Hi,


I am hoping that someone can explain this to me. Is there something up
with "Home Depot" and the "Scotts Company" with false bag weight
contents or something??


Here is whats going on. Our house is on 0.11 acres of land, which is
what about 4,700 square feet? This does not include the city owned
treebelt in front of our house, which is about 50 feet long and 6 feet
wide, or the grassy island with a telephone/utility pole, between our
driveway and our neighbors driveway, which is about 6 feet long and 6
feet wide. So including all that, there is probably roughly 5.000 square
feet or so.


Anyway, last year, when we put down the "Scotts Turf Builder Lawn
Fertilizer with Plus 2 Weed Control", that we bought from "Home Depot",
it took 2 bags ( 14.29 pounds each according to the bag ). with the
spreader setting on 5 1/2 like the bag says, to do our entire lawn.


Well this year, we bought a 5,000 square foot bag of "Scotts LawnPro
SUPER Turf Builder Lawn Fertilizer with Plus 2 Weed Control", and this
bag was 17.24 pounds ( according to the bag ), and we had enough to do
the entire lawn with the 1 bag!!


We bought the "Super Turf Builder" at our local hardware store, because
#1 our local hardware store is only like 10 minutes away, compared to
driving 25+ minutes to our closest "Home Depot", and #2 after the
mail-in rebate, they were the same price.


"Home Depot" has the "Regular" Turf Builder for $14.99 a bag, and the
"Super" Turf Builder at the hardware store was $17.99 a bag, with a $3
dollar mail-in rebate.


So my question is, why is it that with the drop spreader setting both
set at 5 and 1/2 both this year and last year, and doing the exact same
areas, why is it that last year we used 2 bags that were 14.29 pounds
each, of the "Regular" Turf Builder to do our lawn, but this year, it
only took 1 bag of the "Super" Turf Builder, which was 17.24 pounds.


At first I thought that maybe the "Super" Turf Builder has bigger
granules, and so it comes out at a slower rate?? But they look the same
size as last year??


Could it be because the the "Super" Turf Builder is 29-2-3, and the
"Regular" Turf Builder is 28-1-4. Does that have to do with how big the
granules are, and how much comes out??


Or is "Home Depot" and "Scotts" in cohoots together or something, and
lying about the weight of the bags, so that customers have to spend more
money and buy more!?


The "Scotts" bags from "Home Depot say the weight of the bag is 14.29
pounds, but maybe it's really only 8 pounds or something!?


Because why is it that last year it took 2 bags of the "Regular" Turf
Builder 14 pound bags, which is over 28 pounds to do our entire lawn,
but this year 1 bag of the 17.24 pound "Super" Turf Builder, from the
hardware store was enough??


Thanks!

On Jun 8, 10:08*am, (MICHELLE H.) wrote:
Hi,

I am hoping that someone can explain this to me. Is there something up
with "Home Depot" and the "Scotts Company" with false bag weight
contents or something??

Here is whats going on. Our house is on 0.11 acres of land, which is
what about 4,700 square feet? This does not include the city owned
treebelt in front of our house, which is about 50 feet long and 6 feet
wide, or the grassy island with a telephone/utility pole, between our
driveway and our neighbors driveway, which is about 6 feet long and 6
feet wide. So including all that, there is probably roughly 5.000 square
feet or so.

Anyway, last year, when we put down the "Scotts Turf Builder Lawn
Fertilizer with Plus 2 Weed Control", that we bought from "Home Depot",
it took 2 bags ( 14.29 pounds each according to the bag ). with the
spreader setting on 5 1/2 like the bag says, to do our entire lawn.

Well this year, we bought a 5,000 square foot bag of "Scotts LawnPro
SUPER Turf Builder Lawn Fertilizer with Plus 2 Weed Control", and this
bag was 17.24 pounds ( according to the bag ), and we had enough to do
the entire lawn with the 1 bag!!

We bought the "Super Turf Builder" at our local hardware store, because
#1 our local hardware store is only like 10 minutes away, compared to
driving 25+ minutes to our closest "Home Depot", and #2 after the
mail-in rebate, they were the same price.

