Thursday, April 18, 2019

Choosing The Right Compost Spreader

By Mark Carter


Using natural fertilizer is a great way to enrich the soil of produce fields and lawns alike. In order to save money and do the job right, you need to choose the best compost spreader for the job. Part of this is knowing what size you need and the types of material you will be using on the soil.

There are several sizes. If you have a large field where tractors are typically in use, you can choose an industrial spreader that is designed for this purpose. The smaller versions are for pulling behind riding lawn mowers or spreading manually. The device size does make a difference in doing an effective job, so choose wisely.

In larger applications, a side spreader works well. These throw a lot of material over a large area as you drive down the field. The spray is not going to be as even or fine as some of the other spreaders will produce, but when you're going to mix it into the soil this equipment will get the fertilizer out there quickly and with a thick application.

Spreaders with the vertical bar maximize the amount of spray. Instead of throwing a large amount, the material is broken up and sprayed in a thinner layer that is more uniform than the side sprayers. These are great for providing a nice nutrient value to the soil.

Horizontal bars are used to control the spray area. When using the box with horizontal bars hitched up behind the trailer the material can be controlled by keeping it within the track of the wheels. This allows a more accurate spread of the manure where the accuracy is needed. This helps by lengthening the distance on an application when working a field with long rows.

The spinner beaters allow you to work with multiple materials at once. Since compost comes from different sources, the density can be a problem. With each application, you have to adjust the equipment for the density. These allow you to mix multiple sources together and the beaters mix it for you so you can do one trip and not compact the soil with extra applications.

For lawns and jobs that are less than an acre, there is equipment designed for the job. Some are very similar to industrial equipment but scaled down to fit the smaller jobs. A mesh roller is great for home lawn manual jobs. The material is loaded into the roller and as you push it across your lawn the material is broken up and laid down between the mesh.

Choosing the right equipment minimizes cost and time to get the job done. For great lawn or produce growth, a compact soil can be a problem. Making one pass instead of many will prevent soil compaction and allow for the natural fertilizer to do its job. This is better for growing and for the environment.




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