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I am a lawn care service provider in Nebraska. I was curious how some of you bill for fertilizer. Also, if you use any liquid fertilizer, what brand do you use?

SMeis said:

I am a lawn care service provider in Nebraska. I was curious how some of you bill for fertilizer. Also, if you use any liquid fertilizer, what brand do you use?

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Welcome to the forum! I'm sure you will get an answer shortly, but in the meantime I moved your thread from the Site Discussion Forum into the Lawn Care & Landscaping Forum where you will hopefully get a better answer. :smile:

I am a row crop agronomist by trade, working in South Georgia. Grasses are not my specialty at all, but I know that their fertility requirements vary a lot from species to species, climate to climate, and depending on soil type.

Most grasses respond to nitrogen, with a decent amount of the total being available in the nitrate form. Depending, again, on soil type and species, sulfur as a secondary element may trigger a good greening effect when used to complement nitrogen. In our sandy soils, we need magnesium as well, but in many areas that element is not needed. Just about any of them benefit from minor elements of iron, zinc, and sometimes boron and copper.

If your soils are naturally acidic, lime may be necessary to bring up pH. Most grasses are not heavy users of phosphorus, but some are, and it is the element that more than any, promotes good root development. Light doses of potassium usually help maintain healthier growth, the main nutrient plants need to stand well and ward off disease pressure.

Bermudas are the heaviest users of all of the above, regardless of where they may be grown.

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I use granular for my weekly customers I bribe them to water sufficiently with free fertilizer. Everyone else buys it at $35 a treatment most my lawns use 15 pounds I buy Wilbur Ellis brand usually pay about 15-20$ a 50# bag

First I'd look into if your state requires an applicator license. In NY homeowners can put anything on their lawn without a license. But if your doing it for a profit on property you don't own then you need a pesticide applicator license $200 a year minimum(after a 30hr class and exam) and register your business something like $300 for a year or two.

Indiana has similar laws, I took the class and test through Purdue university. it was $175 and I think around $90 for the books. have to add it to my insurance and pay a yearly fee. its highly illegal to do commercial applications without a license.

Don't need any classes for fertilizer unless it has an herbicide, fungicide, or pesticide

I'm just suggesting to check their state laws. any commercial applications to include fertilizer and even grass seed is regulated, by OSHA and the state chemist office. both are a pain in the rear, I'm not saying I agree or disagree with all the regulations they make use work under. its just the constraints we have to deal with, I guess.

TaskForceLawnCare said:

I'm just suggesting to check their state laws. any commercial applications to include fertilizer and even grass seed is regulated, by OSHA and the state chemist office. both are a pain in the rear, I'm not saying I agree or disagree with all the regulations they make use work under. its just the constraints we have to deal with, I guess.

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I'm sorry thought I said the state of wa >.< my bad

Phosphorus and nitrogen runoff are issues in many watersheds now. I am sure commercial use is scrutinized and regulated accordingly depending on that as well as the political climate. Places like Chesapeke Bay and much of Florida are really getting cautious and concerned.

I agree that most states require some type of commercial pesticide applicators license for applying chemicals for hire, but fewer do for fertilizer.

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