"Home Depot" has the "Regular" Turf Builder for $14.99 a bag, and the
"Super" Turf Builder at the hardware store was $17.99 a bag, with a $3
dollar mail-in rebate.

So my question is, why is it that with the drop spreader setting both
set at 5 and 1/2 both this year and last year, and doing the exact same
areas, why is it that last year we used 2 bags that were 14.29 pounds
each, of the "Regular" Turf Builder to do our lawn, but this year, it
only took 1 bag of the "Super" Turf Builder, which was 17.24 pounds.

At first I thought that maybe the "Super" Turf Builder has bigger
granules, and so it comes out at a slower rate?? But they look the same
size as last year??

Could it be because the the "Super" Turf Builder is 29-2-3, and the
"Regular" Turf Builder is 28-1-4. Does that have to do with how big the
granules are, and how much comes out??

Or is "Home Depot" and "Scotts" in cohoots together or something, and
lying about the weight of the bags, so that customers have to spend more
money and buy more!?

The "Scotts" bags from "Home Depot say the weight of the bag is 14.29
pounds, but maybe it's really only 8 pounds or something!?

Because why is it that last year it took 2 bags of the "Regular" Turf
Builder 14 pound bags, which is over 28 pounds to do our entire lawn,
but this year 1 bag of the 17.24 pound "Super" Turf Builder, from the
hardware store was enough??

Thanks!

I never pay attention to spreader settings and adjust as I go along
plus I do not use expensive Scott products.
You made two mistakes

Frank wrote:
On Jun 8, 10:08 am, (MICHELLE H.) wrote:
Hi,

I am hoping that someone can explain this to me. Is there something up
with "Home Depot" and the "Scotts Company" with false bag weight
contents or something??

Here is whats going on. Our house is on 0.11 acres of land, which is
what about 4,700 square feet? This does not include the city owned
treebelt in front of our house, which is about 50 feet long and 6 feet
wide, or the grassy island with a telephone/utility pole, between our
driveway and our neighbors driveway, which is about 6 feet long and 6
feet wide. So including all that, there is probably roughly 5.000 square
feet or so.

Anyway, last year, when we put down the "Scotts Turf Builder Lawn
Fertilizer with Plus 2 Weed Control", that we bought from "Home Depot",
it took 2 bags ( 14.29 pounds each according to the bag ). with the
spreader setting on 5 1/2 like the bag says, to do our entire lawn.

Well this year, we bought a 5,000 square foot bag of "Scotts LawnPro
SUPER Turf Builder Lawn Fertilizer with Plus 2 Weed Control", and this
bag was 17.24 pounds ( according to the bag ), and we had enough to do
the entire lawn with the 1 bag!!

We bought the "Super Turf Builder" at our local hardware store, because
#1 our local hardware store is only like 10 minutes away, compared to
driving 25+ minutes to our closest "Home Depot", and #2 after the
mail-in rebate, they were the same price.

"Home Depot" has the "Regular" Turf Builder for $14.99 a bag, and the
"Super" Turf Builder at the hardware store was $17.99 a bag, with a $3
dollar mail-in rebate.

So my question is, why is it that with the drop spreader setting both
set at 5 and 1/2 both this year and last year, and doing the exact same
areas, why is it that last year we used 2 bags that were 14.29 pounds
each, of the "Regular" Turf Builder to do our lawn, but this year, it
only took 1 bag of the "Super" Turf Builder, which was 17.24 pounds.

At first I thought that maybe the "Super" Turf Builder has bigger
granules, and so it comes out at a slower rate?? But they look the same
size as last year??

Could it be because the the "Super" Turf Builder is 29-2-3, and the
"Regular" Turf Builder is 28-1-4. Does that have to do with how big the
granules are, and how much comes out??

Or is "Home Depot" and "Scotts" in cohoots together or something, and
lying about the weight of the bags, so that customers have to spend more
money and buy more!?

The "Scotts" bags from "Home Depot say the weight of the bag is 14.29
pounds, but maybe it's really only 8 pounds or something!?

