Compost/Fertilizer spreader

[Ed Weber]

Forgive my ignorance but I need some help from you guys/girls.
I have a small property and garden and I'm looking for a spreader for fertilizer AND compost. Everything I've seen seems to do one or the other. Is there a spreader that can handle higher moisture content like compost and then convert or change is some way to accommodate dry pellet type fertilizer? I don't really care what style, although I think a drop style would work fine for my small area, I don't need to fling the stuff 20 feet.
Also let's pretend that I'm not made of money.
Thanks in advance.

 

[farmer2009]

Simple answer. No. It has to do with rates per acre. Find yourself a small ATV fertilizer spreader. And spread the compost by hand. It doesn't take that long to do small areas.

 

[Ed Weber]

I understand that the products are applied at different rates per acre. I was more concerned with the size/moisture difference between the two. I was trying to avoid spreading compost by hand over 7500 sq,ft. Thanks for taking the time to reply. I'll keep looking

 

[farmer2009]

I understand that the products are applied at different rates per acre. I was more concerned with the size/moisture difference between the two. I was trying to avoid spreading compost by hand over 7500 sq,ft. Thanks for taking the time to reply. I'll keep looking

Ok. Then you can get a manure spreader from TSC or some place like northern tool. What rate are you spreading compost? 3 ton/acre. If so then that's 1033 lbs for your 7500 sqft. What rates of fertilizer even 400lb/acre is only about 70 lbs.

I was trying not to explain the differences but guess I will. Fertilizer will flow out of a rotary spreader or drop spreader. Compost or manure won't. It has to be forced out by chains and then slung. To get a spreader with an opening large enough to handle the compost then the fertilizer runs out like water and you apply too much. There is a spreader made to spread lime and fertilizer or chicken litter and lime. But it only allows the change because of bed drive gearing. And is very expensive. We rent one sometimes and it will spread 30 feet wide holds 8 tons and needs 100hp and 15000lb tractor so the tail doesn't wag the dog. It's to big for 7500sqft. But put cow manure in it and you will shovel it out it won't flow out.

Hope this helps.

 

[Ed Weber]

While I appreciate your explanation, I don't see where this is a complicated issue. There are ground driven compost/manure drop spreaders available. I don't see why you can't simply have one with a gear and/or aperture change to handle finer/dryer product. This way I don't need to buy two implements only one.
Thanks again

 

[boomer1025]

While I appreciate your explanation, I don't see where this is a complicated issue. There are ground driven compost/manure drop spreaders available. I don't see why you can't simply have one with a gear and/or aperture change to handle finer/dryer product. This way I don't need to buy two implements only one.
Thanks again

.
Manure spreader would be the best option. You could spread compost and fertilizer at the same time by mixing them together.

 

[JimRB]

When people ask why, they start designing and making prototypes. Sounds like a business opportunity for you.

7500 sf is about the size of my front yard. That is about one bag of fertilizer in a rotary spreader and 15 minutes. It is about 10 pickup loads of composted horse manure and shavings if someone is trying to get a garden going. Some of my compost customers get just one or two full size pickup loads per year for their gardens.

 

[Quartz]

farmer2009 explained the reasoning and differences very well. If you don't like the answer, then why ask the question?

Buy what you think will work and see if it does what you want it to. Trial and error may be best.

 

[Ed Weber]

farmer2009 explained the reasoning and differences very well. If you don't like the answer, then why ask the question?

Buy what you think will work and see if it does what you want it to. Trial and error may be best.

It's not that I didn't like the answer, it's that my question wasn't answered.
Not to be rude or ungrateful for the replies but I was asking if there was a certain implement, not how or why to spread what.
If I want to add 2" of compost to my garden that's about 40 yrds of compost. I really don't want to buy a manure spreader (or spread it by hand) and then have to buy yet another spreader to fertilize. I just thought there might be a tool out there but apparently not based on your responses.
I guess JimRB is right, might be a business opportunity for such a thing.
Thanks again, I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I'll keep looking till I find it.

 

[farmer2009]

Ok. I thought I answered that in my first post.

Next thought buy a $20 shoulder spreader. It will do grass or fertilizer. Now buy a manure spreader for your 40 yds of compost. Or at that much have the dump truck backup into the center and dump it then spread with tractor or ATV and bucket or plow. Just don't try to raise tomatoes in that garden the first couple of years. There will be too much nitrogen in the compost and the tomatoes will rot before they ripen.