Cutting Fertilizer

[gslam88]

I have a question, I went to go price out a job the other day with my partner. While looking at most of the customers lawn we both noticed something possibly strange. There were many large dead spots through out the yard. As we both looked closer at the yard, it also looked as if someone had cut the fertilizer with small stone chips. They seem to be in a lot of areas that were not native to the area. Not near a street, driveway, foot traffic path.
This brings me to the question. Has anyone every heard of or tried to cut fertilizer like this to reduce costs? I would never think of it, but that is the only idea we came up with that seemed feasable.


Pete :confused:

[gslam88]

I have a question, I went to go price out a job the other day with my partner. While looking at most of the customers lawn we both noticed something possibly strange. There were many large dead spots through out the yard. As we both looked closer at the yard, it also looked as if someone had cut the fertilizer with small stone chips. They seem to be in a lot of areas that were not native to the area. Not near a street, driveway, foot traffic path.
This brings me to the question. Has anyone every heard of or tried to cut fertilizer like this to reduce costs? I would never think of it, but that is the only idea we came up with that seemed feasable.

[groundsguy1970]

Maybe you bought some slow release and you're looking @ it...



or maybe.....



someone put.....



TOO,MUCH~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:cool:

[cajuncutter]

hahahaha I have never thought of that and would never do it. But think about this. Why go through that kind of trouble and expense. Gravel is somewhat expensive. At least down here it is, comapred to a bag of sand. If you want to broadcast something cheap just get a bag of sand at home depot. You ought to have it anylized or perhapse soak it in water to see if it will actually disolve and break down. Are you totally sure it is stone? Also if you are concerened contact you local ag. department. I have seen large chunks of some sort of strange substance in some of those cheap weed and feed specials at wally world and home depot. I use strictly lesco products and have never seen anything like what you describe.

[gslam88]

No it was stone chip of some sort, pretty sure that it was not slow release.

I would not put it past some of the guys to try something like that.


It's like mixing sub soil with topsoil and cutting cost down a bit..

or better yet like selling you some of my discounted Enron stock for only $250 a stock....


Pete :blob3:

[proline32]

Why would they bother to do that? ( cut the fertilizer with something) it's a lot simpler to just adjust back the setting on the spreader some if someone is looking to cut corners.

[gslam88]

It was a white stone chip, did not seem to be sand, but could be.

If we go back I will take a closer look and see


:blob1:

[gslam88]

Proline,


Like I said that was the only thing we could think of? any other ideas that might work?????? :confused: :confused:

[Twotoros]

They caught a guy in town doing tree injections with water. Buyers beware. A lot of losers out there.

[proline32]

reminds me of a story a friend of mine told me about a guy who started a pest control business by spraying milk around outside homes and got paid for the work then took the money and bought the chemicals he needed. Unfortunately, my friends home was one of the ones that got the milk treatment..... the termites ate that place apart.

[groundsguy1970]

Well a few how about this? http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/special/fear_fields.html

[CHAN]

Could this have been some type of kitty litter. If so some look like small rocks and some contain a lot of salt. Check it out that could be causing the dead spots.

[tremor]

The chips were probably fertilizer grade limestone chips. Used to "make weight" when blending low analysis fertilizers (5-10-5, 10-6-4, 16-4-8, etc). To save money, Ive even seen this stuff sold straight to "dumb" applicators who thought they were buying pelletized lime. The sales guy actually told them this! It takes about 100 years or so for these chips to breakdown to the point where the neutelizing effect is felt. Some folks actually think that if the analysis is low, the product is slow release & therefore safe. Landscapre Architects are constantly writing specs aroung here for fear that immigrant labor will throw the fertilizer in the planting holes at damaging rates. So they spec 5-10-5 ALL CHEMICAL. A blend such as this requires about 1200 lbs of filler & 800lbs ingredients to make 2000 lbs of finished fert. If it's sloppily applied (burned spots?), the filler will be visible for quite some time.

All ferts that are sold in the state of Washington are tested for metals. Some other states do this too. WA actually produces a nice database where concerned individuals can look for themselves. If you're wondering, look here for the brand you use. If they market their products in WA, you'll find it here. Keep in mind that Combination prodcuts may contain binders that skew these reports.
Most metals are found in commercial ferts that contain minera souces of micronutrients or sludge based organics.

http://www-app2.wa.gov/agr/supply1.asp

Steve

[gslam88]

Thanks steve,

That might be possible, but I doubt the cusotmer would know what was used.

