I'm wondering where to get good compost and what to look for. This would be for topdressing the lawn after overseeding. I bought one 40lb bag but it's not nearly enough for my lawn and it's only available online. Thanks in advance.
If your town collects leaves from the homes in your town. Ask them where they take them to. Then check with the place that gets the leaves and see if they have compost available.
Our town has a compost pile for plp to take or dump at.
Its horrible stuff, full of sticks, rocks, plastic, dog crap. People use at as a way to get rid of everthing.
Sad because it would be handy.
Would you guys say that the compost is necessary for over seeding? A couple guys out here that seem to know what they are doing said unless there is a prob with the soil you don't need it. I have gotten very good results without it, just aerating and starter fert.
Thanks! Good read. I am going to try it on my yard this fall and see what I see. It definitely won't hurt anything. The soil out here is bad too. A lot of clay and very little good quality topsoil used during construction of most places.
Just be aware that there is no silver bullet for the soil conditions you are describing. It may take several years to improve your soil. I suggest you have soil test taken before topdressing and do so again next fall. This will help guide you on the progress you are making. In the mean time Google "Soil Health" for a lot more information.
Would you guys say that the compost is necessary for over seeding? A couple guys out here that seem to know what they are doing said unless there is a prob with the soil you don't need it. I have gotten very good results without it, just aerating and starter fert.
This is my first year dealing with my lawn and my process was aerate with a Lawn Butler Fork (not a core aerator, just the forked ends.) Then I added the fertilizer with a broadcast spreader, followed by seed, and now in the watering twice a day phase.
I'm not sure if I need to add compost now that the seed has been in for a day, and some say I should have added compost after aerating, before fertilizer and seed. I'm not sure there's really a set way to go about it or in what order I should have went with.
The biggest benefit of topdressing seed is moisture retention in my opinion. Even if you didn't put it down until a day or two later it will still help.
I guess it varies. Where I dump leaves and grass they check to make sure no brush or trash is in it. Then after the composting process they screen the compost, that would remove anything big, sell it in bulk, but also put it in 2 cubic ft plastic bags and sell it that way.
How do they get rid of yours, if it is that bad? I guess the op better look at his ahead of time, if he is going to buy any.
It's not for sale, there is no yard attendant, just a couple signs saying NO STICK OR DEBRIS, they city turns it over off and on with a front-end loader.
It's all on the honor system.
Dump free - take for free.
It's not for sale, there is no yard attendant, just a couple signs saying NO STICK OR DEBRIS, they city turns it over off and on with a front-end loader.
It's all on the honor system.
Dump free - take for free.
We, commercial, have to pay to dump $5 a yard for leaves $10 a yard for grass. They also take material from other surrounding towns in the county. And we have to pay for the compost $13 a yard. It is free for residents.They separate any unwanted debris by size using something like this. The one they have is bigger about three time the size and has a couple of conveyors that create piles of wanted and unwanted material.
I assume they want to get rid of it ASAP. There have been others like it around over the years, but the NJ DEP has shut them down, because they were polluting the ground water and local streams with excess nitrogen & phosphorous.
Compost is $20-$27 by me. I'm going to be calli around to see what I can find other then those two places.
I just got my neighbors and mine done killing, scalping, aerating then topdressing before seeding with 10lbs per 1000sqft of fescue blend. After that I took a metal lawn rake upside down just to slightly agitate the soil and seed. Then just add water!
I hope this will help amend the soil a little bit.
So how much compost is best when sowing seed? One cubic yard per thousand sqft? Half a yard?
Two cubic yards?
How about Milorganite plus half a yard?
If a yard of compost weighs a thousand pounds--a yard per thousand sqft would be a pound of compost per sqft.
Suppose you could substitute an ounce of Milorganite per sqft (about 63 pounds per thousand sqft). Would that make economic sense? Or...how about bag of Milorganite per thousand? (It costs about $13 per 40 lb bag retail.)Is there any spreader that can apply that much without bridging or clogging? That is about 6 ounces per sq yard.
This needs a practical test in the field. Anybody willing to try two or three methods side by side? I would like to see it in a real life situation.
So how much compost is best when sowing seed? One cubic yard per thousand sqft? Half a yard?
Two cubic yards?
How about Milorganite plus half a yard?
If a yard of compost weighs a thousand pounds--a yard per thousand sqft would be a pound of compost per sqft.
Suppose you could substitute an ounce of Milorganite per sqft (about 63 pounds per thousand sqft). Would that make economic sense? Or...how about bag of Milorganite per thousand? (It costs about $13 per 40 lb bag retail.)Is there any spreader that can apply that much without bridging or clogging? That is about 6 ounces per sq yard.
This needs a practical test in the field. Anybody willing to try two or three methods side by side? I would like to see it in a real life situation.
I think topdressing new seed with compost's greatest benefit is moisture retention. I've only planted one lawn from scratch, I used approx 1/2 yard per thousand and got good results.
Would you guys say that the compost is necessary for over seeding? A couple guys out here that seem to know what they are doing said unless there is a prob with the soil you don't need it. I have gotten very good results without it, just aerating and starter fert.
I don't use it for over seeding either and get good germination.
I did use it on the only lawn I started from seed, mainly because of how well it retains moisture. I think the existing lawn does that well enough for over seeding, especially if it's mulched.
In very poor soils we use 2 inches, in already established lawns 1 inch is all that is needed. Since compost can do so much for the lawn some customers want it applied every other month here in Fl.
Some buffalo grass planted begonning of August, composted after emerging. Took until this recent rain finally came to kick it into gear. The bare areas were where some food stuffs still resided. I'll move some plugs to fill those in, and probably add another dose of compost before winter.
Compost is $20-$27 by me. I'm going to be calli around to see what I can find other then those two places.
I just got my neighbors and mine done killing, scalping, aerating then topdressing before seeding with 10lbs per 1000sqft of fescue blend. After that I took a metal lawn rake upside down just to slightly agitate the soil and seed. Then just add water!
I hope this will help amend the soil a little bit.
you dont want any compost with manure in it, unless it's been burned.
Barn yard feces if riddled with weed seeds.
Typically "commercial compost" thats bagged and sealed has been run through a burner to purify, but if you get it local on the cheap, you dont want it cut with manure.
IMO its best to buy loam, not compost for topdressing
I have been using it for years...many years. Never had unwanted germination however I have had annuals not do as well as I expected. I should ask to see their test report. But it is cheap and not bad at times a bit clumpy but if I get fresh screened it is perfect small wood chips though from us...we provide two cities with curb side weekly chipping and generate a lot. It is sent to them and they incorporate into the composting rows.
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