# Soybean meal...ringer lawn restorer alternative?



## Dmega (Aug 8, 2018)

New to the community and first time post. I live in the Toronto area and would like to access a fertilizer for my lawn like Ringer which is not sold in Canada.

I understand one of the main ingredients in ringer is soybean meal. The pictures online of the ringer product looks very similar the soybean flakes.

A quick google search shows people swearing just using soybean meal is a great natural fert. Has anyone here actually tried using soybean fert? Whats the smell like and the results? Is it an animal magnet?

I am finding it difficult to locate a seller of soybean meal in my area...maybe its not rural enough or I'm not looking in the right places.

I would appreciate some help with this.
Thanks


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## Lawn_newbie (Jun 19, 2018)

Try searching for soybean pellets.

You can also use corn gluten meal/pellets and/or alfalfa meal/pellets.

You do not get the same N value as you do with soybean so you will need to put down more pounds per 1000 sqft.

I also put dried used coffee grounds on my yard.


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## Dmega (Aug 8, 2018)

Lawn_newbie said:


> Try searching for soybean pellets.
> 
> You can also use corn gluten meal/pellets and/or alfalfa meal/pellets.
> 
> ...


I will have a search for soybean pellets

Isn't corn gluten the stuff they put down for pre emerging weeds? Wont that stuff prevent grass seed form growing too? I will check out the alfalfa meal too. How s the animal attraction to these "meals" and the smell?

Thanks,
D


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## Lawn_newbie (Jun 19, 2018)

@Dmega at rates of 20lbs per 1000 sq/ft then corn gluten can have weed inhibiting properties. I am not sure how it would affect seeds, my yard is hybrid Bermuda.

I have pretty bad allergies so take that into account. I did not notice any smell with the soybean or corn gluten. I did notice an odor with alfalfa. However, that may be because I was an idiot and put down pellets on top of a Bermuda lawn cut at 3.5". Thus, the pellets just sat on top and took about a week to filter through the canopy. The odor was not offensive and I could not give you anything to compare it to. I think the closest would be something like a really light ammonia. And it could have been that I put compost tea on top of that and the microbes started breaking down the alfalfa.


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## Dmega (Aug 8, 2018)

I found this organic fertilizer
http://www.bustan.ca/down-to-earth-organic-soy-meal-7-2-1-5lbs.aspx

Seems its darn expensive for what it is... $40 cdn for 5lbs bag. Ringer is considered by some to be expensive at $36 US for 25lbs.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

The university of Washington debunked the corn having prem properties. I like corn meal (from supermarket) as a good nitrogen source.

In my opinion, if you want organic, then go to the sources (corn, alfalfa, coffee).


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## Dmega (Aug 8, 2018)

Corn meal should be available anywhere...not sure about alfalfa meal (where to find) but coffee is interesting. I will do some research into how quatity to throw down and such. THANKS =)


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## Lawn_newbie (Jun 19, 2018)

g-man said:


> The university of Washington debunked the corn having prem properties. I like corn meal (from supermarket) as a good nitrogen source.
> 
> In my opinion, if you want organic, then go to the sources (corn, alfalfa, coffee).


Damn it, the wizard lied to me!


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

I was walking the kids around the neighborhood and could not find a reference. I like to point to the source when I do these statements. Here it is: https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/corn-gluten.pdf


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## Dmega (Aug 8, 2018)

Thank you g-man.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Starbucks give free used coffee grounds. They normally have a basket for it.

Alfalfa, go to a horse feed store or tractor supply store

While there, you could get cracked corn too. ³jk⅔3


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## Dmega (Aug 8, 2018)

I'm looking for these stores but can't find them locally. I so have a Starbucks close by so i can see if the give away the used coffee grounds.


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## Dmega (Aug 8, 2018)

I ended up buying some soy/alfafa meal fertizlizer for golfcourses from brettyoung.ca. Its npk is 7-2-4 $48 per bag tax included and delivered.


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## zeus201 (Aug 30, 2017)

Dmega said:


> I ended up buying some soy/alfafa meal fertizlizer for golfcourses from brettyoung.ca. Its npk is 7-2-4 $48 per bag tax included and delivered.


Dang that is spendy!

50lb bag of Alfalfa, SBM, and cracked corn is ~$14 around my parts.


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## Dmega (Aug 8, 2018)

zeus201 said:


> Dmega said:
> 
> 
> > I ended up buying some soy/alfafa meal fertizlizer for golfcourses from brettyoung.ca. Its npk is 7-2-4 $48 per bag tax included and delivered.
> ...


Yeah we get hosed


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