Organic Compost Tea on Lawns?

aceofbase

aceofbase

Well-Known Member
perhaps a little off topic but I was curious if anyone has tried some compost teas on their turf grass. I own a fertilizing company and though I've always enjoyed growing my hydro crops off the clock, I've been continually getting closer to organics and have been experimenting with teas this year with great success. Seems like it would generally be inexpensive to produce and I already have several 400 gallon brewing tanks. Would love to start stepping away from the chemical and chelated products we often use in my industry.

Thank you all for any suggestions!
 
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Northwood

Well-Known Member
If you include soil tests as part of at least a few client's lawn fertilizing packages (and you should) then you already know what at least regionally is missing from their soil to grow this useless and unsustainable crop. Manicured grass has a high N demand which compost teas will likely not provide to the extent that your clients are used to. They expect instant magical greening to make them happy, at least in the suburban world of North America. The typical kilogram of high nitrogen grass fertilizer might have to be replaced with literally much more than 500 gallons of compost teas in one of your brew tanks. I'm sure you've had it analyzed and realize that already since you have a business going on.

While I think that it's a great marketing idea (suburbanites will likely fall for the organic compost tea idea more than most - you seem know your market!), but in practice in the long run it may disappoint in results. You can pull the wool over their eyes in the beginning and make some coin, but eventually the stream of income will dwindle if the claims are not realized. So keep this in mind. IMO of course ;)

Lawns are evil. I've never had one and never will. First thing I did when I moved to the suburbs from my farm was turned all the sod upside-down to decompose before planting far more interesting stuff. Yes I've even battled my municipality and local bylaw officers in court over it. And I won! :D
 
natureboygrower

natureboygrower

Well-Known Member
aceofbase said:
perhaps a little off topic but I was curious if anyone has tried some compost teas on their turf grass. I own a fertilizing company and though I've always enjoyed growing my hydro crops off the clock, I've been continually getting closer to organics and have been experimenting with teas this year with great success. Seems like it would generally be inexpensive to produce and I already have several 400 gallon brewing tanks. Would love to start stepping away from the chemical and chelated products we often use in my industry.

Thank you all for any suggestions!
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I've done this with a backpack pump sprayer. Took forever lol. Would you mix in one of those ride-ons?
Organic lawns are tough. So many things can go sideways from lack of rain, to too much rain, too much sun not enough sun. And we havent even gotten to bugs lol.
If you could find a good feeding/insecticide program with it, i think it would be a great business venture. I just dont think it's as easy as it sounds.
 
athlete

athlete

Well-Known Member
Northwood said:
If you include soil tests as part of at least a few client's lawn fertilizing packages (and you should) then you already know what at least regionally is missing from their soil to grow this useless and unsustainable crop. Manicured grass has a high N demand which compost teas will likely not provide to the extent that your clients are used to. They expect instant magical greening to make them happy, at least in the suburban world of North America. The typical kilogram of high nitrogen grass fertilizer might have to be replaced with literally much more than 500 gallons of compost teas in one of your brew tanks. I'm sure you've had it analyzed and realize that already since you have a business going on.

While I think that it's a great marketing idea (suburbanites will likely fall for the organic compost tea idea more than most - you seem know your market!), but in practice in the long run it may disappoint in results. You can pull the wool over their eyes in the beginning and make some coin, but eventually the stream of income will dwindle if the claims are not realized. So keep this in mind. IMO of course ;)

Lawns are evil. I've never had one and never will. First thing I did when I moved to the suburbs from my farm was turned all the sod upside-down to decompose before planting far more interesting stuff. Yes I've even battled my municipality and local bylaw officers in court over it. And I won! :D
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I'd like to hear more about your distaste for grass (no pun, no sarcasm). I do need grass because I enjoy it in the backyard with the dog. However, I feel like my front lawn could be so much better...
 
ExoticKangaroo

ExoticKangaroo

Well-Known Member
athlete said:
I'd like to hear more about your distaste for grass (no pun, no sarcasm). I do need grass because I enjoy it in the backyard with the dog. However, I feel like my front lawn could be so much better...
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I agree. I read his post and was like "damn.. what do I even know?" Haha.
 
