I asked the local organic landscaper what he uses

16 years ago

A few of my neighbors all use the same organic landscaper. One has an awesome lawn, one has a dark green lawn with a lot of clover, and the third one (who I actually just helped do a renovation) wasn't happy at all so he fired the landscaper (in the landscaper's defense, this guy wasn't watering properly, nor did he ever overseed). Anyway, considering I couldn't stop wondering how the first two were able to have such green lawns year-round with what looked like very little effort at all, I walked over and asked the landscaper what he was spreading. He spoke very little English, but said "chicken." I assume he meant some type of chicken manure. I asked if it was all that they used (for each application) and he said yes.

Has anyone used the chicken manure before? Any downsides? Aside from manure, is there anything else that he could have meant when he said "chicken"?

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Comments (8)

rollerzeke
16 years ago
Hello all.

Translation might be "chicken feed grains" or "feather meal".

Just my thought.

Good day.
deerslayer
16 years ago
Dried poultry manure is a common, commercial, organic fertilizer. That would be my guess.

-Deerslayer
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rutgers1
Original Author
16 years ago
I may put some of the stuff (I think cockadoodledoo sells it) into my rotation next year, if for no other reason than it obviously works in my area. The one house is literally about as perfect as you can get, and it is green most of the time. I often scan my lawn and their lawns as I round the corner coming home to see whose lawn is greener, and it is pretty much a 3-way race between us all - each winning at different parts of the year. But considering I tend to baby mine more than they do, I would assume that the chicken manure must be a nice addition to the organic fertilizer lineup.

Here is a company that markets it.
doopstr
16 years ago
Before switching to SBM I was using Cockadoodle Doo and Organic-Gro. These products are too expensive to use at list price, $20 for a 40lb bag. However I was able to get both on closeout at Lowes for next to nothing, $4 a bag.

They both worked well, the grass spruced up in about 3 weeks. The lawn smells "earthy" for a few days. Okay it smells like chicken poop.

I just picked up 50lb bags for SBM for $10.25. I'm pretty sure I like SBM better than chicken poop as it makes the lawn a nice dark green.

Both chicken products claimed to also contain microbes so I thought that would be a plus to get my organic program going.
rutgers1
Original Author
16 years ago
I bought my CGM from the Cockadoodledoo company and really had a hard time paying their price for it. The chicken poop isn't much better priced. Milorganite, by comparison, seems to be a much better price option in the "poop" category, lol.

Nice to hear that you had good results with SBM, but I assume that - if you live in the north - SBM wouldn't be good for a last feeding. In that case, I am considering the chicken poop.

What time of year do they put the fertilizers on closeout? I wouldn't mind doing some bulk shopping then.
bpgreen
16 years ago
"What time of year do they put the fertilizers on closeout? "

It's usually about this time of year. Maybe a little later in some areas.
doopstr
16 years ago
Jan/Feb was when the stuff was really cheap at Lowes. However I don't think they ever restocked it after that.

I bought the Organic-Gro in Feb 06 and shortly after that Cockadoodledoo showed up. That next Jan I picked up the Cockaddoodledoo.

I don't think many people are willing to pay the price premium for something like this over a bag of chemical Scotts. I am going to look around this Jan to see if the Scotts organic stuff is on closeout. In my eyes it is overpriced as well.
rutgers1
Original Author
16 years ago
There is a guy a few blocks away who has an unbelievably green lawn. I would nearly guarantee that he has some elite KBG blend. In fact, I wouldn't bet against him being a member here - that is how nice it is. I recall seeing a bag of the Scotts organic fertilizer on his driveway one day as I drove by.

So, in a development with about 460 homes, there are only a handful (because of the native soil conditions) that I really admire. Of those:
1) one guy just follows the Scotts program...with a lot of overseeding and attention to detail.
2) three use the "chicken" fertilizer (of those three, all are green but only one is a lawn everyone here would die for).
3) one guy uses (or at least "used", since I don't know him and I only saw the bag once on his property) the Scotts organic fertilizer

Of the homes outlined above, the house where I saw the Scotts bag looked the best. But I have a feeling that there is more to it than just his fertilizer. I would guess he has an elite cultivar of seed to go along with his good organic program. That grass looks like nothing I have seen around here. It looks like the photo that Turf Toes (I think it was him) posted here.