Where in Stratford are you at, I am in Monroe


Pete

[Runner]

Tru brown just off'ed something onto my neighbor that was all white crystals, looking much like salt, and they only spread it at a rate that put one crystal about every foot - foot and a half. Anyone have any ideas what THIS would be? Oh yeah, they sold it as a PreM, but even the flag said "non pesticide application". Talk about decete(?)

[lawrence stone]

Originally posted by Runner
Tru brown just off'ed something onto my neighbor that was all white crystals, looking much like salt, and they only spread it at a rate that put one crystal about every foot - foot and a half. Anyone have any ideas what THIS would be? Oh yeah, they sold it as a PreM, but even the flag said "non pesticide application". Talk about decete(?)


46-0-0

[tremor]

Hey Pete,
Hadn't noticed you were from CT. Im south of Trumbull line on 108.

Steve
sls247@lesco.com

[dan deutekom]

Runner that stuff sounds like Urea. Be careful with that stuff because it burns grass real easy but it sure greens up fast. I think Stone had the right analysis for it with 46-0-0

[Runner]

That's pretty much what I thought it was, being who put it down, and all. Although, they laid it down extremely thin. That's o.k., I followed it about a week after, with a REAL dose 24-5-11. Now that they are (re)fired, I'll be able to do my program, and give these people the golf ball test by the end of the season.

[1grnlwn]

If a pesticide was used, often times they are sprayed on clay particles or corn cobs, then blended with fertilizer. Could be a mineral supliment.

Mark

[gslam88]

Steve,

I am just around the 25 and 59 area or monroe

Pete

[groundsguy1970]

Why would you apply 24-5-11 after a UREA ap?

Won't the "balanced" fert cause "weed" grasses to seed after overwintering? I use straight N after X-mas...

:cool:

[dan deutekom]

I think you made a mistake fertilizing with that much nitrogen just after a urea application. Chances are very high that that lawn will burn. I hope for your sake you have wet and cool weather for the next couple of weeks

[Runner]

This stuff (the TG/CL N) was put down so thin, it wouldn't have that great of an effect in it anyway. I mean they REALLY skimped on the stuff. We've had nothing but wet weather lately anyway and since. I always go low on the N at the beginning of the season, and concentrate on the K durung the growing part of the spring. I love my thick lawns, but I don't like having 4 to 5 inches of growth a week. As far as color, my iron certainly helps, as I have always had the greenest lawns on the block. This thing is really selling itself! This is why I can say that after just one application, you (the customer) will see better results than any other service around. Guaranteed! There is no doubt, that I am giving these people the nicest lawns around. Even THEY are saying that now. The only problem is when I'm sometimes asked if I can give them the nicest looking lawn on their street. I sometimes have to tell them no, that is imPOSSible. They look at me a little startled, and ask why is that? I just simply tell them that it's because YOURS, isn't the only one on the street that I do! Usually, they just sort of smile... I LOVE this stuff!:)

[vegomatic40]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Runner
[B]Tru brown just off'ed something onto my neighbor that was all white crystals, looking much like salt, and they only spread it at a rate that put one crystal about every foot - foot and a half.
Chances are this was an application of straight 0-0-62. They have been pushing this app. for the past few years. Started in the warm season market and now appears to have been rolled over to cool season as well. Muriate of Potash is widely used in their mixes and rates run anywhere from .25 to .75 lb/m. It is difficult to spread evenly since it does have a consistency of table salt or very fine sand (it is a mineral.) This is one of their famous "supplemental apps", sold to boost revenue. They also sell a "maintenance level" lime app. A soil test prior to this is a rarety. Seems the sales reps have developed a keen sense of soil pH over the phone. This is done by applying lime at a max rate of 10-15 lb/m. Dolomitized lime bought at $90/ton then full app. price charged. This reflects a profit margin of.....Oh My God! Hey if they keep this up, they may be able to have the annual-corporate-year-end-meeting in Hawaii again. Yeahhhh!
PS This is not based on pure speculation or opinion. Believe me, I know.