Well you need to do a application rate analysis on a cost per 1000/ft2

With SBM it should be applied at a rate of 15 lbs/1000 ft2. 50 pounds covers 3.333 kft2 So the application cost is $18.50 / 3.333 = $5.55 / Kft2.

A good bag of 50 lbs 28 - 3 -10 cost roughly $26 and covers 14 Kft2. Application cost = $26 / 14 = $1.85 /Kft2

So to go organic in your case you will pay about a 300% premium.

Plus doesn't an organic system take a few growing seasons to take off? My dad has tried that before. Lots of money.

Can't afford to do right thing at this time. No job....looks like lesco here I come.

The cost of feeds used in organic fertilizers is shooting through the roof. The same feeds are used in dog and cat food so those prices are exploding, too. The reason, as I understand it, is that China has had a couple years of poorer than normal grain production. They are buying grain from anywhere. That demand drives up the cost here. The higher cost of fuel is increasing the cost even more.

I've been organic since 2002. People talk about it taking a year to take off, but from my experience and reading this and other forums, the improvements most people see are immediate - well, three weeks, but certainly not a year. The organic issue is much different if you are trying to do with compost what you should be doing with real fertilizer. Compost may never show you good results. It did not for me. Fertilizer worked right away, though.

On the other hand, the cost of natural gas going up this year will increase the cost of chemical fertilizers for next year.

Gasoline prices are high but Natural Gas is at it's lowest level in almost a decade. I'm not sure what that means in terms of fertilizer prices.

In this part of the country, the drought from last summer caused an increase in feed prices. I haven't even tried to buy cottonseed meal this year. I do a lot of driving in West Texas and most of the fields were plain dirt last season.

Any way you look at it, I've found organic fertilizers to be more expensive. I use organics for my 4000 sq ft back yard but I've stayed with chemical ferts on my 7500 sq ft front yard because of cost.

Planting clover out into the lawn is looking better and better isn't it....

Thanks

Haven't priced any grains this year, hope prices in my area haven't gone up that much. I have noticed that Milorganite seems to be getting cheaper so even though I've never used it that might be my go to this year. There is always cracked corn which has been cheaper than Soy and Alfalfa in my area the past few years.

It did take my yard a couple of years to take off with the organic approach. Even though I mulch mow I think the turning point for me was mulching all of my fall leaves back into the soil and letting it go regardless of how bad it looks in the winter.

I'm paying $15.50 per bag now for CSM.....not too much different than last year.....after 2 years of organic I have the best lawn I've ever had.......