# Rookie Question regarding Urea w/spreader



## Mpcatch7 (Sep 10, 2021)

Good morning, all! Rookie question - I need to put down .5lbs/1,000 of Urea this week. I have roughly 14,000 sq. ft. to cover, so how do I evenly spread only 7 lbs of urea over that area? Im guessing I just close the spreader to barely allow any to come out with each step? Thanks in advance!


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## Cdub5_ (Jun 12, 2019)

@Mpcatch7 To make things easier when spoon feeding urea you should buy yourself a hose end sprayer. Urea dissolves rather quickly in water and it makes it a whole lot easier spreading that amount of product.

I've used an Ortho hose end sprayer for years now ($12). Just don't cut off the filter like you see in Youtube videos!! I can't tell you how many times I've used that hose end sprayer not just for urea but it's useful in applying other products as well. A must have tool in my opinion.


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## JerseyGreens (Aug 30, 2019)

Mpcatch7 said:


> Good morning, all! Rookie question - I need to put down .5lbs/1,000 of Urea this week. I have roughly 14,000 sq. ft. to cover, so how do I evenly spread only 7 lbs of urea over that area? Im guessing I just close the spreader to barely allow any to come out with each step? Thanks in advance!


Buy yourself a handheld spreader. Put it on the lowest setting and just keeping walking back and forth until it's empty. Obviously making even passes. 7lbs probably won't fit in a handheld so do 3.5lbs of Urea at a time. Yes, you will get some steps in but that's the best way.

You can spray it if you want even coverage too.


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## Thejarrod (Aug 5, 2018)

I'm a first time urea user this year too. Here is my learning experience. 
https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=26830

Spreading granular is definitely a viable option. Just start slow and you will be fine.


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## Hawkeye_311 (Mar 8, 2021)

I just use Google Earth to section out my 11,000 sf into manageable areas. I just focus on one area at a time x-crossing until it runs out. Then back to the garage to weigh out the next area.


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## Kissfromnick (Mar 25, 2019)

Mpcatch7 said:


> Good morning, all! Rookie question - I need to put down .5lbs/1,000 of Urea this week. I have roughly 14,000 sq. ft. to cover, so how do I evenly spread only 7 lbs of urea over that area? Im guessing I just close the spreader to barely allow any to come out with each step? Thanks in advance!


What spreader do you have? Big box store spreader settings 3 lesco 7 with 3rd hole close


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## billa9b0ng (Sep 10, 2020)

I currently have my Scott's Elite set to 4 or 4.5. I started lower trying to do more passes but I ran into the issue with some of the larger prills getting stuck. I haven't had any issues at the higher setting.


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## Rucraz2 (Apr 8, 2018)

Just clarifying, you are dropping 0.5lbs of urea on your 14k. So that is actually .28lbs of N per 1000sqft or 1M. If you are going for the blitz like 0.5 (N) per 1m per week you need to drop 14lbs.


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## Harts (May 14, 2018)

Rucraz2 said:


> Just clarifying, you are dropping 0.5lbs of urea on your 14k. So that is actually .28lbs of N per 1000sqft or 1M. If you are going for the blitz like 0.5 (N) per 1m per week you need to drop 14lbs.


The N blitz calls for 0.25lb N per week or 0.5lb N every two weeks.

One can certainly drop 0.5lb N each week - I have been doing that for the last month.

However, this late in the season, I would stick to 0.25lb N as the plant's ability to take in available nitrogen diminishes the later you get in the season.

Late season dumps of nitrogen are becoming a thing of the past.


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## jackallis (Apr 15, 2019)

Harts said:


> Rucraz2 said:
> 
> 
> > Just clarifying, you are dropping 0.5lbs of urea on your 14k. So that is actually .28lbs of N per 1000sqft or 1M. If you are going for the blitz like 0.5 (N) per 1m per week you need to drop 14lbs.
> ...


so along this line, how strict is the 0.5" water requirment/ app of Urea? i did not realize how much water that was until i started collecting rain water to measure rainfall. 
that is lot of water/application.


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## Harts (May 14, 2018)

jackallis said:


> Harts said:
> 
> 
> > Rucraz2 said:
> ...


I believe Urea doesn't need quite that much to dissolve the prills and get the N into the soil.

HOWEVER, when it comes to best irrigation practices, you should be aiming for 0.5" of water twice a week for a total of 1") during the Spring and Fall and 3x per week total of 1.5") during the dog days of Summer.

Most people don't realize how little they water their lawns until they actually measure.


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## Mpcatch7 (Sep 10, 2021)

Harts said:


> Rucraz2 said:
> 
> 
> > Just clarifying, you are dropping 0.5lbs of urea on your 14k. So that is actually .28lbs of N per 1000sqft or 1M. If you are going for the blitz like 0.5 (N) per 1m per week you need to drop 14lbs.
> ...


