organic vs. non organic fertilizer

[grassmasterswilson]

Wondering your thoughts on organic fert? I know the cost is a little higher than traditional ferts, but how are the results? Thinking about incorporating some organic apps into my program. We usually go with 1 lb N on fescue and bermuda and .25-.5 lb N on centipede.

[DA Quality Lawn & YS]

Tell you what I use Milorganite on select lawns - those that are infected with NRS plus my own lawn. I get GREAT results with the product. Nice deep green, long lasting. Makes for a good late fall app as you see the spring green up quickly.

Only the cost per K keeps me from using it on everyone's lawn.

[Marcos]

Originally Posted by DA Quality Lawn & YS

Tell you what I use Milorganite on select lawns - those that are infected with NRS plus my own lawn. I get GREAT results with the product. Nice deep green, long lasting. Makes for a good late fall app as you see the spring green up quickly.

Only the cost per K keeps me from using it on everyone's lawn.

I hear and understand what you're saying about cost / K.
But can you honestly look into your clients' eyes each and every day and claim that Milorganite is an "organic product"? Can you do this without having your nose suddenly and inexplicably expand in the forward direction?

[Smallaxe]

The biggest advantage is really the benefits to soil structure along with the corresponding CE sites that are derived from organic material... soils with plenty of OM and an active healthy microbe community is going to produce more benefits than NPK alone... even though the label will only reflect its own NPK measurements...
The Whole, is greater than the Sum of its Parts...

[phasthound]

The best of both; Screamin Green 16-2-3.
Composted poultry manure and biosolids fortified with some urea, SCU and Ammonium Sulfate. Competitively priced with synthetic fertilizers.

[Ric]

Originally Posted by phasthound

The best of both; Screamin Green 16-2-3.
Composted poultry manure and biosolids fortified with some urea, SCU and Ammonium Sulfate. Competitively priced with synthetic fertilizers.

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS I agree 100%.

I am a well know Organic hater, But not because Organic Fertilizers are bad. It is the Organic Only attitude of Tree Hugging Granola Nuts that makes me bad mouth Organic Fert. I even use some Organic Pesticides.

Understanding What Organics can do and can not do is the question here. Then supplement with Synthetics. But whether you have sandy soil or heavy clay, organic fertilizer should add SOM to your soil. SOM or Soil organic matter helps the Physical aspect of the soil profile. In the case of sandy soil it adds water & chemical Holding power. In clay soil is help prevent run off and compaction. If you are pulling Hollow core and not Top Dressing with Organic fertilizer you are really missing the the whole point of aeration.

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[Skipster]

Originally Posted by Ric

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS I agree 100%.

I am a well know Organic hater, But not because Organic Fertilizers are bad. It is the Organic Only attitude of Tree Hugging Granola Nuts that makes me bad mouth Organic Fert. I even use some Organic Pesticides.

Understanding What Organics can do and can not do is the question here. Then supplement with Synthetics. But whether you have sandy soil or heavy clay, organic fertilizer should add SOM to your soil. SOM or Soil organic matter helps the Physical aspect of the soil profile. In the case of sandy soil it adds water & chemical Holding power. In clay soil is help prevent run off and compaction. If you are pulling Hollow core and not Top Dressing with Organic fertilizer you are really missing the the whole point of aeration.

.

My main issue with this is being played out by my competitors as they speak. They offer an "Organic" program, but use Screamin' Gren (with conventional fert in it) and they include a spring Dimension application for crabgrass and other annual weeds.

They say their program is 100% organic, but they still clean up weed escapes with 2,4-d, apply conventional ferts, and use conventional PRE products.

Since we don't have a legal definition of organic lawn care, I guess people can apply whatever they want and call it whatever they want. They tell the customer they're organic and they're preventing crabgrass, and their invoice even tells the customer they used Dimension, but they don't tell the customer that Dimension is the same thing the non-organic guy uses, or that its NOT and "organic" product!

I have too much integrity to tell my customers they're getting something "organic" is the whole program's not "organic."

[weapons of grass destruction]

I use this stuff called jungle grow. it is chicken feather meal works well.
scotts also makes called Scott natural,
I have a guy I use who does mostly organic lawn spraying and he uses fish emulsion it is a liquid fertilizer .
also milograntie is human waste.

[Ric]

Originally Posted by Skipster

My main issue with this is being played out by my competitors as they speak. They offer an "Organic" program, but use Screamin' Gren (with conventional fert in it) and they include a spring Dimension application for crabgrass and other annual weeds.

They say their program is 100% organic, but they still clean up weed escapes with 2,4-d, apply conventional ferts, and use conventional PRE products.

Since we don't have a legal definition of organic lawn care, I guess people can apply whatever they want and call it whatever they want. They tell the customer they're organic and they're preventing crabgrass, and their invoice even tells the customer they used Dimension, but they don't tell the customer that Dimension is the same thing the non-organic guy uses, or that its NOT and "organic" product!

I have too much integrity to tell my customers they're getting something "organic" is the whole program's not "organic."

First there is a legal definition of Organic Fertilizer and Pesticides.

Next if you haven't figured it out by now I guess I will have to Tell you.

A Pesticide License like all Chemicals license, is a License to legally Steal. The Organic Lier's can't compete with synthetics so they use them and Lie to the Customer. The worst case I have seen is a Company who had the Public School contract.

.

[phasthound]

Originally Posted by Skipster

My main issue with this is being played out by my competitors as they speak. They offer an "Organic" program, but use Screamin' Gren (with conventional fert in it) and they include a spring Dimension application for crabgrass and other annual weeds.

They say their program is 100% organic, but they still clean up weed escapes with 2,4-d, apply conventional ferts, and use conventional PRE products.

Since we don't have a legal definition of organic lawn care, I guess people can apply whatever they want and call it whatever they want. They tell the customer they're organic and they're preventing crabgrass, and their invoice even tells the customer they used Dimension, but they don't tell the customer that Dimension is the same thing the non-organic guy uses, or that its NOT and "organic" product!

I have too much integrity to tell my customers they're getting something "organic" is the whole program's not "organic."

I'm not aware of any LCO claiming Screamin Green is part of a 100% organic program. Please PM with company names so I can verify your claims.