# Using Greene County Fertilizer products or DIY versions



## Lawn_newbie (Jun 19, 2018)

Has anyone used GCF products on Bermuda grass?

I would like to know if the claims from the following products work as advertised and if they could be DIY replicated:

1. Humic 12,

Would a 12% solution of humic acid and potassium hydroxide or another potassium source?

2. RGS

DIY humic acid 6%, fulvic acid 3%, and sea kelp 3%.

3. D-Thatch

DIY humic acid, fulvic acid, molasses and compost tea or worm casting tea.

They use yeast, I would assume these are not brewers yeast.


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## Tellycoleman (May 10, 2017)

Interesting but I don't believe any comparison studies have been made to see if green county products are more/less effective than a roll your own alternative. 
For me the convenience of a outstanding product in one bottle vs buying measuring calculations and mixing multiple products is hard to overcome. Maybe if the cost equivalent was substantially lower but even then I mix up enough stuff already.


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## adgattoni (Oct 3, 2017)

I bought one of the packs that didn't include D-Thatch, so I made a homemade cocktail of molasses and beer. I have no idea if it worked. Lawn looks great, but I'm also spoon feeding fert, using PGR, and watering more regularly than anyone in the neighborhood. Makes it hard to see if this stuff has a significant effect.


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## CenlaLowell (Apr 21, 2017)

Since everything is happening with the soil it will take a long time to see significant results in my opinion. I started using extreme blend from kelpforless which according to labels is basically RGS


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Lawn_newbie said:


> Has anyone used GCF products on Bermuda grass?
> I would like to know if the claims from the following products work as advertised and if they could be DIY replicated:


https://thelawnforum.com/search.php?keywords=RGS+GCF&terms=any&author=&fid%5B%5D=2&sc=1&sf=all&sr=posts&sk=t&sd=d&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search

off top of my head @Colonel K0rn


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## rhanna (Jun 7, 2017)

CenlaLowell said:


> Since everything is happening with the soil it will take a long time to see significant results in my opinion. I started using extreme blend from kelpforless which according to labels is basically RGS


How much of the extreme blend do you use.


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## CenlaLowell (Apr 21, 2017)

rhanna said:


> CenlaLowell said:
> 
> 
> > Since everything is happening with the soil it will take a long time to see significant results in my opinion. I started using extreme blend from kelpforless which according to labels is basically RGS
> ...


1tsb per fill up of a hose end sprayer. When you buy the bag there's directions on how to apply using different tools.


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## Tellycoleman (May 10, 2017)

I have used all green county fert but D thatch. Since I did renovation last year I have no thatch hence no need at this time. I know that when I use my pro- plugger in my clay yard, roots are torn out the bottom of each plug. Wasn't like that last year but grass was still young. 
Was it green county ? Maybe
Was it that my lawn is older and more established? Maybe


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## dschertz (Jul 13, 2018)

Any thoughts on this? https://youtu.be/7DkRkbfYPgg Now I've used all of their products except for a few and I've gotten great results, but I'd like to start experimenting with my own ingredients. When I see videos like this it seems more like a product push and that if you try to DIY it won't work is good. What do you all think?


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## Jacob_S (May 22, 2018)

I'm trying dethatch but have only applied once since buying so can not comment on results.


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## viva_oldtrafford (Apr 4, 2018)

dschertz said:


> Any thoughts on this?
> 
> 
> 
> Now I've used all of their products except for a few and I've gotten great results, but I'd like to start experimenting with my own ingredients. When I see videos like this it seems more like a product push and that if you try to DIY it won't work is good. What do you all think?


There's not a shred of science to corroborate any of the claims by these salesmen. Zero. Correlation does not equal causation.

I manage turfgrass that ranges in hoc from .110" to 1.75" (cart and foot traffic too) and I'm here to tell you that this stuff is easy. NPK, H2O, sunlight and good gas exchange (occasional cultural practices) is all that is required (intervention is sometimes need, of course).

Save your money and get in a habit of employing scientifically backed programs and products.


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## lambert (Sep 12, 2018)

I just came across this article, concluding that humid acid can reduce the effectiveness of pesticides:

https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/newsletters/hortupdate/hortupdate_archives/2002/jun02/art4jun.html


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## viva_oldtrafford (Apr 4, 2018)

lambert said:


> I just came across this article, concluding that humid acid can reduce the effectiveness of pesticides:
> 
> https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/newsletters/hortupdate/hortupdate_archives/2002/jun02/art4jun.html


Right. So the scientific studies that do exist actually show HA (a very popular product in the lawn realm) to have a negative impact on turfgrass.


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## osuturfman (Aug 12, 2017)

1.) If you want to read up on science, check out Dr. Erik Ervin at the University of Delaware (formerly of Virginia Tech). Plenty of it going back 16 or more years with good citations. Here's a good primer:

http://www.aapfco.org/presentations/2015/2015_AN_biostimulant_research.pdf

2.)There's not a problem, necessarily, with mixing your own. What I'll ask though is, if I gave you the parts to make a toaster, could you build it? While I'm not trying to be an ***, I am saying it's how these products are formulated that drive up costs. Which raw materials are used, from which sources, how are they extracted and reacted, how the solution's pH is buffered, are just some of the simple questions to ask yourself.

With that said, there's simply not enough data out there to suggest that seaweed from Nova Scotia, while it has higher growth hormone levels, allows grass to perform better than seaweed from South Africa. Same goes for leonardite from New Mexico or North Dakota that eventually extracted in humic and fulvic acids. Hell, we can even go as far as which peat bog produces better humic substances. The point is, this quickly turns into a Ford/Chevy debate.

3.) The article regarding humics causing pesticide failures, this is a direct result of alkaline hydrolysis in the spray tank. Specifically, most of the humic acid products are derived from reacting leonardite with potassium hydroxide (KOH) which has a high pH. As a result the solution has a high pH which can render many pesticides nearly inert as they are designed to be within a fairly low pH range within the spray tank.

Know what you're doing and what you're tank mixing regardless of which approach you take.

4.) I wrote this on another thread about NEXT products.

There are only four types of products we use on grass:

a.) Products that flat out don't work.
b.) Products that make you feel good about applying but, you don't know if they really work. 
c.) Products that you know really work but don't make you feel good (see expensive). 
d.) Products that make you feel good about applying because you know they really work (see good value).

Only you can be the judge.


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## lambert (Sep 12, 2018)

osuturfman said:


> 3.) The article regarding humics causing pesticide failures, this is a direct result of alkaline hydrolysis in the spray tank. Specifically, most of the humic acid products are derived from reacting leonardite with potassium hydroxide (KOH) which has a high pH. As a result the solution has a high pH which can render many pesticides nearly inert as they are designed to be within a fairly low pH range within the spray tank.
> 
> Know what you're doing and what you're tank mixing regardless of which approach you take.


I'm not saying you are wrong, because I really don't know all of the science, but that's not exactly what that article states:

"Both were studies that demonstrate how strongly humic acid can absorb fungicides and herbicides. Indications are that surface applications of humic acid or humate can significantly reduce the effectiveness of systemic pesticides by reducing their absorption by plant roots and soil-borne pathogens and insects."

"Other than the possible reductions in the effectiveness of pesticide applications when the humate or humic acid resides on the soil surface, the products are rather harmless when applied at rates recommended by manufacturers."


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## osuturfman (Aug 12, 2017)

Yes, I should have said in addition to what the article said. Thanks for clarifying.


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