when to spread compost over yard

[phasthound]

When topdressing with compost, only a 1/4" is usually applied at a time. Most of the fines drop right down to the soil. Larger pieces are washed in with irrigation. The turf is never smothered, In fact, when I look at what I have just applied I usually think there is not enough. But then I remember the times I have applied the same amount to sidewalks by mistake and they are covered with compost.

Top dressing with compost has many benefits for lawns. But it may not be a good fit for many companies and can be cost prohibitive for their clients. There are other options available that will provide similar results more economically.

That being said, there is nothing like the benefits of good compost for all plants.

[NattyLawn]

Originally Posted by americanlawn

Okay - we all agree that compost is good (my favorite is horse manure, but that's another story). My concern is that compost may "smother" the turf cuz it doesn't decompose quickly (like grass clippings). You mentioned aeration & power seeding (ways to "incorporate it into the soil profile" like I thought was best). That's what I was getting at. Lastly was "topdressing": All goff courses I know aerate first before topdressing with organic matter & sand -- thus incorporating it into the soil profile where the roots feed.

I still say spreading compost on top of turfgrass can smother lawns, and I have never seen any natural method that incorporates compost into the soil profile where the grass ROOTS are. Far as I know, the "roots" absorb nutrients unless you're talkin' foliar sprays.

Am I all wet here or what?

p.s. phasthound sells a wide variety of organic products, and he's a swell guy. We buy stuff from him too.

Horse manure isn't compost.

Plenty of people on the organic forum apply compost as a topdressing without smothering turf. Where not talking about the nutrients being directly plant available here. The microorganisms in the soil break down the compost and it's nutrients, who in turn make them plant available. It's probably a different thinking than what you're used to.

[NattyLawn]

Originally Posted by phasthound

When topdressing with compost, only a 1/4" is usually applied at a time. Most of the fines drop right down to the soil. Larger pieces are washed in with irrigation. The turf is never smothered, In fact, when I look at what I have just applied I usually think there is not enough. But then I remember the times I have applied the same amount to sidewalks by mistake and they are covered with compost.

Top dressing with compost has many benefits for lawns. But it may not be a good fit for many companies and can be cost prohibitive for their clients. There are other options available that will provide similar results more economically.

That being said, there is nothing like the benefits of good compost for all plants.

Barry,

Do you have any pelletized compost or worm casting available yet?

[phasthound]

Originally Posted by NattyLawn

Barry,

Do you have any pelletized compost or worm casting available yet?

You know I do!

And for any tree guys dealing with compacted soils there is now a great vertical mulch compound available.

[Smallaxe]

Originally Posted by americanlawn

... I still say spreading compost on top of turfgrass can smother lawns, and I have never seen any natural method that incorporates compost into the soil profile where the grass ROOTS are. Far as I know, the "roots" absorb nutrients unless you're talkin' foliar sprays. ...

One of the best things you can do for thatch is to cover with compost. Remember - thatch is living and dead roots and stems. Applied this time of year it will begin its way down through the thatch, helping to digest OM along the way.

Living roots will be feeding off of it, but not causing huge lateral growth at the surface. Rather the roots will eventually grow downward as they should. More dead material will digest and feed the turf in the process. Plugging , of course, speeds this up.

Now - if we just stopped feeding in the early spring... "Thatch" would be a non-issue

[cpt87gn]

if i compost soon .im in san antonio texas which is raining as i type will it do the lawn anygood for next season . the lawn should be going dormant soon or should i wait till it starts to grow agine
and is it a good time to apply scotts winterizer now

[JDUtah]

Originally Posted by ICT Bill

JD, you are a very smart guy and know better
I need to give you a call next week, you know well they are not in the same forms, not even in the same galaxy

Hey buddy I missed this post. I look forward to the call. Things here are super busy, evening is best.

my "way more soluble npk than synthetic ferts" comment was like this... say you apply a compost that has just .7% soluble N at 1/4"... this is about 400 lbs dry weight compost per 1,000... the math leads to know that you just applied 2.4 lbs soluble N per 1,000. And in the original post he was asking about compost/manure. Manure has way more soluble N than .7%. 'Tis all I was saying. (the compost I use has .7% soluble N by dry weight)

[Marcos]

Originally Posted by JDUtah

Hey buddy I missed this post. I look forward to the call. Things here are super busy, evening is best.

my "way more soluble npk than synthetic ferts" comment was like this... say you apply a compost that has just .7% soluble N at 1/4"... this is about 400 lbs dry weight compost per 1,000... the math leads to know that you just applied 2.4 lbs soluble N per 1,000. And in the original post he was asking about compost/manure. Manure has way more soluble N than .7%. 'Tis all I was saying. (the compost I use has .7% soluble N by dry weight)

X% of nitrogen in manure dissipates into the atmosphere as thermophilic composting occurs.
That's the exact reason why for generations-on-end American farmers have argued for the right to spread green manure onto fallow land, and disk/incorporate it into the soil later only when it achieves a satisfactory status of decay.
In many areas of the country, they are allowed to do this to varying extents.