A good way to spread compost??????????

[RonR]

Ok, anyone figured out a good way to spread compost to top dress a lawn?

I have 2,000 pounds of composted zoo doo sitting in my trailer. Best I can come up is a shovel..........................

I have a BX2200 and FEL, but don't want to kill out the existing grass that I think might happen if I use that to spread it. (also, can't get the loader onto the trailer due to trailer sides very easily)

Solutions for me need to be cheap and easy. Someone please surprise me and provide me an answer better than the shovel as I need to get another 2,000 pounds for the front yard.........

THANKS.
Ron (soon to be tired as I'm heading out to shovel)

 

[greg_g]

You haven't said if you've got a tractor. If so, I recommend a landscape rake.

//greg//

 

[jmc]

Ron,

I made a pair of ski's for my box blade: one for each end. Their purpose was to suspend the box blade and adjustable distance above the ground, say 1 to 2 inches, leaving that thickness of compost as you dragged a load. Like you, I didn't want to put on too thick a layer and kill the existing grass. Clumps were a problem as well as wet pockets of compost. It seemed to work best when the box was full. Also the weight of the box blade concentrated on those ski's left grooves in the grass. Better than a shovel but before I use it again, I'll try a rake as Greg suggested.

John

 

[RonR]

Thanks!

I'd thought about putting a set of gage wheels on my BB and could do the same thing...............

BUT, 2K pounds is on the grass spread by shovel now. Need at least one more trailer load next weekend.

By the time I could fab/install gage wheels, I could have the next load unloaded as well. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Oh well, it's an idea..................

Thanks.
Ron

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I have 2,000 pounds of composted zoo doo sitting in my trailer. )</font>
Are you sure it's composted and not too fresh. Zoo do can have some really strong dung, esp. elephant. If it doesn't set up for a LONG time, it will be way too strong to put on just about anything. I learned the hard way when my dad brought home a huge load of elephant dung when he worked on a circus car that was on the line he worked for. It took a few months before we could safely use it. Before we found that out, we ruined a lot of garden.
GREG G, He said he has a BX2200, that's a Kubota tractor model. John

 

[RonR]

This stuff looks just like rich dirt. Didn't smell at all, until I watered the heck out of what I'd applied-then it smelled faintly like horse stuff.

In fairness to Greg G, I edited my post to add the tractor information AFTER he posted his reply. Greg had a valid question.

I'm not too concerned about the maturity of the doo. Heck, our golden retriever didn't even react much to it. A couple of nose-in-the-air sniffs and you could see her prcessing trying to id the smell. Then it was back to other stuff that interested her.

I'm really hopeful this gives my lawn a jumpstart and gets the ground conditioned more. I might verticut and overseed yet this fall in hopes that the might put me over the top.

THKS.
Ron

 

[MarkV]

Our community composts yard waste and makes it available free for the taking. I just brought home my tenth dump truck load and have been using it to help turn some of our dark red clay into some what less red clay. A landscape rake with gauge wheels has worked the best to spread it out for me. Even at that good compost is going to be damp and I generally have to go back over it after the initial spreading when it has dried in the sun a bit.

Of course this doesn’t help your present situation at all so I’ll just take an extra Advil tonight when I think of you and that shovel. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

MarkV

 

[RonR]

Hey Mark you are right on with the Advil.................

After using the "shovel to broadcast" the stuff yesterday, and raking some of the high spots, we watered the heck out of it.

I don't have a landscape rake, but might build a rake of sorts using spring tines like off of a rake. I also toyed with the idea of buying about 6 leaf rakes, sawing the handles to about 12 inches, and fitting them inside a tube. Hooking that to the tool bar I have, it could be a powered leaf rake.

But alas, doing that would take the same amount of time to just shovel it......................... and take some more advil.

Ron

 

[bigpete]

See if you can find a small manure spreader--most horse farms use them. Many implement companies will rent one pretty cheaply. After getting it on the lawn, a tine de-thatcher works well to even things out. Make sure the tines are set well above the soil line. At least 1/2" to 1". It make take several passes with the dethatcher, but it should do the trick.

 

[bigpete]

Ooops...I see you are about done. Sorry

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( This stuff looks just like rich dirt. Didn't smell at all, until I watered the heck out of what I'd applied-then it smelled faintly like horse stuff.)</font>
Good. Sounds as though it's "well-cured" as if it weren't, your neighbors would be attempting to get you out of the neighborhood. That elephant dung we had spoiled the air for a very long time around here!
Sounds like you're getting it done. I hope it works well for you. Keep in mind that it really needs to get down in a good mix, or otherwise, the grass roots will want to stay more shallow near the better dirt. John

 

[RonR]

THKS.

I'm going to try to rent a core aerator, but doubt I can find one. Otherwise, I might either build a spike aerator or simply verticut and put some more seed down.

Yep, this stuff was very cured--barely smelled when wet.

Ron

 

[DaveInColorado]

I don't get it. I would have put a full load of compost in the FEL, brought it over to the far edge of the lawn, dropped it, then use FEL at a shallow angle to spead that load driving BX backwards, then go back and get some more! It takes some figuring, but is easy once you get the hang of it.

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I don't get it. I would have put a full load of compost in the FEL, brought it over to the far edge of the lawn, dropped it, then use FEL at a shallow angle to spead that load driving BX backwards, then go back and get some more! It takes some figuring, but is easy once you get the hang of it. )</font>
I think one of his problems was that the loader wouldn't go in where the compost was being carried. He would still have to shovel it out. John

 

[RonR]

Ah, great comments on why I didn't use the FEL.

Most of the compost needed to go to the backyard, where my truck won't fit. The trailer clears getting into the backyard by 2". So I move the trailer into the back with the BX.

Having side rails on the trailer, the FEL wouldn't be able to scoop up the stuff (other than a couple of buckets off the top). Driving up the ramp without a truck on the hitch would not be good as the trailer would flip up with the weight of the BX on the ramp (I'm guessing). I suppose I could have put supports under the rear of the trailer, but that didn't appeal to me.

PLUS, I didn't think I could put it on shallow enough dragging with the FEL so as not to damage what grass is there............

Shoveling seemed to be the best of the non-powered options............

Appreciate your comments. Thanks.
Ron

 

[bigpete]

Hmmmm....I would tip/dump the compost on the ground and use the loader. That's just me, though /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[DaveInColorado]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Hmmmm....I would tip/dump the compost on the ground and use the loader. That's just me, though.)</font>

Me too. It is almost easy to scrape it out of the trailer into a big pile then use the FEL to move it around. Grass can handle some damage from a FEL sliding on it as long as you don't dig it up. Maybe I'm just getting lazy, but I do whatever I can to stay in the driver's seat! Shoveling is hard work. I hate it.

 

[rockinmywaypa]

Is there any way you can unload the trailer into one big pile then lay a tarp in the bottom that is attached to a roller at the back with a crank on it. then reload smaller amounts back in about a foot or less deep, have somebody haul the trailer around the yard slowly while you walk and crank it off. I've seen this idea used as dumpers of sorts on pickups.