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Picking The Right Compost Spreader

By Mark Carter


Whether you own a farm or a yard, you are familiar with spreading fertilizer to enrich the soil. When doing so, it is important to pick the best compost spreader for the job. Compost is a natural fertilizer and is eco-friendly. The size and style of the machinery will make a difference in cost and how well the job gets done.

Two basic sizes exist. Sure, there are actually many different sizes, but the two basic ones are industrial application and lawn application. For the larger areas, the industrial size that is pulled behind or hooked up to a tractor works best. These would be overkill for anything under an acre. Figure out how much space you have to fertilize and choose the right equipment for the job.

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.

Boxes with a vertical bar will greatly enrich the nutrients in the soil. Putting this type of application is not meant for accuracy, but will break up the material and produce a finer spread with more accuracy in the thickness than the size spread provides.

When you want to have more control over the spread, choose a box with horizontal bars. These are hooked up behind the tractor in the same way the vertical bar box is. The difference is that this type is used to control the width of the spray. More accuracy in the width allows you to spray an even layer along a long track of the field when you have to work with long rows.

Spinner beaters allow you to control how much is applied much more accurately. When you want to use different types of compost together and have an even spread, the spinner beaters mix the material together to make this possible. The different density in materials is less important because of these beaters. Having more control allows you to spread the different materials at the same time instead of making multiple trips which may compact the soil.

Lawns require smaller equipment and in some cases manual processing. There are several devices that are similar to the industrial equipment but sized to be pulled behind a riding lawnmower. Another option exists in doing a manual application by using a roller. The roller has all-metal construction with front loading and a mesh barrel. This mesh barrel breaks up the material as you push the roller and it lays the fertilizer directly onto the soil.

To save time and money, it is important to choose the best equipment for the job. Larger field operations require different equipment depending on the application you are going to put down. For smaller areas and lawns, there are lots of options to choose from as well. Using natural fertilizer is cost effective and good for the environment.




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