Fertilizer equipment lets you spread it out, drop it or pile it on thick

Fertilizer equipment hasn’t changed since John Deere was John Doe. There are basically two types of spreaders for the application of a non-liquid fertilizer. There’s the rotary spreader and the drop spreader. Both are effective. The main difference is in the width of the area they cover-- though spreaders do have multiple uses.

A fertilizer spreader may also be used for laying seed, lime or soil top dressing. Or a combination of these additives spread at the same time. Spreaders are also used to apply preventative treatments in the form of solid pesticides, emergency herbicides or some other treatments for disease. Generally, spreaders can be calibrated for these applications.

Rotary Spreaders are particularly useful for spreading solid fertilizers of larger and heavier particles. They can lay a much wider row, say between 20 – 30 feet, but have a much heavier disbursement in the middle of a row than at the edges. Drop spreaders are more even in their application, but can’t cover an area any wider than they are. These spreaders require careful alignment to avoid gaps or overlaps.

Commercially, or where many large crops are grown, airflow fertilizer spreaders are used and are excellent for spreading seed-fertilizer mixtures. These are the most precise fertilizer spreaders available, with the most uniformed spread pattern. The speed of disbursement of any spreader allows quick coverage of many acres, however, remember:

• Always spread the mixture on calm days or those with a gentle breeze
• Take advantage of crosswinds so patterns will overlap better
• Be cautious about mixing big batches and spreading over large areas: the mix may separate and you may need to remix it
• Calibrate spreaders very precisely for optimum application rates
• For obvious reasons, try to avoid spreading upwind

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