Because why is it that last year it took 2 bags of the "Regular" Turf
Builder 14 pound bags, which is over 28 pounds to do our entire lawn,
but this year 1 bag of the 17.24 pound "Super" Turf Builder, from the
hardware store was enough??

Thanks!

I never pay attention to spreader settings and adjust as I go along
plus I do not use expensive Scott products.
You made two mistakes

Ditto that-- I use triple 8, triple 10, or triple 12, etc.-- whichever
is on sale at HD or Wally's and adjust spreader flow accordingly on my
north Georgia tall fescue.

Weeds get a light spray of Ortho weed killer-- I mix my own as needed,
not the pre-mix diluted stuff. Sometimes I keep the same jug of
concentrate for three years-- just upping the dose a little to
compensate for deterioration. I often use two half-strength applications
10 days apart instead of blasting it all at once.

It ain't rocket science and for the 31 years we've lived here, new
neighbors stop to ask me which landscape tends to my lawn or what magic
products I use.

"MICHELLE H." wrote in message

stuff snipped

I am hoping that someone can explain this to me. Is there something up
So my question is, why is it that with the drop spreader setting both
set at 5 and 1/2 both this year and last year, and doing the exact same
areas, why is it that last year we used 2 bags that were 14.29 pounds
each, of the "Regular" Turf Builder to do our lawn, but this year, it
only took 1 bag of the "Super" Turf Builder, which was 17.24 pounds.

There are a lot of factors that can effect the true "rate of spread per
square foot" - the granularity, which you've mentioned, the speed at which
you walk the spreader - which should remain constant but might not be.
There are all sort of properties of the fertilizer that might not show upon
casual inspection: Do the grains cling together more in one type? Is the
spreader functioning correctly? Are the wheels and mechanicals turning
freely? Was the the humidity higher this year than last?

You may also be running into a pyschological factor. If you know you have
to cover X with one bag you may subconciously speed up or slow down your
gait to adjust what you are spreading to make it last. I know when I am
approaching the bottom of the last can of paint, I will try to stretch it to
avoid buying another can and having most of it sit around.

If you still had the old stuff, you could test it by filling something like
empty soda bottles with each type to see which emptied faster just by
gravity. Any sort of clumping will seriously but perhaps imperceptibly slow
down the rate of application in a spreader but you should be able to see it
in a side-by-side test of the two substances.

I would send a note to Scott. Might get you a coupon for $'s off on the
next round.

--
Bobby G.

On 6/8/2010 9:08 AM, MICHELLE H. wrote:

I am hoping that someone can explain this to me. Is there something up
with "Home Depot" and the "Scotts Company" with false bag weight
contents or something??

Anyway, last year, when we put down the "Scotts Turf Builder Lawn
Fertilizer with Plus 2 Weed Control", that we bought from "Home Depot",
it took 2 bags ( 14.29 pounds each according to the bag ). with the
spreader setting on 5 1/2 like the bag says, to do our entire lawn.


Well this year, we bought a 5,000 square foot bag of "Scotts LawnPro
SUPER Turf Builder Lawn Fertilizer with Plus 2 Weed Control", and this
bag was 17.24 pounds ( according to the bag ), and we had enough to do
the entire lawn with the 1 bag!!

There are many potential variables that can affect the spreading rate
of fertilizer. The company manufactures a product that they've
designed to cover a specific area, but due to factors beyond their
control, actual coverage can and usually will vary.

Factors affecting coverage include: the physical formulation of the
product; the condition of the lawn (flat/hilly, bumpy/smooth,
soggy/dry); the individual's stride/walking speed; the amount of
overlap between passes; whether the spreader is properly calibrated;
the condition of the spreader (if it's allowed to get rusty, the gate
lever may not correctly open or close); for drop spreaders, the length
and dampness of the grass can also affect dispersal (damp grass
wetting the bottom of the spreader can cause granules to bunch up at
the opening); whether the specific fertilizer has an actual spreader
setting for your specific brand/model of spreader on the bag.
(Contrary to common belief, there is no universal standard for
spreader settings. One model's '5' may be another model's '3.5' or
'7'.) So if your model isn't on the bag, you've gotta guess.

