Scotts vs. Kmart fertilizer
David Lange
Is there a significant difference in quality here? Or should we all buy
Kmart?
--
David A. Lange
email: dla...@uiuc.edu
Rick Bogren
>From: dla...@uiuc.edu (David Lange)
>Subject: Scotts vs. Kmart fertilizer
>Date: Tue, 11 Apr 1995 09:32:02 -0500
Read the label. Federal law requires labels for lawn food, fertilizer, etc.
to list ingredients. For example, 10-10-10 fertilizer has ten parts N, ten
parts P, and ten parts K. If you're looking at weed-and-feed, the label
should list active ingredient of weed killer and its concentration. Most of
the time, the house brand will be less expensive for the same product. This
stuff is basically all commodities, anyway.
Rick
****************************************************************************
Rick Bogren e-mail: r-bo...@uiuc.edu
Media/Communications Specialist voice: (217)333-9439
College of Agriculture
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
David Lange
> to list ingredients. For example, 10-10-10 fertilizer has ten parts N, ten
> parts P, and ten parts K. If you're looking at weed-and-feed, the label
> should list active ingredient of weed killer and its concentration. Most of
> the time, the house brand will be less expensive for the same product. This
> stuff is basically all commodities, anyway.
I guess that was really my point. I realize that 24-10-3 is different
than 10-10-10, but is the nitrogen component in Kmart just as good as the
nitrogen in Scott's?
Kevin W. Ramer
(David Lange) wrote:
> Read the label. Federal law requires labels for lawn food, fertilizer, etc.
> to list ingredients. For example, 10-10-10 fertilizer has ten parts N, ten
> parts P, and ten parts K. If you're looking at weed-and-feed, the label
> should list active ingredient of weed killer and its concentration.
Most >of
> the time, the house brand will be less expensive for the same product. this
> stuff is basically all commodities, anyway.
> I guess that was really my point. I realize that 24-10-3 is different
than 10-10-10, but is the nitrogen component in Kmart just as good as the
> nitrogen in Scott's?
>
Oh, you want _name_ brand Nitrogen :-).
If it says ammonium sulfate, potassium nitrate or other terms, they're
most likely similar. What I'd consider more important is time-release N.
Look for something that says X% of nitrogen is slow release.
Scotts makes its claim to fame in its Particle Technology which means that
particles are of uniform size, breakdown characteristics are homogeneous
and no corn cobs.
> --
> David A. Lange
> email: dla...@uiuc.edu
--
Kevin W. Ramer ra...@nrc.uab.edu
Programmer Analyst
Neurobiology Research Center
University of Alabama at Birmingham
td...@chevron.com
>In article <dlange-1104...@cenmac13.ce.uiuc.edu> dla...@uiuc.edu (David Lange) writes:
>>From: dla...@uiuc.edu (David Lange)
>>Subject: Scotts vs. Kmart fertilizer
>>Date: Tue, 11 Apr 1995 09:32:02 -0500
>
>>Scotts is about 2 times the cost of Kmart or other "generic" fertilizer.
>>Is there a significant difference in quality here? Or should we all buy
>>Kmart?
>
>to list ingredients. For example, 10-10-10 fertilizer has ten parts N, ten
>parts P, and ten parts K. If you're looking at weed-and-feed, the label
>should list active ingredient of weed killer and its concentration. Most of
>
>
>****************************************************************************
>Rick Bogren e-mail: r-bo...@uiuc.edu
>Media/Communications Specialist voice: (217)333-9439
>College of Agriculture
>University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
I like to use Scotts TurfBuilder. The supposed difference is that while cheap
fertilizers have the ingredients simply mixed in the bag, better brands, like
Scotts, have all of the ingredients ground together so that each particle
is composed of the correct mixture of ingredient. These particles are
then coated to give you the time-release effect. The result is that you
get more even coverage and are less likely to burn the grass.
jfl...@rain.org
waste water treatment plant. NO KIDDING, here in So. Cal the store bought
fertalizer says right on the bag "from hyperion plant" which is the
treatment facility for Los Angeles. Our treatment plants give away dried
sludge which has been processed for 2 years. Anyone can bring a truck and
take as much as they can carry away. Its also really great stuff for the
garden if you don't have unfounded personal fears about human dirt as
opposed to chicken, cow or horse dirt. BTW, it looks like dirt, smells
like dirt, feels like dirt and works like dirt.
James G. Bradley
--
Author: James.G...@jpl.nasa.gov at Internet
Date: 4/5/95 23:33
Priority: Normal
BCC: James G Bradley at JPL-B301
TO: James.G...@jpl.nasa.gov at Internet
You will probably find that these sewage treatment products must be sold
as something like "soil conditioners" because their N, P, and K content
is less than is legally required for a fertilizer.
