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"Feed" Grade Urea

Posted: August 16th, 2019, 2:01 pm
by Cole
Is this the right stuff that I should be using? I went and picked up a bag from the local feed mill today. Price was what was expected (about $17 for 50lbs) and it came in the plain brown bag like expected. But the guy loaded it into my vehicle for me and I didn't look at the tag until I got home. Is feed grade the right stuff? I'm terrified to use this stuff haha.
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Re: "Feed" Grade Urea

Posted: August 16th, 2019, 2:26 pm
by TimmyG
I think my only concern would be whether the prill size of feed grade is large enough for spreading.

Re: "Feed" Grade Urea

Posted: August 16th, 2019, 2:40 pm
by turf_toes
Feedgrade is normally fine. It’s normally a little cheaper. As Tim suggests, I’d check the Prill size

Re: "Feed" Grade Urea

Posted: August 16th, 2019, 2:41 pm
by andy10917
Feed-Grade Urea is fine.

Believe it or not, there is "fertilizer grade", "feed grade" and (get this!) "food grade" urea. It's not surprising that you found feed-grade stuff. It's fed to cattle and other animals. "Food Grade" is edible by humans, and used for things like browning pretzels. Yeah, uhuh.

It's all 46-0-0, and fine. You'll learn quickly that it isn't tough to work with - I start people on 1 lb/K (0.5 lbs/K Nitrogen) because you have to make two mistakes in the same identical place a week apart to screw it up -- you'll outgrow pretty fast.

Re: "Feed" Grade Urea

Posted: August 16th, 2019, 3:10 pm
by Cole
Wow, thanks guys. I feel a little more comfortable now. Will it be ok to use this weekend? I put down a full app of milorganite down at bag rate about 2 weeks ago (Aug 6th). I've put milorganite and other synthetics down a week apart before, but urea is all new to me. Andy, I know you've mentioned that you generally put down milorganite about 2 weeks before urea in the fall, but if I remember right you said you do it at half rate as a gentle wake up.

Re: "Feed" Grade Urea

Posted: August 16th, 2019, 3:43 pm
by andy10917
I can't judged your MN climate. I like to hold-off on Urea until roughly Labor Day - I want to SEE the lawn wake up normally - without a kick in the face.

Re: "Feed" Grade Urea

Posted: August 16th, 2019, 3:51 pm
by HoosierLawnGnome
Mmmmmmmm urea...... almost as good as milo in your coffee.... or sprinkled on ice cream

Re: "Feed" Grade Urea

Posted: August 16th, 2019, 3:54 pm
by Cole
When you say wake up. What do you mean exactly? I dont let the lawn go dormant in the summer so it never really "fell asleep" if that's what you mean.

Re: "Feed" Grade Urea

Posted: August 16th, 2019, 4:08 pm
by andy10917
The process is fully described in the "Fall Nitrogen Regimens" thread.

Re: "Feed" Grade Urea

Posted: August 16th, 2019, 4:19 pm
by Cole
Ok thanks, well according to that I think my timing is right for here in MN. I was mainly wondering if its safe a couple weeks after an app of milo. I'm pretty sure that's safe too, but its nice to hear from people who have actually done it.

Re: "Feed" Grade Urea

Posted: August 16th, 2019, 5:31 pm
by ken-n-nancy
Cole wrote:
August 16th, 2019, 2:01 pm
... Is feed grade the right stuff?
andy10917 wrote:
August 16th, 2019, 2:41 pm
... there is "fertilizer grade", "feed grade" and (get this!) "food grade" urea.
Cole, just in case it wasn't completely clear from Andy's post, your "feed grade" urea is a potentially higher quality than if it were only labeled "fertilizer grade." You can kind of think of the different grades (fertilizer, feed, feed) as being kind of like class "C," class "B," and class "A."

If you had purchased fertilizer grade urea, then you should only put it on the lawn.

Since you got feed grade urea, you could also feed that to your cow if you would like.

In order to eat the urea yourself, you'll want the food grade stuff. So, you probably shouldn't eat the urea that you bought. ;)

As to the spreadability / prill size of the fertilizer, that's an independent dimension from the grade of fertilizer/feed/food. Smaller particles will enable more even distribution, so I tend to prefer for the fertilizer to be finer particles. (Although when it gets too fine -- like powdered lime -- applying it can be a real hassle and it can be very prone to clumping when wet.)

By the way, what I apply is generally feed grade, too.

Oh, and regarding the milo question, yes, by two weeks after the milo application, the quick-release component of the milorganite will be pretty much used up and it will be fine to apply the urea.

Re: "Feed" Grade Urea

Posted: August 16th, 2019, 6:46 pm
by Cole
Thanks Ken n Nancy, that helps clear up some things.

I was really hoping to use it in my cereal, but I guess I'll just have to get a cow for my left overs. Maybe a goat would work ;) I was considering getting one or two so I could stop mowing the hill in my backyard.

Thanks again

Re: "Feed" Grade Urea

Posted: August 16th, 2019, 7:54 pm
by ken-n-nancy
Cole wrote:
August 16th, 2019, 6:46 pm
Maybe a goat would work ;) I was considering getting one or two so I could stop mowing the hill in my backyard.
Ooh... That's a strategy I haven't heard others suggest here before -- getting farm animals to keep the grass short on hard-to-mow areas...

A goat would probably keep neighbors off the lawn, too...

Re: "Feed" Grade Urea

Posted: August 16th, 2019, 7:59 pm
by andy10917
And makes an excellent Goat Curry!

Re: "Feed" Grade Urea

Posted: August 17th, 2019, 2:38 pm
by bpgreen
andy10917 wrote:
August 16th, 2019, 2:41 pm
Feed-Grade Urea is fine.

Believe it or not, there is "fertilizer grade", "feed grade" and (get this!) "food grade" urea. It's not surprising that you found feed-grade stuff. It's fed to cattle and other animals. "Food Grade" is edible by humans, and used for things like browning pretzels. Yeah, uhuh.
You missed one. There's also cosmetic grade. It's used in things like lotions to help clear up eczema (I don't think the FDA allows that on the label, but it definitely works).