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pchid

Composed Manure NPK levels

pchid
11 years ago

Making the switch to organic lawn care and spent weekend aerating and adding composted manure to my lawn. I bought the composted manure from a chain store and after reading more on these forums I�m concerned the product had low levels of NPK, the levels are listed as .05% each. Additionally, it contains composted forest product, peat, composted manure and organic humus. I spread each 40 pound bag over a 9�x9� area.

Was all my work for not?

Should I still add alfalfa pellets I was planning to this weekend?

Comments (6)

  • Kimmsr
    11 years ago

    Those numbers are the soluble, readily available, nutrients, not what is in the manure, so all of your work probably was not for naught. You can also spread those Alfalfa pellets this weekend with out getting nutrient overload.

  • pchid
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Kimmsr, thanks for the response. I have been reading some of the other threads and trying to digest the advice you, grassboro, dchall, and others have been providing. It has taken me 12 years to screw things up so 3-4 years to correct is fine with me.

    I aerated the whole lawn last weekend (20,000 sq ft), I didn�t get to it last fall and I�m sure the soil gets compacted because I use a lawn tractor to mow. After aerating I put down composted manure at a 1" depth to amend the soil in the areas were the grass is thin and not growing as well. I then spread alfalfa pellets, 30lbs per 1,000 on the 15,000 sq ft that I want to work on first and 20lbs on areas I�ll get to next year.

    Q - I read in some other threads that applying alfalfa in the spring might be a waste of time/money, but doesn�t the alfalfa help provide protein the micro organisms (in the manure) want?

    Q - Outside of mowing high and watering weekly (deep), is there anything else you would advice I be doing until the fall.

    This September I want to aerating again, add compost (at a �"), over seed, and add alfalfa pellets. I have two large (65+ year old) oak trees that start dropping leaves early October and finish dropping as late as mid November. I�ve never mulched them into the lawn before but will do so this fall

    Q � Is it best to aerate add compost and then over seed all at the same time?

    Q � If so should I also add alfalfa pellets right after this?

    Q � If I add alfalfa pellets at this time should I add more in November after all of the leaves have fallen and been mulched into the soil.

    Q � Is the combination of adding compost in September and mulching the oak leaves too much?

    Q � Should mulch leaves in area that was over seeded if new grass is not established?

    Any other advice would be welcome.

  • Kimmsr
    11 years ago

    Is the level of organic matter in your soil so low that aeration is necessary?
    There is never a wrong time to put down meals to feed your lawn, if you have a good, active Soil Food Web.
    Over seeding is probably not necessary unless the grass is so sparce that lots of soil can be seen.
    Whether your soil might need more Compost Alfalfa Meal, or whatever would depend on what a soil test tells you about the nutrients and soil pH.
    I have mulch mowed 8 to 10 inches of Oak leaves into my sandy soil and added compost over that with no problem. Within a matter of weeks the earthworms and the rest of the Soil Food Web move those leaves into the soil so you would not even know they were there.
    i would not mulch mow any leaves if I just seeded. That new grass needs time (about 6 months) to get established.

  • dchall_san_antonio
    11 years ago

    Composted manure, aka compost, has a very low NPK. If you used it at the same poundage as you use chemical fertilizers, it would have no effect. However, compost is always used at a very high rate. It goes on at something like 700 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Chemical ferts go on at 10 pounds per 1,000. The best organic fertilizer, corn gluten meal, goes on at a reasonable 20 pounds per 1,000.

    Is it best to aerate add compost and then over seed all at the same time?

    I will never aerate or add compost again. A lawn tractor will only compact your lawn soil if you are mowing right after a rainstorm when the soil is saturated. If you have hard soil, that is a different issue. Compost is a huge (HUGE) cost. Where I live compost costs $70 per 1,000 square feet. Organic fertilizer costs more like $5-$10 per 1,000 square feet. Furthermore I believe organic fertilizer is much better for the lawn and soil than compost.

    I wonder what it is that makes some standard typographical symbols come through at weird symbols like � or ÃÂÿý. You'd think the browsers would compensate for that.

  • Kimmsr
    11 years ago

    Compost around here ranges in price from #17.00 per cubic yard to $22.00 per cubic yard. I've not seen anyone, around here, selling compost by the 1,000 square foot.
    Most every nutrient test I have seen for compost indicates it has the same test value as manure, which is the soluble, readily available, nutrients.

  • dchall_san_antonio
    11 years ago

    Compost in San Antonio goes like this.

    $35 per cubic yard plus
    $35-$50 for delivery
    1 cubic yard per 1,000 square feet.

    Cost is $70 to $85 per 1,000 square feet.

    If you don't measure cost by the kilo-square foot, then you can't compare cost of one product to the next.

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