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First off, thanks to all who have posted information that has taught me about lawn care. This is the first year I've really attempted to improve my lawn. With everything I've learned from the people on this site, I think i'll see a drastic improvement. My question is about storing open bags of fertilizer. How do you guys store it? I was looking at other ways instead of just taping the bag shut. All inputs are greatly appreciated.

For all my fertilizers, herbicides, etc, I've been using 5-gallon buckets with gamma screw on lids to create an airtight seal....my wife didn't like the smell of chemicals and it instantly went away after storing like this. Plus they stack well/efficiently.

Can't take all the credit. DFW pilot inspired me with a photo of his similarly stored lawn Chems.


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Stand open bag upright. Hope it doesn't fall over. Tape? As if.

If you're storing an open bag of Milorganite, you're doing things wrong.

Timmy G, I'm looking for more organized looking storage ideas...I'm trying to keep my garage as neat as possible. I agree about the Milorganite...an open bag of Milorganite should be a contradiction in terms.

5gallon buckets with rubber sealed lids.

I don't store it, I use what I unseal(open). Fertilizer is highly hygroscopic(attracts and retains moisture) so it clumps up big time.

I use a 25 gallon brute trash can full of milorganite to use with my hand spreader for the weekly feedings of my short grass. No mess, smell and can keep the spreader in barrel too.


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HomeDepot buckets with rubber sealed lids; but I'm pedantic. Print the label so you don't forget what's in there and you're good to go. Stack away.

Yay, this was moved to it's own thread. Thanks, Mods! I didn't want to continue to contribute to the hijacking of the 2016 thread.

Alan wrote:I don't store it, I use what I unseal(open). Fertilizer is highly hygroscopic(attracts and retains moisture) so it clumps up big time.

+1...whenever possible, that is. But that's easy to say when you have a large lawn like I do. I'd rather apply a little heavy or a little light than be left with partial bags. It's not often that I have to leave half a bag. But when I do (typically only with garden fertilizers), I find that there's nothing more handy than the bag it came in, with a simple fold over of the top. Fortunately for me, I don't live in Houston like Alan does, so I don't find that any of my fertilizers clump up, even after many months being open. My partial bags occasionally make it to a shelf to reduce clutter but more often than not are perched atop my stacks of Milorganite and whatnot.

I went to the dollar store and bought 4 containers with lids and put my stuff in there and under my work bench

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Thanks for all replies, i appreciate it. DFW pilot, all i can say is, WOW...nice!

I also use 5 gallon buckets. I write in sharpie what I have in each and any other info I might need (lbs per sq ft, etc). I also keep another 5 gallon bucket filled with Milorganite to use on my shrubs and trees. The Milorganite I use on my lawn I stack in the corner of my shed.

dfw_pilot wrote:HomeDepot buckets with rubber sealed lids; but I'm pedantic. Print the label so you don't forget what's in there and you're good to go. Stack away.

Very nice! Did you print out those big labels somehow?

Yes, I downloaded the MSDS labels from the Lesco site, printed them, and taped them on. It's the only way I can keep them all straight!

dfw

[ Post made via the Home Depot parking lot ]

For my FAS ingredients, I use the HD buckets just so it doesn't spill out everywhere. For 50 lb bags I squeeze the air out, roll them up tightly, and place them on the bottom shelf in the shed. Just try to keep it as air tight as possible so it doesn't clump up. I've left stuff in the shed over the winter and it turns out just fine.

Not to hijack the thread, but how do you guys store larger quantities of unopened granular?

I have 1.5 acres to maintain and my closest Lesco is 1.75 hrs away. I like to buy in bulk (8-12 bags at a time).

Right now I just dropped it in my garage, but I'm tripping over it. I'd rather not bring it in my walk-out basement.

Safe to store it in the shed? Or underneath a deck for months at a time? Will the heat/ambient moisture affect it?

I recently switched to Lesco because Tractor Supply stuff was impossible to spread (wet and clumpy because they store it outside, in the open).

I store mine in a shed and close the bags with zip ties. I've put ceiling vents around the peeks of the roof to help with the heat.

Muscle rack/Edsal shelves from Lowe's should be heavy duty enough to hold lots of fertilizer bags.

I've had up to 15 bags on mine with no issues whatsoever. I feel confident it could hold more

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I once cut a standard pallet in ~half and put a couple cheap dollies underneath it. I stacked bags on it, and was able to roll it around/out of the way when I needed to.

I now use one of these stainless work tables from Sam's. I stack bags on the bottom shelf and use the top for other tasks.

I also have some Edsal shelves. They would work too. If I ever replace those though, it will be with something that has casters on the bottom so I can roll them around/clean behind them, etc.