Need help finding organic products

15 years ago

Hello all,

I have done much research on organic lawn care for the last several weeks and have decided to begin a strictly organic lawn care regimen. However, I'm having difficulties locating organic feed such as corn meal, SBM, and alfalfa meal/pellets. I've called every feed store in/around the Montgomery, AL area and they all have the same puzzled reaction and try to steer me towards cracked corn (which they all have in stock). Does anybody live in the area, or know of a better way to locate a store which may carry these products? Would milogranite be any kind of substitute?

On a side note...

In developing a regimen (assuming I can get my hands on some organic material), I believe I need some guidance on a timetable for applying organic material to my Zoysia lawn.

I have been battling with brown patch all spring and summer and would like to apply corn meal ASAP, but I just can't find any in any feed store! Several medium to large patches of my lawn are now dead and I'm not sure when and what materials to apply at this point, or even just wait for Fall. I'll post some pics shortly. I thank you all for any help and I'm eager to answer and questions that might help!

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Comments (5)

Kimmsr
15 years ago
I thought one of the major selling points of Zoysia is that it did not need water or fertilizer, and seldom needed cutting, and was disease free? If you want organic feeds you will need to find an organic farmer that can supply you, not the normal commercial establishments.
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ljbrandt
Original Author
15 years ago
Well, the good news is that I found food grade corn meal at a local restaurant supply store. They have yellow meal in 25# bags for $14 and also white corn meal in 25#, which I believe they said was bleached. I'd assume that it would be better to go with the yellow for lawn care purposes.

Also I would like to do this aerate and tea thing...I do not plan on composting, but I'd still like to try to make the tea if possible and distribute on my lawn to give it an organic jumpstart...is July an appropriate time to fertilize and/or apply compost tea.

P.S. My front zoysia lawn is pretty small, maybe 1200 sqft. and was wonder if there were any alternatives to aerating with a $60/day aerating machine, thanks.
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With the abundance of farmers markets in the area you should be able to find something. There was an article in the Ft. Myers News Press a week or so ago. I copied this over for you. Hope it helps! Wednesdays- Worden Farm Greenmarket: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. January through March at FishermenÂs Village, off Marion Avenue, Punta Gorda. Saturdays- Alliance for the ArtsÂ GreenMarket: Fresh vegetables Â most locally grown and some organic Â as well as fresh fish, natural salsas and chutneys, locally produced honey, bakery goods, native plants, gourmet cheese, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 10091 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers. 939-2787. Cape Coral: Fresh fruits and vegetables, Gulf seafood, baked goods, native plants and trees, Wisconsin cheeses, fresh roasted nuts and more. 8 a.m.-1 p.m. October through May at Club Square off S.E. 47th Terrace and S.E. 10th Place. 549-6900. Pine Island Tropical Fruit Market: Tropical fruit, plants, organic vegetables and greens. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday (also 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays June-September). Stringfellow Road at Ficus Tree Lane, Bokeelia. I pulled the ones that are local for you. Good Luck!!! Jo P.S. I am with you on the bugs :)
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ljbrandt
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks Organicnoob! I will definitely be aerating in the near future and also in the Spring!

Not looking for a heated discussion or anything, but would you say that the retail porducts you mentioned by Espoma and Organica are as effective as the straight grains i.e. SBM and Alfalfa? thanks again!
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dchall_san_antonio
15 years ago
I think the commercially bagged materials are better IF (and only if) they have a variety of ground up grains in them. Otherwise you may as well stick to the feed store. If money is an object, definitely stick to the feed store. If money is a very serious object, then make friends at all the Starbucks within driving distance. They give used coffee grounds away for free. Ask for rabbit food. Rabbit food is alfalfa pellets.

Disease in zoysia is par for the course, so to speak. More people are driven away from zoysia by disease than any other reason. Why? The grass dies fast and without warning but then takes at least a full season to recover. Too often several seasons are needed to recover. You might consider trying a St Augustine conversion. At least if St Aug is taken out by disease it will recover in a couple months.

I would not be hasty to aerate. It won't do any harm but it sure is a lot of work. Once you start on an organic program, your soil will improve. Will it get soft? Maybe but I'm not convinced that having a hard surface is a problem. Serious compaction is caused by mechanically massaging the air out of the soil. The only places this happens is at the edge of a pond where livestock drink. Sometimes machines do the same thing by mistake but if you have had a normal lawn there for a long time, all you have is soil lacking organic matter. Once you get on the 1-2-3 plan for good cultural practices and start using organic fertilizer, your soil will improve whether you aerate or not.
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ljbrandt
Original Author
15 years ago
Wow, thanks guys for all your input! Two of the best guys on the fourm...I trust your advice!!! :-)

Well, at this point, i think I will continue steps 1 & 2 of the 3-step plan...just not sure exactly what to do first for step 3.

I'm definitely going to add corn meal at ~15lb/1k once a montgh to keep combating the brown patch but I'd like to maybe add Milorganite in lieu of compost or compost tea...and possible follow up with SBM/alfalfa pellets sometime in the Fall...either way, one of the things that really attracted me to organics is the fact that you can't really make a mistake in choosing an organic product, whether it be coffee grounds or alfalfa pellets, it's all going to do good and a strict schedule isn't really necessary. Thanks so much guys!
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