Thus, there's no sure way to tell how your particular spreader is
going to apply a product until you try it yourself. It is prudent to
use a lower setting the first time and see how it works, and note the
results. I've learned with the spreader and products _I_ usually use,
and my length of stride, that a setting that opens the gate about 1/3
usually works out for the best for _me_. But, just as with cars, YMMV.

So my question is, why is it that with the drop spreader setting both
set at 5 and 1/2 both this year and last year, and doing the exact same
areas, why is it that last year we used 2 bags that were 14.29 pounds
each, of the "Regular" Turf Builder to do our lawn, but this year, it
only took 1 bag of the "Super" Turf Builder, which was 17.24 pounds.

Could it be because the the "Super" Turf Builder is 29-2-3, and the
"Regular" Turf Builder is 28-1-4. Does that have to do with how big the
granules are, and how much comes out??

The numbers refer to the percentage of the three primary nutrients
contained in the fertilizer. It is always listed as a percentage of
weight in the following order: Nitrogen (N); Phosphors (P); Potassium
(K). For established lawns, nitrogen is the major nutrient that greens
the grass and stimulates blade growth. In short, nitrogen makes the
grass grow and makes you mow. Phosphorus stimulates the production of
roots, runners, and stolons, to multiply grass plants and make a
denser turf. Potassium also works on root development as well as
winter hardiness. Nitrogen tends not to persist in the soil; it will
move downward or run off, and cheaper forms of nitrogen will oxidize
to a degree into the atmosphere if it is not watered in soon after
application. Over-application of nitrogen can also result in burning
the turf. Phosphorus and potassium are much more stable elements that
move slowly through the soil, so they usually don't need to be applied
at anywhere near the same rate as nitrogen.

Nitrogen is the element used by the industry to calculate coverage for
any particular fertilizer product. For the typical lawn, the average
rate of application is 1 pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet,
though the rate can vary between 1/2 pound and 1 pound depending on
the manufacturer's specifications. But the rule of thumb for the
homeowner is: 1 lb/1000 square feet.

So - to determine the minimum recommended coverage of any bag of lawn
fertilizer, you just need to figure out how many pounds of nitrogen
are in the bag. It's easy. Multiply the percentage of nitrogen by the
weight of the bag. The "Super" Turf Builder analysis 29-2-3, and the
weight is 17.24 pounds. 17.24 times 29 percent is 4.9996, so there's
basically 5 pounds of nitrogen in that bag; thus, the minimum (and in
this case, recommended) coverage is 5000 square feet.

The 'Regular' Turf Builder was a 14.29 pound bag with an analysis of
28-1-4. 14.29 times 28 percent is 4, meaning there's four pounds of
nitrogen in that bag, so the minimum coverage is 4000 square feet. But
in this case, the manufacturer decided to declare the bag covered 5000
square feet, just by deciding to apply less nitrogen than the standard
guidelines. They can do that, and a comparison of the two products
means an application of regular Turf Builder supplies 25% percent less
nitrogen than the Super Turf Builder. If you wanted to go by the
standard 1 lb N/1000 square feet guideline, you could just apply the
Regular Turf Builder at a somewhat heavier rate than the
manufacturer's suggestion. Just be careful not to apply too heavily,
or you risk burning the lawn. And never forget to water it in well
within 24-36 hours after application. That not only reduces the risk
of burning, but it ensures that the maximum amount of nitrogen goes
into the soil, instead of oxidizing into the atmosphere. You paid for
all of it, so water it all in.

Because why is it that last year it took 2 bags of the "Regular" Turf
Builder 14 pound bags, which is over 28 pounds to do our entire lawn,
but this year 1 bag of the 17.24 pound "Super" Turf Builder, from the
hardware store was enough??

