Easiest way to apply granular feed

I have a Scotts drop spreader but having difficulty using it to apply granular feed evenly on my flat lawn. The instructions have a marker to align with the wheel mark left after each pass. The problem is, the mark in the grass is not obvious and therefore it makes it difficult to use.

Are there other methods/options that would be easier to apply the right amount of feed evenly onto my lawn?

Thanks

 

Hi Chris
I always put a couple of bricks on top of the feed to weigh it down a bit.
Not perfect but it helps.

 

Slightly longer grass helps seeing the wheel marks.

 

Cool, thanks both. Bricks and slightly longer grass sounds good.

You think that the drop spreader is the best equipment to do the job or would you suggest/recommend switching to something else?

 

If you want to get really picky you could do what I did before I got a spreader and use lines to mark off square metres and weigh out the appropriate amount per square metre and apply it by hand!

 

Got ya. What about those spreaders on wheels that flick the feed out? Or the ones you hold by hand and turn the lever on the side to flick it as you walk? Just wondered what peoples experience/opinions were? Thanks.

 

If I use granular lawn feed I disperse it be hand . I have weighed an average "handful" . I know spreading left to right I can cover 1.5 metres x 1 metre long for a 50gm "handful" . You soon get the knack of mentally dividing the lawn into little squares. Even though the new Evergreen is anti scorch , I always feed in a rainy week. I really prefer liquid lawn feed , but filling and dosing X dozen watering cans is a bit of a pain .

 

I got a hand speader a couple of years ago as I thought it would save me using a wheeled spreader on our smallest lawn. I didn't like it as it was difficult to to avoid casting the granules onto adjacent flower beds when spreading near edges.

 

Is it an all in one product, or just a feed? If just fertiliser then I'd almost always use a broadcast spreader, on wheels, with about a 6-7ft application width as there's no problem with granules going into the beds. I also ALWAYS apply feed after a grass cut... this gives you nice straight mower lines to follow and judge width!

If you're applying all in one (not ideal at this time of year) then stick with the drop spreader but mow the lawn first and follow the lines.

 

I've known people to rig up a foam adapter to a spreader which leaves a trail to see and the odd spreader has this built in.
I tend to use a drop spreader and just like mowing you walk up and down and swivel the wheel at the turn then adjust inwards so you just overlap as the wheelbase is wider than the dropper.
You can also do a 2 pass technique so you run across the lawn in 2 different directions to insure even distribution.
The better broadcast spreaders can be blanked off to avoid edge spreading and also have the ability of adding a collection tray which captures the fertiliser in order to measure and calibrate for the feed used.
you also want to walk at a steady pace to insure the feed is dropped at a consistent rate.

Is it the Scotts Evendrop spreader which has the trigger? I use this one for small lawns and its best to fill the bucket which adds weight so if you want to see a track you can.

 

[QUOTE="Liz the pot, post: 1078748, member: 16820"
You can also do a 2 pass technique so you run across the lawn in 2 different directions to insure even cover.

This my now prefered system.

 

For me, hand spreading fertiliser is best. Marked out with canes and half spread one way and half the other direction. Quicker than using a spreader