to be called up on the carpet to face charges related The federal endangered species act , although I probably would never get caught.