N

Northwood

Well-Known Member
athlete said:
I'd like to hear more about your distaste for grass (no pun, no sarcasm). I do need grass because I enjoy it in the backyard with the dog. However, I feel like my front lawn could be so much better...
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Take your dog into the forest or natural field. He'll be much happier. Lawns only exist to placate human vanity. Your dog has no vanity. Ask him! lol
 
athlete

athlete

Well-Known Member
Northwood, I like how confronational you are.

That article paints a picture I won't argue against.

May I ask what do you have in your front yard?

I think I just want trees in my yard, but I must not block the southern exposure.

I spend my life with my dog, in the woods, midnight runs, no leash, every weekend we go somewhere new, always outside, always active! In the summer, we are often lying in the sun in the grass... or sitting in the rain in a storm... usually just me out there, he doesn't like to get wet. tincture just kicked in
 
N

Northwood

Well-Known Member
athlete said:
May I ask what do you have in your front yard?
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My front yard has been turned mostly into a herb garden, but also "ornamental bushes" of stuff like Sambucus (elderberry) that I make wine with. We have also have roses of various cultivars that my wife mostly takes care of. lol

Then there are some ferns I manage to keep alive under the maple tree, along with many other shade-tolerant ornamental plants. In the sunny part I have a huge rock garden, where I grow all kinds of rarer alpine plants I bought at the nursery sales sponsored by the canadian agriculture department - experimental farm in Ottawa. We have literally thousands of bulbs in there, that in spring look amazing in flower.

The reason I won is because it didn't look bad, and had no noxious banned weeds, and nothing was too close to the median where the sidewalk is. Took a bit of money to fight, but here in Canada the loser has to pay all legal fees of the opponent, so it cost me nothing out of pocket in the end to fight it. Took over 2 years though. LOL
 
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Northwood

Well-Known Member
natureboygrower said:
Native grasses, ferns, hosta, blueberry bushes and large rock/granite/ hardscapes to name a few are big in my zone.
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Hosta is a great hardy plant. Heck I think you can grow it almost in the arctic. LOL

I do have some now, but compared to where I was living before with enough room with a big pond in the backyard, I grew a handful of cultivars close by. If ever I wondered where my cats were when I lived in that rural place, I'd always know where to look. haha Damn cats!

Edit: BTW, if ever anyone wonders where the pond liner came from that I put under my to-till pot, well I've kept the leftover liner for over 10 years before I got to use it. I knew somehow it might become useful someday, even if I moved and made to suffer suburbia for awhile. LOL
 
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N

Northwood

Well-Known Member
athlete said:
I spend my life with my dog, in the woods, midnight runs, no leash, every weekend we go somewhere new, always outside, always active! In the summer, we are often lying in the sun in the grass... or sitting in the rain in a storm... usually just me out there, he doesn't like to get wet. tincture just kicked in
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Honestly that's just beautiful. Dogs and humans need living in nature the same. I can remember a very old "Nature of Things" documentary episode by David Suzuki as a kid and the particular show was the domesticated nature of humans and basically comparing us to the domesticated equivalent of cows raised in a barn. As a young teenager, it shocked me and got me interested in biology at a young age which is why I went to university to study the subject later, for like 8 years. I couldn't get enough. It's like an addiction that I don't hope to never lose.
 
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aceofbase

aceofbase

Well-Known Member
ok guys lets keep it nice haha.

So I already fertilize about 75 of my accounts with a bridge program. Still pre emergent put down but I've hit a few of mine this year with 3 apps of sustain fertilizer and also milogramite and carbonx with great results.

I do have a permagreen, one of the machines you ride on with a 30 gallon onboard spray tank. I could modify it to increase volume per acre but as it is right now, its for very low volume high concentration post emergence and selective herbicides.

My thought was to increase my flow rate to maybe 10 gallons p/1000sqft and since my machine utilizes a diaphragm pump it should keep the bacteria in check.

My company specializes in organic lawn treatments and pest control and also landscape maintenance. That being said I'm fully aware of the environmental impact of lawns but as it is right now, I figure if someone's gonna apply then it should be me as I'm very sensitive to the environment and we are constantly trying to get clients to forget the merit and use some milky spore for grubs ect. All that being said, I'm just looking for some advice form someone who's tried this. That being said, harvard yard is fully compost by utilizing compost teas. so it can be done with good results. I'm sure they are still hitting things with some quinclorac or some 2 4 D but who knows lol
 
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