Reading the Dial on a Scotts Drop Spreader

Fertilizing your lawn? Use a Correctly Calibrated Spreader

- Milorganite Agronomist
May 22, 2017

Spreaders are used to evenly distribute fertilizer and grass seed across your lawn. There are 2 types: driblet and broadcast, also known as a rotary spreader. At that place are ii types of broadcast spreaders: walk-behind and hand-held. All spreaders have a hopper to concord the product and an adjustable opening to control the book of fertilizer or seed being distributed. Selecting the right spreader for you depends on your lawn and preferences.

Driblet spreaders

Drib spreaders are very accurate as they distribute even rows of fertilizer exactly where you want information technology. It's important that you overlap wheel marks to ensure the unabridged lawn has been covered. The rate at which yous walk directly impacts how much product is distributed.

Driblet spreader considerations

• Works well for smaller lawns, under 5,000 sq ft.
• Piece of cake to operate.
• Provides precise, controlled coverage.
• Easy to navigate around obstacles and tight spots.
• Production distribution generally not impacted by the current of air.
• Less production volition cease upwards on your driveways, walks, and paths.

Drawback: Drop spreaders cover a smaller area of lawn per pass compared to broadcast spreaders, which ways it'll accept a bit more time to fertilize your lawn.

Broadcast spreaders

Circulate spreaders distribute fertilizer in a fan-like pattern in all directions and cover a wider area per pass than drop spreaders. The rate you walk and the spreader's hole size impact how much product is distributed. Broadcast spreaders naturally distribute less product toward the edge of its broadcast range. Cheque the spreader manual for tips on how far various types of fertilizers are thrown. Like drop spreaders, make sure to overlap passes so you lot don't end upwardly with stripes.

Circulate spreader considerations

• Greater coverage area works well for large lawns.
• Covers more lawn in less time.
• Walk-backside and handheld models are available.
• Hopper capacity of walk-behind models are generally larger than drop spreaders; fewer refills.
• Some circulate spreaders have a side-shield feature that allows you to close off one-half of the spreader, which is particularly helpful for applying product around the perimeter of your lawn and avoiding hard surfaces and landscaping.

Drawback: Product tin can be distributed where you don't want it, such as in gardens or on driveways, walks, and paths. This is a trouble if you're applying an herbicide, which would be detrimental if it got into your flower bed. This isn't a concern when using Milorganite, as it tin be used on lawns, flowers, shrubs, and vegetables. Make sure to clean up any product from hard surfaces so it doesn't terminate up in waterways.

Spreader settings

Nigh homeowners don't want to calibrate their spreader to detect the correct setting. You but want the setting number, right? Unfortunately, each spreader is slightly different and so are you.

Use spreader settings and application rates as guides. Many variables impact your spreader'due south setting to reach optimal application rates, including the type, age, and status of your spreader, as well as the rate at which you walk. The best way to ensure y'all're applying the proper amount of Milorganite is to calibrate your spreader. Below are six easy steps you can follow.

Milorganite is very forgiving compared to synthetic fertilizers or those that contain herbicides. It won't burn your lawn, so you don't accept to worry much most over application. Milorganite tin can be used throughout your m—on lawns, shrubs, trees, flowers, and vegetables—so you don't accept to worry about accidentally damaging surrounding plants while fertilizing your lawn. This is specially overnice when using a circulate spreader.

Application Tips

• Mow your lawn before fertilizing.
• Close the spreader hopper before adding the product.
• Fill the hopper on a drive or walkway to avoid over-application, particularly important for herbicides and constructed fertilizers which can burn your backyard.
• Sweep up any production that falls on hard surfaces to avoid it washing into waterways.
• If you lot accidentally dump Milorganite on your backyard, gather what you can so use a strong broom is spread what remains.
• Walk at a steady pace. Yous're an of import part of the distribution charge per unit equation. The slower you walk the more than product will be distributed, and less is distributed when y'all walk faster. That'southward one of the reasons awarding rates can vary.
• Drop spreaders: overlap wheel marks to ensure even coverage and avert unfertilized stripes.
• First, apply a header strip—ii overlapping passes—of fertilizer effectually the perimeter of your lawn for easier turns.
• Commencement along the longest edge of your lawn.
• Close the spreader off when making turns to avert uneven application.
• Later on a plough, start walking before opening the spreader.
• Utilize 50% of the production in ane management and the other 50% in the opposite direction to help ensure even coverage. Do this past reducing your spreader setting by half.
• Avoid spreading the production on windy days and then the product stays where you want it.
• Clean your spreader later on each use.
• Follow manufacturers' guidelines for lubricating, cleaning, and storing your spreader.

Half dozen (or less) like shooting fish in a barrel steps to calibrating your spreader

We accept spreader settings for a number of pop spreaders on our website. If your spreader isn't listed, it'll just a few minutes using six easy steps, to calibrate your spreader. Your target is to cover approximately 500 sq ft of lawn with viii lbs. of Milorganite.

Here's how:

1. Set your spreader then that it's ¾ open up when engaged. If, for example, the spreader is calibrated 1 to 20, gear up it at xv.
2. Place eight pounds of Milorganite into the spreader's hopper. This is virtually one-fifth bag, or eight lbs., of Milorganite, which is equivalent to 24 cups. (1 lb of Milorganite is approximately 3 cups.)
3. Start on a straight edge of your backyard. This volition arrive easier to later summate the coverage area (length x width). Fertilize your backyard co-ordinate to the application tips, paying particular attention to overlapping properly and walking at a steady footstep. Continue until the spreader is empty. Leave the spreader where it is when it runs out of Milorganite.
4. Measure the area (length ten width) of the lawn you are fertilizing. More or less, you should take covered about 500 sq ft. If so, congratulations! You're ready! Your spreader is calibrated for applying Milorganite. Yous can skip steps 5 and 6. Continue to fertilize your backyard with Milorganite. If yous covered an area significantly more or less, move on to steps 5 and half dozen.
5. If yous covered much more than than 500 sq ft, increase the corporeality of product distributed past your spreader. This is going to have some guesswork every bit to what setting to use. (Sorry, information technology's function of the process.) Repeat steps 2–four on an unfertilized surface area of your lawn and again calculate the square footage covered.
6.  If y'all covered much less than 500 sq ft, subtract the amount of product distributed by your spreader. This is also going to take a fleck of guesswork. Repeat steps two–4 on an unfertilized expanse of your lawn and once more calculate the foursquare footage covered.

After you lot calibrated your spreader for fertilizing with Milorganite, write down the setting, and don't lose it! Yous shouldn't have to calibrate your spreader over again.

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Source: https://www.milorganite.com/blog/Lawn/spreader-settings

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