Quick update -

Aug 14, Applied Kelp Help @ 2oz per gal per 200sf (good soaking)
Light rain the next day ( I planned it that way)

Aug 20, Thatched, top dressed (1/2" compost) and seeded about 4,000 sf
applied new seed starter
4 days of much needed rain, seed is growing and the lawn is looking much better.

Aug 25, was informed my order for sodium laureth sulfate will not be shipped..supplier out of stock. Still looking for an alternate source.

Plan for next weekend - Thatch and top dress (1/2" compost) remainder of bad sports (2,000 sf +/-)
Plan for the next time I see rain in the forecast - seed top dressed area and apply starter fert. Apply Kelp Help at a rate of 2 oz per gal per 1,000 sf

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Sodium lauryl sulfate is fine--use 1/2 pound in 120 ounces water, then add the 8 ounces of yucca to bring it up to a gallon.

The reason I don't recommend it is you should work with the powder outside, and I recommend wearing a particle mask. Breathing this stuff will set off a great deal of coughing, sneezing, sinus itching, throat itching, and it lasts for a while. Be very careful and follow all cautions on the MSDS sheet.

I just spread (not a bit of fun) 50lbs of castings per 1000ft2. I want to rotate corn,alfalfa,milorganite,and castings all year with monthly applications to improve soil structure I dont care about its N value as I will still be adding synthetics for a grow in. How much total are your totals per 1000 per year?

appalachianturf wrote:How much total are your totals per 1000 per year?

Depends. On both the soil conditioner and kelp/humate mix, I calculated it in the 15-20 ounce total per year range for my lawn. I use the soil conditioner as the surfactant for my iron apps, though.

For most organics, I've ranged as high as 1,200 pounds per thousand for rapid-fire soil improvement.

This year is more like 200 without the leaves (500 with), or still fast soil improvement.

100 would be basic level soil improvement.

Just to confirm - Kelp Help (2 oz per gal per 1,000sf) would be good for my new (lawn) seeds?

Suffice to say it isn't going to hurt at all. If you happen to need either the OM or one of the elements in the kelp, it'll help.

Thanks MorpheusPA. Do you water it in or does it matter? I knew I was going to apply it pretty heavy the first time so I waited until I knew we were expecting some light rain. Curious if you have seen any difference.

Water it in or not as it pleases you--I never do and regularly exceed recommended rates. If it's going to be a terribly hot day, you might want to irrigate just enough to wash it off the leaves to avoid any potential issues.

I think it's helped, more at the soil level than directly on the grass--my soil's definitely looser, more friable, and much more water-retentive. It takes a while, though.

Hey guys, I'm new here too, and apologies if this has been previously asked/answered, but in terms of varying the organic materials put down, it seems as though Milorganite is a favorite, but is there a reasoning in putting different materials down, or go w/ the cheapest OM at the time (cracked corn in my case, followed by soybean meal).

FYI, I have approx one acre TTTF/kbg blend, overseeded the front (~15k SF) this fall, with plans to overseed and renovate the rest next year. B/c of the size and associated cost, I'll probably ultimately adopt a hybrid synthetic spring/fall and organic summer approach.

Thanks,
lor

Welcome!

If you put out a variety of foods, it'll increase the diversity in your microbiology (a good thing). The soybean has more protein than the corn (makes the bacterium happy), but certain types of beneficial fungi may prefer the corn. Diversity is a good thing. But any organic program using grains, Milorganite or spoiled dog food is going to increase the types and number of microbes in your soil.

Morph will be along in a bit to either correct me or flesh this thinking out for you.

No correction necessary, Cactus!

I call what I did last year the All You Can Eat Buffet. I tried to keep a constant mix going of various things to make everybody as happy as possible.

Generally speaking, one or two things really is just fine. It may not be the preferred meal for a given species, but they'll make do--and the ones that dominate will be the ones that do prefer what you give 'em. Since that's what you'll be giving them in the future, I don't have a problem with it.

Even this year, I used corn once, soybean meal a lot, and Milorganite several times. It's all good.