I have an old bag of Art Knapp's Winter Feeder 6-3-12 with sulphur coated urea (granular). I want to put this on the lawn but am concerned about our beagle who is continually nosing about the lawn and chewing anything slightly edible. Is there any danger to the dog from applying this? Would expect rain to wash it into the soil fairly quickly. Bob Gordon Vancouver
Hi Bob, I see no one has answered your question. I found nothing on the internet about the toxicity of sulphur coated urea, but I'll put it to you this way. Would you crawl on the lawn after application on your hands and knees and then lick your hands without washing them? If you find your answer is 'no', then I recommend you use compost along with core aeration next fall to fertilize your lawn and dispose of what you have or use it in an area where the dog does not have access. Newt
sulphur coated urea is designed not to dissolve immediately, in fact its the 'time release' part of that fertilizer. fertilizers are basically purified or at least refined minerals, the carriers are usually clay or some other inert product (the rest of the % of the bag when you add the fertilizer analysis together is filler generally). I agree though, if you wouldnt crawl in it, dont subject your pet to it.
Does anyone have a favourite fertilizer to recommend that is food safe, pet safe, and feasible for a large scale application? We will be grazing donkeys and a horse, as well as having a puppy play on our grass. We applied lime and fertilizer to our pasture mix lawn in the fall, but wonder about what to do this spring. Most of our area is planted with Christmas trees, so the fertilizer must be distributed by hand or small spreader.
The health hazards of residential lawn fertilizers are fairly low when in the bag (before application) and non-existent after application because the dust is wetted & spread out over a wide area. Fertilizer in a high enough concentration to cause any health concern would almost certainly kill your grass first. Scotts lawn fertilizer MSDS The same DOES NOT APPLY for fertilizers containing any herbicides (like 2,4-D or crab grass control) or pesticides (for grub control, etc.) Simon
How toxic & at what concentration per square foot after application? In the end, has the application of the fertilizer significantly increased concentration of the toxic compounds (organic or elemental) already in the soil. Soil (sub-soils especially), even 'pristine' ones already contain a host of dangerous pathogens, toxic compounds, and elements. I have no trouble finding websites that state toxic elements exist in fertilizer but haven't found any that actually document the levels found in a typical residential lawn fertilizer. Without numbers, the fact that it's there really doesn't mean anything. As well, many of the toxic heavy metals found in unpublished levels are actually micronutrients as low concentrations and essential for plant growth (& in some cases, animal growth). So, while I am concerned with the presence of toxic compounds in our environment, the pre-existing soil bacteria & fungus, the dust blowing off the local sideroad every time a car passes, and the overspray from the local orchards should concern one more than a typical residential lawn fertilizer. Simon
The most organic and environmentally friendly way to enrich the soil to support optimum plant growth for trees, herbaceous plants & turf would be compost. It can be spread with a spreader. The best way to get this into your soil is to core aerate and then spread the compost. Here's some handy links. http://www.homeandgardenmakeover.com/lawnaeration.html http://www.american-lawns.com/lawns/aeration.html This is best done in the fall but can be done in spring too. Then you wouldn't need to be concerned about runoff into rivers and lakes of additional nitrogen that causes algae blooms or any toxic elements getting into the drinking water supply as the water and fertilizers trickle down through the soil. You can also search for info about particular brands with more expanded info about what is in them then the Household Products Database in the link supplied by Simon. By the way, fertilizers, pesticices and herbicides are often listed as pesticides when you are searching. http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/facts-slides-self/facts/gen-posaf-health.html http://www.clark.wa.gov/recycle/documents/Safer_Yard.pdf http://www.greenbook.net/ http://extoxnet.orst.edu/ This site will help you to determine what nutrients your pasture would need. Look under 'Crop & Forage Nutrient Use'. http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca/app19/calc/index.jsp?type=Crop Newt
A widely publicized "discovery" that there was some awful stuff in fertilizer occurred right here in Washington. Not a big shocker if you ask me. Compost not carrying a clean slate, either. http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~Linda ...ltural Myths_files/Myths/Compost problems.pdf
What about Miracle Grow,for lawns? Is it safe? I have 2 large dogs,that love the backyard,and I don't compost anything. I'd like to be able to use something readily available from the "hardware store",that's why I'm wondering about the Miracle Grow.Is liquid or granular better,for a backyard,where the summer is short,and weather unpredictable.Laura.
Supposedly there is a problem with Miracle Gro and chlorine, have only been told this. Otherwise, the formulations seem to be pretty high in primary nutrients - doubt many sites would actually need all that NPK.
