Tips on disolving fertilizer

[jvanvliet]

Originally Posted by Ric

My Price sheet shows both Prill and Greenhouse grade costing $ 32.00 a 50 lb bag. This is the 13.75-0-46 guarantee blend. sometimes my supplier sends me 13-0-44 which is pretty much the same thing only from a different manufacture. But the real cost is shipping since it is a product of Israel.

The produce I can't find in Florida is Granular spreadable Urea 46-0-0. I want it more for pastures than fine lawns.

If you can stand it it's available from Lesco;

Occassionaly Helena Chem will carry it... you have to catch them before they sell out.

[greendoctor]

Agrium or Wilber Ellis is also good for the non blended raw materials.

[ArTurf]

Originally Posted by Ric

My Price sheet shows both Prill and Greenhouse grade costing $ 32.00 a 50 lb bag. This is the 13.75-0-46 guarantee blend. sometimes my supplier sends me 13-0-44 which is pretty much the same thing only from a different manufacture. But the real cost is shipping since it is a product of Israel.

The produce I can't find in Florida is Granular spreadable Urea 46-0-0. I want it more for pastures than fine lawns.

$32 a bag would be unbelievable. I've got to work on my suppliers. I'm ashamed to tell what I just paid for the 13-0-44 I just bought.

[greendoctor]

Could not be more than $50, right? When the fertilizer crisis hit a few years ago, 13-0-45 from Israel was around $60 for me. Did that make me cheap out and spray 0-0-60 on my lawns? No.

[ArTurf]

Originally Posted by Skipster

K can only be taken up as KNO3? I'm not so sure. I think that would be news to a lot of plant physiologists.

Back to the topic, has anyone tried hot water slurries? When melting priled fertilizer, I'll often grind the fert into small particles, then put some (how much depends on the solubility number on the bag) in a 5 gal bucket, add some hot water, then mix with a drill and paint mixing attachment.

I can do this while the tank is filling. I add the slurry when the tank if half full and agitate as the tank continues to fill. Works great and doesn't add any time to tank fill.

What do you use to grind the prills with? I'm going to use hot water next time

[ArTurf]

Originally Posted by greendoctor

Could not be more than $50, right? When the fertilizer crisis hit a few years ago, 13-0-45 from Israel was around $60 for me. Did that make me cheap out and spray 0-0-60 on my lawns? No.

I wish. Just put it this way, my back end will be sore for a while.

[Ric]

Originally Posted by greendoctor

Could not be more than $50, right? When the fertilizer crisis hit a few years ago, 13-0-45 from Israel was around $60 for me. Did that make me cheap out and spray 0-0-60 on my lawns? No.

While Potassium Nite is my favorite I will use Potassium Sulfate if the price is right. But I would go with out K rather than use the 0-0-60 Lite salt, water softener.

The point here is to watch your fert blends for higher chlorine contend. any thing over 2 % is a No No in my book.

.

[RAlmaroad]

Originally Posted by Ric

While Potassium Nite is my favorite I will use Potassium Sulfate if the price is right. But I would go with out K rather than use the 0-0-60 Lite salt, water softener.

The point here is to watch your fert blends for higher chlorine contend. any thing over 2 % is a No No in my book.

.

Ric:
You are SO right. The fungal fighting of the potassium sulfate and IF using ammonium sulfate as a Nitrogen source, far outweigh other fertilize. These will help lower the pH of turf, which most fungi hate. Centipede will die from too much chlorine, another reason for the potassium nitrate rather the Potash derived from Chlorine as is in most common blends. I like 14-0-46 (Potassium Nitrate) and 0-0-21(Ammonium Sulfate) and dissolve both in a 5-gallon bucket of slurry with warm water and also fill the tank with water and about 4 oz of vinegar the night before so it can warm up also.
Roy

[ArTurf]

Originally Posted by Ric

While Potassium Nite is my favorite I will use Potassium Sulfate if the price is right. But I would go with out K rather than use the 0-0-60 Lite salt, water softener.

The point here is to watch your fert blends for higher chlorine contend. any thing over 2 % is a No No in my book.

.

Yes, I use potassium sulfate in granular and watch the chlorine content of my ferts. Some of the best advice I've ever gotten on Lawnsite, especially since I deal with a lot of centipede. The funny thing is when I specify these things to my suppliers they think I am full of it or just way out there in my thinking.

[ArTurf]

Originally Posted by RAlmaroad

Ric:
You are SO right. The fungal fighting of the potassium sulfate and IF using ammonium sulfate as a Nitrogen source, far outweigh other fertilize. These will help lower the pH of turf, which most fungi hate. Centipede will die from too much chlorine, another reason for the potassium nitrate rather the Potash derived from Chlorine as is in most common blends. I like 14-0-46 (Potassium Nitrate) and 0-0-21(Ammonium Sulfate) and dissolve both in a 5-gallon bucket of slurry with warm water and also fill the tank with water and about 4 oz of vinegar the night before so it can warm up also.
Roy

What's the vinegar for?