As noted above, but this time short and sweet: many, many variables
affect the spreading rate. You ended up over-applying last year's
product, but you properly applied this year's product. Now that you
know how to calculate bag coverage, and know that spreader settings
are a crapshoot, use a low setting next year, buy only enough to cover
the area, and pay attention while spreading. If it's dispersing too
quickly, make the spreader's gate opening smaller to slow it down.

Hell Toupee wrote:
On 6/8/2010 9:08 AM, MICHELLE H. wrote:

I am hoping that someone can explain this to me. Is there something up
with "Home Depot" and the "Scotts Company" with false bag weight
contents or something??

Anyway, last year, when we put down the "Scotts Turf Builder Lawn
Fertilizer with Plus 2 Weed Control", that we bought from "Home Depot",
it took 2 bags ( 14.29 pounds each according to the bag ). with the
spreader setting on 5 1/2 like the bag says, to do our entire lawn.


Well this year, we bought a 5,000 square foot bag of "Scotts LawnPro
SUPER Turf Builder Lawn Fertilizer with Plus 2 Weed Control", and this
bag was 17.24 pounds ( according to the bag ), and we had enough to do
the entire lawn with the 1 bag!!

There are many potential variables that can affect the spreading rate of
fertilizer. The company manufactures a product that they've designed to
cover a specific area, but due to factors beyond their control, actual
coverage can and usually will vary.

Factors affecting coverage include: the physical formulation of the
product; the condition of the lawn (flat/hilly, bumpy/smooth,
soggy/dry); the individual's stride/walking speed; the amount of overlap
between passes; whether the spreader is properly calibrated; the
condition of the spreader (if it's allowed to get rusty, the gate lever
may not correctly open or close); for drop spreaders, the length and
dampness of the grass can also affect dispersal (damp grass wetting the
bottom of the spreader can cause granules to bunch up at the opening);
whether the specific fertilizer has an actual spreader setting for your
specific brand/model of spreader on the bag. (Contrary to common belief,
there is no universal standard for spreader settings. One model's '5'
may be another model's '3.5' or '7'.) So if your model isn't on the bag,
you've gotta guess.

Thus, there's no sure way to tell how your particular spreader is going
to apply a product until you try it yourself. It is prudent to use a
lower setting the first time and see how it works, and note the results.
I've learned with the spreader and products _I_ usually use, and my
length of stride, that a setting that opens the gate about 1/3 usually
works out for the best for _me_. But, just as with cars, YMMV.

So my question is, why is it that with the drop spreader setting both
set at 5 and 1/2 both this year and last year, and doing the exact same
areas, why is it that last year we used 2 bags that were 14.29 pounds
each, of the "Regular" Turf Builder to do our lawn, but this year, it
only took 1 bag of the "Super" Turf Builder, which was 17.24 pounds.

Could it be because the the "Super" Turf Builder is 29-2-3, and the
"Regular" Turf Builder is 28-1-4. Does that have to do with how big the
granules are, and how much comes out??

The numbers refer to the percentage of the three primary nutrients
contained in the fertilizer. It is always listed as a percentage of
weight in the following order: Nitrogen (N); Phosphors (P); Potassium
(K). For established lawns, nitrogen is the major nutrient that greens
the grass and stimulates blade growth. In short, nitrogen makes the
grass grow and makes you mow. Phosphorus stimulates the production of
roots, runners, and stolons, to multiply grass plants and make a denser
turf. Potassium also works on root development as well as winter
hardiness. Nitrogen tends not to persist in the soil; it will move
downward or run off, and cheaper forms of nitrogen will oxidize to a
degree into the atmosphere if it is not watered in soon after
application. Over-application of nitrogen can also result in burning the
turf. Phosphorus and potassium are much more stable elements that move
slowly through the soil, so they usually don't need to be applied at
anywhere near the same rate as nitrogen.

Nitrogen is the element used by the industry to calculate coverage for
any particular fertilizer product. For the typical lawn, the average
rate of application is 1 pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet, though
the rate can vary between 1/2 pound and 1 pound depending on the
manufacturer's specifications. But the rule of thumb for the homeowner
is: 1 lb/1000 square feet.