I thought it calls for .5 lbs per 1,000 sq ft?


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## Rucraz2 (Apr 8, 2018)

That's why I was clarifying it. There's lbs of fertilizer then there's lbs of N or nitrogen. I was making sure he knew the difference.


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## Harts (May 14, 2018)

@Rucraz2, @Mpcatch7 The Fall N blitz calls for 1lb of nitrogen per rolling month. That breaks down to 0.25lb of nitrogen every week or 0.5lb of nitrogen every two weeks.

From the Fall N Blitz:

_*Nitrogen*
Around mid August (again for Indy), it is time to start dropping nitrogen. You need to apply 1 lb of nitrogen per 1000 sq ft (1 lb/k) per rolling month. _

@Mpcatch7 you posted that you were dropping 0.5lb of urea. This gives you 0.25lb of nitrogen. Was this your intention/understanding?


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## Rucraz2 (Apr 8, 2018)

I'm on the same page as you Hart's, I was basically trying to figure out his intentions and if he understood the difference. That's all.


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## Harts (May 14, 2018)

Rucraz2 said:


> I'm on the same page as you Hart's, I was basically trying to figure out his intentions and if he understood the difference. That's all.


 :thumbup:


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## Mpcatch7 (Sep 10, 2021)

Harts said:


> @Rucraz2, @Mpcatch7 The Fall N blitz calls for 1lb of nitrogen per rolling month. That breaks down to 0.25lb of nitrogen every week or 0.5lb of nitrogen every two weeks.
> 
> From the Fall N Blitz:
> 
> ...


Yes, I have 3 bags of urea now. I put some starter down about 2 weeks ago and then sprayed over it with liquid iron that has some nitrogen as well, so it came out to be about .5 lbs/1,000. But with urea, .5lb/1,000 of 14,000 lawn is 7 lbs every 2 weeks, correct?


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## Harts (May 14, 2018)

Mpcatch7 said:


> But with urea, .5lb/1,000 of 14,000 lawn is 7 lbs every 2 weeks, correct?


Let's make sure you are distinguishing what 0.5lbs means - 0.5lbs urea or 0.5lb nitrogen?

7lbs of Urea will only give you 0.25lbs of nitrogen. Again, you want to target 1lb of nitrogen per rolling month. Spreading this amount every 2 weeks will only net you 0.5lb of nitrogen per month.

Here is the math, depending on what you want to do:

0.25lbs of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet: you will need 0.5lbs of urea per 1,000 square feet or 7lbs total to cover 14,000 square feet. This can be done weekly.

0.5lbs of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet: you will need 1lb of urea per 1,000 square feet or 14lbs total to cover 14,000 sqaure feet. This can be done every two weeks.


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## Mpcatch7 (Sep 10, 2021)

Harts said:


> Mpcatch7 said:
> 
> 
> > But with urea, .5lb/1,000 of 14,000 lawn is 7 lbs every 2 weeks, correct?
> ...


Ahhh ok I thought the 46-0-0 meant it was pure nitrogen. So it's only 50% nitrogen per lb in the bag? So to avoid confusion, 14 lbs urea every two weeks. Got it. Thank you so much for the help!


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## Rucraz2 (Apr 8, 2018)

The first number in n-p-k is the percent of nitrogen in the bag. 46-0-0 means 46% of the bag weight is Nitrogen. So if you were going to get 1lb of nitrogen on the ground you need 2.17lbs of 46-0-0 per 1000sqft. Hence if doing the blitz. 14lbs of urea is giving 0.5 of nitrogen. Or 7lbs giving 0.25lbs of nitrogen. Easy way of calculating for any fertilizer is taking how much nitrogen you want to put down ÷ percentage x sq ft. So say I was using milo at 6-4-0. And I want to put down 1lb of nitrogen on my 40,000 sqft lawn
1 ÷ .06 x 40= 667 lbs of milo.


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## Mpcatch7 (Sep 10, 2021)

Rucraz2 said:


> The first number in n-p-k is the percent of nitrogen in the bag. 46-0-0 means 46% of the bag weight is Nitrogen. So if you were going to get 1lb of nitrogen on the ground you need 2.17lbs of 46-0-0 per 1000sqft. Hence if doing the blitz. 14lbs of urea is giving 0.5 of nitrogen. Or 7lbs giving 0.25lbs of nitrogen. Easy way of calculating for any fertilizer is taking how much nitrogen you want to put down ÷ percentage x sq ft. So say I was using milo at 6-4-0. And I want to put down 1lb of nitrogen on my 40,000 sqft lawn
> 1 ÷ .06 x 40= 667 lbs of milo.


Ahhhh, thanks for clearing that up. I though it the 46-0-0 was lbs of the nutrients. So it's percentage? Makes sense now. Thanks again for clarification!


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