A healthy and lush lawn is something we all love to see, and sometimes applying the fertilizer with your hands can cause an uneven distribution.
A fertilizer spreader is designed to distribute fertilizer and other materials in an even and unvaried pattern which results in a full and lush yard.
If your goal is to see your lawn luxuriant and thriving then a fertilizer spread is a must have for you.
As against using your hand to spread fertilizer on your lawn, a fertilizer spreader makes it easy for you to effectively get the job done within the shortest period of time.
However it doesn’t end at buying a fertilizer spreader for your lawn, as spreaders come in various sizes and designs.
It is important that you get a fertilizer spreader that is suitable for your lawn, for example, if you have a pretty small lawn then a handheld fertilizer spreader will be more suitable for you.
This article will help explain the uses of a fertilizer spreader and the various types available and which one works better for you based on your needs.
6 Uses of a Fertilizer Spreader
Fertilizer spreaders are machine tools that can be used for a variety of purposes and they have been a great help to lawn owners and farmers. Here are some of the uses of a fertilizer spreader:
1. Uniform Fertilizer Spreading
Fertilizer spreaders help in spreading fertilizers in an even and uniform way all over the lawn.
Without spreaders we would probably end up with patchy areas of burnt or over fertilized pieces of lawns.
2. Beautiful and Lush Lawns
Fertilizer spreaders ensure that all areas of the lawn get fertilizer ensuring that the grasses grow at the same rate and pace.
This gives us a uniform pattern that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
3. Improved Agricultural Yield
Spreaders are not only used on lawns, they are also used in agricultural fields and because of the even distribution it affords, the crops come out more nutritious and improved.
4. Seed Spreading
Fertilizer spreaders are also used for distributing grass seeds.
When you want to plant, you do not have to buy a seed spreader, your fertilizer spreader is more than able to do the job perfectly.
5. Can Spread Granules and Powdered forms of Fertilizer
One fertilizer spreader can be used to spread different sizes and shapes of substances ranging from pellet lime to powdered lime, to fertilizer granules to mention a few.
Whenever you are spreading these different products, adjust the settings on the spreader and you can go ahead to spread.
6. Can Spread Other Substances
Apart from fertilizer and grass seeds, fertilizer spreads can also be used in spreading other products such as ice melt, salt, sand and even lime.
All you have to do is ensure you clean and maintain your fertilizer spreader after each use.
Are Seed and Fertilizer Spreaders The Same
Basically fertilizer spreaders are used for spreading fertilizer and can also be used for spreading grass seeds and other lawn products.
There are also spreaders specifically built to spread seeds however there is usually no need to clutter up the toolshed with two spreaders because they perform the same duty.
Grass seeds and fertilizer sometimes come in granular shapes and fertilizer spreaders can be effectively adjusted to spread grass seedlings.
Both broadcast and drop fertilizer spreaders can be used to spread seeds while planting and this helps to ensure even distribution of the seeds.
Here is an article I wrote on can you use a fertilizer spreader for salt?
Are Scotts Spreaders Any Good?
Scotts Miracle Gro is a company that started out in 1868 and over the centuries they have built a great line of products.
Almost any gardener or professional worth his salt would have used a Scotts product at one point or the other.
Scotts do not only manufacture spreaders, they are also known for their quality seedlings, fertilizer and other lawn care products which they always advise to use together for the best results possible.
The popular broadcast spreader Scotts Turf is able to fertilize up to 18,000 sq. ft of land. It has a great build quality and delivers precise and accurate coverage to all sizes of lawns.
Are Drop Spreaders Good?
Drop spreaders as the name implies are a type of fertilizer spreader that drops fertilizer, grass seeds and other lawn products from openings under the spreader to fall directly under it to specified locations with great precision.
To get the best out of your drop fertilizer spreader, set your spreader halfway to 50% and then spread the seed in a crosshatch pattern.
This is to ensure that you get total coverage because the spreader will only drop fertilizer between the wheels.
So you have to overlap the previous wheel patterns to completely cover the area.
Advantages
- Accuracy and precision: drop soreaders are known for dropping fertilizer and other lawn products accurately without any interference.
- Simple and easy to use: the drop spreader is quite easy to use and all you have to is push it in straight lines.
- Minimizes wastage: unlike the broadcast spreader that sprays products in a direction, the drop spreader only drops the products in the wanted areas.
- Hardly impacted by winds : the drop spreader’s operations are not limited by winds because the product is falling directly from the hopper holes to the ground.
- Suitable to small yards or lawns less than 5,000 sq. ft: small lawn owners can use this effectively without having to deal with large machinery required for larger fields.
Disadvantages
- Cover less ground in one time: because the products usually fall under the wheels the drop spreader doesnt cover a whole lot of ground at once and the hanlde has to make criss cross patterns to ensure total coverage.
- Hoppers are smaller: the hoppers on drop spreaders ar smaller in size and as such there is only a limited amount of fertilizer than can come out at a certain time.
- Not suitable for large areas: because of the process of redoubling to cover up, drop spreaders are not advisable for large areas to avoid time wastage .
As you can see from the enumerated features, drop spreaders are very good especially for smaller areas and they are quite easy to use.
Are Earthway Spreaders Any Good
Earthway spreaders have been around since way back. The company started in 1965 and they are operating out of North Central Indiana, USA.
Earthway manufactures high grade lawn products and their spreaders are top notch and used by professionals and house owners all over the world.
The Earthway Even Spread Commercial Broadcast Fertilizer is one of earthway’s more popular products.
Its’ reviews are mainly positive and is known for its’ longevity and toughness.
Earthway spreaders are used in a lot of homes and they can also serve multipurpose functions as stated earlier.
In this article, we have been able to highlight why you need a fertilizer spreader for your lawn, the various uses, the types and the models you can encounter out there.
Your fertilizer spreader is a msut have if you desire a beautiful, even and well shaped lawn.
Go out there, get your spreader and get to work.