So - to determine the minimum recommended coverage of any bag of lawn
fertilizer, you just need to figure out how many pounds of nitrogen are
in the bag. It's easy. Multiply the percentage of nitrogen by the weight
of the bag. The "Super" Turf Builder analysis 29-2-3, and the weight is
17.24 pounds. 17.24 times 29 percent is 4.9996, so there's basically 5
pounds of nitrogen in that bag; thus, the minimum (and in this case,
recommended) coverage is 5000 square feet.

The 'Regular' Turf Builder was a 14.29 pound bag with an analysis of
28-1-4. 14.29 times 28 percent is 4, meaning there's four pounds of
nitrogen in that bag, so the minimum coverage is 4000 square feet. But
in this case, the manufacturer decided to declare the bag covered 5000
square feet, just by deciding to apply less nitrogen than the standard
guidelines. They can do that, and a comparison of the two products means
an application of regular Turf Builder supplies 25% percent less
nitrogen than the Super Turf Builder. If you wanted to go by the
standard 1 lb N/1000 square feet guideline, you could just apply the
Regular Turf Builder at a somewhat heavier rate than the manufacturer's
suggestion. Just be careful not to apply too heavily, or you risk
burning the lawn. And never forget to water it in well within 24-36
hours after application. That not only reduces the risk of burning, but
it ensures that the maximum amount of nitrogen goes into the soil,
instead of oxidizing into the atmosphere. You paid for all of it, so
water it all in.

Because why is it that last year it took 2 bags of the "Regular" Turf
Builder 14 pound bags, which is over 28 pounds to do our entire lawn,
but this year 1 bag of the 17.24 pound "Super" Turf Builder, from the
hardware store was enough??

As noted above, but this time short and sweet: many, many variables
affect the spreading rate. You ended up over-applying last year's
product, but you properly applied this year's product. Now that you
know how to calculate bag coverage, and know that spreader settings are
a crapshoot, use a low setting next year, buy only enough to cover the
area, and pay attention while spreading. If it's dispersing too quickly,
make the spreader's gate opening smaller to slow it down.

Well, I haven't ever seen it stated so clearly or thoroughly before.
Several years ago, when my hubby was the building manager in our condo,
we did the fertilizing. We used a Scott's spreader and we had
instructions for calibrating it...long ago forgotten, but probably in
their user manual or website. Just to mention...product can get wet and
cake around the outlet. Might even happen if the grass or the spreader
are dewy when applying...that could account for the difference in
distribution.

Slow release nitrogen is good. Avoid fert. if the lawn is stressed by
hot, dry weather, even if you plan to water as HT advised....if you do
so, then you are increasing the lawn's demand for water since you are
"telling" it to grow faster. If you see a bag of Scott's and a bag of
Brand X with the same numbers and weight, Brand X is almost always less
expensive. We did our weed control separately, Florida lawn.

On Jun 8, 9:08*am, (MICHELLE H.) wrote:
Hi,

I am hoping that someone can explain this to me. Is there something up
with "Home Depot" and the "Scotts Company" with false bag weight
contents or something??

Here is whats going on. Our house is on 0.11 acres of land, which is
what about 4,700 square feet? This does not include the city owned
treebelt in front of our house, which is about 50 feet long and 6 feet
wide, or the grassy island with a telephone/utility pole, between our
driveway and our neighbors driveway, which is about 6 feet long and 6
feet wide. So including all that, there is probably roughly 5.000 square
feet or so.

Anyway, last year, when we put down the "Scotts Turf Builder Lawn
Fertilizer with Plus 2 Weed Control", that we bought from "Home Depot",
it took 2 bags ( 14.29 pounds each according to the bag ). with the
spreader setting on 5 1/2 like the bag says, to do our entire lawn.

Well this year, we bought a 5,000 square foot bag of "Scotts LawnPro
SUPER Turf Builder Lawn Fertilizer with Plus 2 Weed Control", and this
bag was 17.24 pounds ( according to the bag ), and we had enough to do
the entire lawn with the 1 bag!!