I like Scott's Turfbuilder because a portion of its nitrogen is from slow
release compounds. The lawn looks nitrogen-green for a longer time.
Scott's is the only fertilizer that I have found to have this
slow-release component.
____________________________________________________________
James G. Bradley (Jim) james.g...@jpl.nasa.gov
JPL, Mail Stop 306-336 Phone: 818-354-4215
4800 Oak Grove Drive Fax: 818-393-4406
Pasadena, CA 91109-8099 Hug a physicist today
____________________________________________________________
na8130d00-Kardaras
> Our treatment plants give away dried
>sludge which has been processed for 2 years. Anyone can bring a truck and
>take as much as they can carry away. Its also really great stuff for the
>garden if you don't have unfounded personal fears about human dirt as
>opposed to chicken, cow or horse dirt.
... or fears of industrial contamination.
The Metropolitan Sanitary District in Chicago once gave away their dried
sludge. They called it 'Nu-Earth', and touted it for use on gardens,
landscaping, etc. A few months after the program was started, it was
discovered that the Nu-Earth contained high levels of heavy metals,
supposedly from illegal industrial dumping. People who put it on their
gardens were told to NOT EAT anything grown there, and to pick a new site
for their next garden.
The last I heard, the sludge was taken from the metropolitan area by barge
to a demonstration farm ('sludge farm') in Western Illinois. It was applied
to the fields as a slurry. The Sanitary District was trying to interest
farmers in using the sludge to fertilize their crops. I don't know the
state of the heavy metals concerns.
- Chris Kardaras
c.j.ka...@att.com
Carol Miskiewicz - Orchards
David Lange <dla...@uiuc.edu> wrote:
>Scotts is about 2 times the cost of Kmart or other "generic" fertilizer.
>Is there a significant difference in quality here? Or should we all buy
>Kmart?
>
>--
>David A. Lange
>email: dla...@uiuc.edu
Save yourself even more money. Go to a local feed store. Ours sell 80
lb bags of just about any combination fertilizer for $11. You usually get
20lb bags of Kmart stuff for $5. The feed store is a much better deal.
Mark Miskiewicz
Ron Rothenberg
JF>If your looking for a free source for fertalizer check with your local
JF>waste water treatment plant. NO KIDDING, here in So. Cal the store bought
JF>fertalizer says right on the bag "from hyperion plant" which is the
JF>treatment facility for Los Angeles. Our treatment plants give away dried
JF>sludge which has been processed for 2 years. Anyone can bring a truck and
JF>take as much as they can carry away. Its also really great stuff for the
JF>garden if you don't have unfounded personal fears about human dirt as
JF>opposed to chicken, cow or horse dirt. BTW, it looks like dirt, smells
JF>like dirt, feels like dirt and works like dirt.
Don't use it on a vegetable garden - the problem is not HUMAN vs. other
dirt, but high concentrations of Cadmium and other heavy metals.
MILORGANITE - made from teh best of the Milwaukee sewer system has been
a favorite of golf greenskeepers everywhere. Works great on my lawn.
I like Scott's too. Scott's works much faster, but if you plan ahead,
Milorganite does a very good job.
-rsr-
Ron Rothenberg
Buyer Broker/CFP (Certified Financial Planner)
HomeBase Real Estate Save time! Save money!
Belmont, MA 02178 Use a buyer broker
(617) 489-4812 when you buy a home!
Ask about speaking to a <------------------------
Buyer Broker near you - on line! <-----------
* SLMR 2.1a * Be consistent - but don't do it all the time.
Andrew Bajorinas
>I like to use Scotts TurfBuilder. The supposed difference is that while cheap
>fertilizers have the ingredients simply mixed in the bag, better brands, like
>Scotts, have all of the ingredients ground together so that each particle
>is composed of the correct mixture of ingredient. These particles are
>then coated to give you the time-release effect. The result is that you
>get more even coverage and are less likely to burn the grass.
The time release bit is definetely true. The cheap stuff will give you a great
burst of green, and then it seems to be used up. The Scotts type granules come
on more gradually and work for a longer time. This also reduces the risk of
damage due to burning.
My opinion is stay away from generics. A dead/damaged lawn is ugly and
sometimes hard/epxensive to repair.
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| Andrew P. Bajorinas Bajo...@Perkin-Elmer.com |
| -----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| The above opinions are my own. | I will never let my cat |
| My employer thinks I am working. 8^) | use my net access again! |
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