We bought the "Super Turf Builder" at our local hardware store, because
#1 our local hardware store is only like 10 minutes away, compared to
driving 25+ minutes to our closest "Home Depot", and #2 after the
mail-in rebate, they were the same price.

"Home Depot" has the "Regular" Turf Builder for $14.99 a bag, and the
"Super" Turf Builder at the hardware store was $17.99 a bag, with a $3
dollar mail-in rebate.

So my question is, why is it that with the drop spreader setting both
set at 5 and 1/2 both this year and last year, and doing the exact same
areas, why is it that last year we used 2 bags that were 14.29 pounds
each, of the "Regular" Turf Builder to do our lawn, but this year, it
only took 1 bag of the "Super" Turf Builder, which was 17.24 pounds.

At first I thought that maybe the "Super" Turf Builder has bigger
granules, and so it comes out at a slower rate?? But they look the same
size as last year??

Could it be because the the "Super" Turf Builder is 29-2-3, and the
"Regular" Turf Builder is 28-1-4. Does that have to do with how big the
granules are, and how much comes out??

Or is "Home Depot" and "Scotts" in cohoots together or something, and
lying about the weight of the bags, so that customers have to spend more
money and buy more!?

The "Scotts" bags from "Home Depot say the weight of the bag is 14.29
pounds, but maybe it's really only 8 pounds or something!?

Because why is it that last year it took 2 bags of the "Regular" Turf
Builder 14 pound bags, which is over 28 pounds to do our entire lawn,
but this year 1 bag of the 17.24 pound "Super" Turf Builder, from the
hardware store was enough??

Thanks!

What I notice is HD didnt have the 50lb bags and the small ones are
priced way high. Just because the setting is the same spreaders do go
out of adjustment, Ive reset mine but I forgot the exact procedure,
call Scotts they will answer your question and tell you how to
calibrate the spreader, or google it.

MICHELLE H. wrote:
Hi,


I am hoping that someone can explain this to me. Is there something up
with "Home Depot" and the "Scotts Company" with false bag weight
contents or something??


Here is whats going on. Our house is on 0.11 acres of land, which is
what about 4,700 square feet? This does not include the city owned
treebelt in front of our house, which is about 50 feet long and 6 feet
wide, or the grassy island with a telephone/utility pole, between our
driveway and our neighbors driveway, which is about 6 feet long and 6
feet wide. So including all that, there is probably roughly 5.000
square feet or so.


Anyway, last year, when we put down the "Scotts Turf Builder Lawn
Fertilizer with Plus 2 Weed Control", that we bought from "Home
Depot", it took 2 bags ( 14.29 pounds each according to the bag ).
with the spreader setting on 5 1/2 like the bag says, to do our
entire lawn.


Well this year, we bought a 5,000 square foot bag of "Scotts LawnPro
SUPER Turf Builder Lawn Fertilizer with Plus 2 Weed Control", and this
bag was 17.24 pounds ( according to the bag ), and we had enough to do
the entire lawn with the 1 bag!!


We bought the "Super Turf Builder" at our local hardware store,
because #1 our local hardware store is only like 10 minutes away,
compared to driving 25+ minutes to our closest "Home Depot", and #2
after the mail-in rebate, they were the same price.


"Home Depot" has the "Regular" Turf Builder for $14.99 a bag, and the
"Super" Turf Builder at the hardware store was $17.99 a bag, with a $3
dollar mail-in rebate.


So my question is, why is it that with the drop spreader setting both
set at 5 and 1/2 both this year and last year, and doing the exact
same areas, why is it that last year we used 2 bags that were 14.29
pounds each, of the "Regular" Turf Builder to do our lawn, but this
year, it only took 1 bag of the "Super" Turf Builder, which was 17.24
pounds.


At first I thought that maybe the "Super" Turf Builder has bigger
granules, and so it comes out at a slower rate?? But they look the
same size as last year??


Could it be because the the "Super" Turf Builder is 29-2-3, and the
"Regular" Turf Builder is 28-1-4. Does that have to do with how big
the granules are, and how much comes out??


Or is "Home Depot" and "Scotts" in cohoots together or something, and
lying about the weight of the bags, so that customers have to spend
more money and buy more!?


The "Scotts" bags from "Home Depot say the weight of the bag is 14.29
pounds, but maybe it's really only 8 pounds or something!?


Because why is it that last year it took 2 bags of the "Regular" Turf
Builder 14 pound bags, which is over 28 pounds to do our entire lawn,
but this year 1 bag of the 17.24 pound "Super" Turf Builder, from the
hardware store was enough??

Did you re-adjust the setting as called for on each different product bag for
your spreader.

Both the bag of "Regular", as well as "Super" Turf Builder BOTH say to
set my "Scotts Drop Spreader" to 5 and 1/2, and so thats what number it
was on both last year, and this year as well.

On Jun 8, 1:51*pm, (MICHELLE H.) wrote:
Both the bag of "Regular", as well as "Super" Turf Builder BOTH say to
set my "Scotts Drop Spreader" to 5 and 1/2, and so thats what number it
was on both last year, and this year as well.

In the heat of summer I usualy set 1 or more number less, fast growth
is not good at the hottest times of the year it stresses the lawn,
even high nitrogen fertiliser stresses it more than a lower nitrogen
count. You really have to judge how it comes out yourself, Scotts
businees is selling fertiliser, I dont believe you need 1/4 of what
they say unless you have bad dirt.

MICHELLE H. wrote:
Both the bag of "Regular", as well as "Super" Turf Builder BOTH say to
set my "Scotts Drop Spreader" to 5 and 1/2, and so thats what number
it was on both last year, and this year as well.

I use the bag number as a starting point, and readjust as I see how fast it's
going. There is no precision here.

On Tue, 8 Jun 2010 10:08:11 -0400, (MICHELLE H.)
wrote:

Hi,


I am hoping that someone can explain this to me. Is there something up
with "Home Depot" and the "Scotts Company" with false bag weight
....

Actually, plants dont know the difference between different fertilizer
brands. I like to use the poly-coated slow-release granules. Scotts
is a good brand but Vigero or K-Mart is just as good, as long as it is
kept dry. It will go a long way if you test your lawn soil, at least
yearly (NPK and pH). The test results will tell you exactly what and
how much fertilizer (and/or lime) to use. Mulching blades will
provide a slow release of nitrogen to help keep your lawn green. The
weight of a bag of fertilzer doesn't mean too much but following the
directions carefully is very important. Fill your spreader when it is
off the grass to prevent a spill that is sure to spot-burn your grass.

On Jun 20, 5:31*pm, Phisherman wrote:
On Tue, 8 Jun 2010 10:08:11 -0400, (MICHELLE H.)
wrote:

Hi,

I am hoping that someone can explain this to me. Is there something up
with "Home Depot" and the "Scotts Company" with false bag weight

...

Actually, plants dont know the difference between different fertilizer
brands. * I like to use the poly-coated slow-release granules. *Scotts
is a good brand but Vigero or K-Mart is just as good, as long as it is
kept dry. *It will go a long way if you test your lawn soil, at least
yearly (NPK and pH). *The test results will tell you exactly what and
how much fertilizer (and/or lime) to use. *Mulching blades will
provide a slow release of nitrogen to help keep your lawn green. *The
weight of a bag of fertilzer doesn't mean too much but following the
directions carefully is very important. *Fill your spreader when it is
off the grass to prevent a spill that is sure to spot-burn your grass.

I'd say the weight of a bag of fertilizer means a lot. Together with
the NPK numbers it tells you exactly how much of the three nutrients
you have in that bag. That way, you can compare the cost of that bag
to other alternatives. Also testing once a year is a good idea, but
it isn't going to tell you how much fertilizer to put down over the
course of a growing season. Much of the purpose of fertilizer is to
supply nitrogen and with any fertilizer you put down today, in 2
months or less, the nitrogen from it is gone. For nitrogen, you need
to determine what kind of grass you have, how much nitrogen it needs
per season, and then decide how to divide up that amount and when to
apply it.