I work with lawn care companies and property management groups, small and large, responsible for taking care of their client’s valuable outdoor assets. Some share the same passion for growing grass as I do. We belong to the same Order of Turf Nerds United. We know the secret handshake that separates us from, well…. normal people.
So, when I see their eyes light up as I explain how a specific product works and how it perfectly fits into their maintenance programs, I can’t help but give in to the temptation to share them with the rest of you. Here are some of my favorite Reinders lawn care products that I know will pique your interest.
Note: Pay no attention to the retail pricing you see as you click on the shared hyperlinks. By creating a webstore account, your wholesale pricing will appear. Your Reinders sale rep can offer assistance, too.
Fertilizers
Reinders 15-0-0 w/ 50% RxN, 30% Ammonium Sulfate + .10% Dimension
Let’s face it, fertilizers + crabgrass control options are a dime a dozen. Your choices seem endless, and it’s tempting to think they’re all alike. Our 15-0-0 Dimension is different. It’s loaded with a full rate of one of the best pre-emergent herbicides on the market. Not only does Dimension provide season-long crabgrass control during most Midwest summers, but you’ll also get the added benefit of post-emergent crabgrass control up to and including the 3-leaf tiller stage. The crème de la crème is the 30% ammonium sulfate. It provides the added benefit of great cool-weather color response, which is always a welcomed result during sluggish spring weather.
Award 35-0-10 95% Duration 120
One of your largest business expenses is labor. If I told you there was a way to cut your labor expense or, even better, redirect it toward added services that could make you more money, would I get your attention? That’s what our 35-0-10 can do. This Spread-It-Forget-It fertilizer contains 95% Duration 120 polymer-coated urea. That means it provides 120 days (that’s four months!) of slow, dependable, and predictable nitrogen release. No catastrophic release of nitrogen. No growth surges, excess clipping production, and trying to keep up with mowing. It won’t volatilize into the air like most ureas, and all the rain and irrigation water you throw at it won’t leach it through the soil. Not even sandy soils. It’s not going anywhere except directly into those grassroots.
Nitrogen is released as soil temperatures warm-up, so you’re feeding the grass when it needs it the most. One application from mid-May to early June will give you a season-long release, all the way into September. No need to return in 8 or 10 weeks for another fertilizer application. Fewer bags to handle, less labor cost, less wear and tear on equipment, and you’re burning less fuel. What’s not to like about that?
Replace that second round fertilizer application with another service, like a grub control application, core aeration, overseeding, a gypsum application, etc.
Andersons 22-0-4 50% HCU, 43% Black Gypsum DG
This is, without a doubt, my favorite fertilizer of all-time. Here’s why:
The Andersons 22-0-4 contains NO filler in the bag. Maybe you didn’t realize it, but virtually all granular fertilizers, regardless of the analysis or where you buy it, contain 50% or more filler in the form of limestone or other inert carriers. Think about it. If, for example, your ‘go-to’ fertilizer is 32-0-10 w/ 2% Fe, that means 44% of what’s in the bag is nutrient. This is what you’re paying for. Do you ever wonder what occupies the other 56%? Yep, that’s right. Half the material in the bag is pretty much crushed-up rocks.
Not so with the 22-0-4! Instead of using limestone as the ‘filler’, The Andersons uses Black Gypsum DG. The DG stands for Dispersible Granule. That means when it’s watered in or when it rains, it “melts” into the soil, exactly where it needs to be. Black Gypsum is a combination of humic acid and gypsum. Both are extremely valuable soil amendments that enhance the uptake of nutrients (both the nutrients your applying and those locked up in the soil), add calcium to improve stress tolerance and soil structure over time, and, maybe most importantly, feed beneficial organisms in the soil that are so important to drive soil health. Healthy soil. Healthy grass.
Another bonus, the slow-release nitrogen source is humic-coated urea. Like stabilized N and sulfur-coated ureas, HCU will provide up to 8 weeks of nitrogen release.
This is, without a doubt, the best lawn fertilizer value on the market. When you pay for 50 pounds of fertilizer, wouldn’t it be nice to actually get 50 pounds of goodness in the bag?
Anderson 16-0-2 Organic
This is a brand-new product that we don’t even have yet, but it’s making my list. It’s that good. Production will be ramping up shortly & the product should be available for purchase later this season. The Andersons added this product to its portfolio just for us. We asked for it. Here’s why:
This is a perfect concoction of stabilized nitrogen, ammonium sulfate, and 50% Innova, an OMRI Listed organic nitrogen source derived from soybean meal. It provides all the benefits of a natural organic fertilizer coupled with the immediate color response of stabilized urea and ammonium sulfate. Ammonium sulfate can provide added plant health protection, too. Have you wanted to offer a natural organic-based fertilizer to your clients but can’t get over the higher cost hurdle? This is the scratch to that itch.
Award 0-0-7, SOP, .067% Acelepryn
Remember that added service we talked about earlier? This is the perfect one! Apply this preventative grub control sometime in June, and your clients are covered. Acelepryn is pollinator-friendly and will keep the lawns under your watch free from grub activity and the irreparable damage they cause. 15-0-5 w/ Acelepryn is also available if you would like to apply quality nitrogen fertilizer at the same time.
Herbicides and Control Products
Corteva Dimension + Defendor Pack
This is another labor-saving product! Why spray your crabgrass preventer in early spring only to come back a month later to spray again for broadleaf weeds? Why not spray them both at once? Defendor is a unique broadleaf herbicide designed to go down earlier than others. Couple this with the time-tested results of Dimension, and you have the perfect combo of annual grassy weed and broadleaf control and the added benefit of applying them both at the same time. Genius! One Pack covers 32 acres, so it’s also very cost-effective. As a bonus, by following the labeled rate, you’re putting down a healthy rate of Dimension that reduces the likelihood of crabgrass break-through during the hot, summer months.
T-Zone SE is my #1 broadleaf herbicide choice. It’s a highly effective, preformulated homogenous concoction of 2,4-D, dicamba, sulfentrazone, and triclopyr, the gold standard of broadleaf active ingredients. No one formulates herbicides better than PBI Gordon. They can squeeze every erg of efficacy out of a herbicide molecule. A single application of T-Zone SE will take out even the toughest weeds, like creeping charlie, white clover, plantain, and wild violet. If you listen closely, you can hear them scream as they wither under the weight of this premium-grade herbicide. T-Zone SE is a low-volatile ester that can be applied from April to November. It contains 7.72% triclopyr. That’s 2X more than competing combination products. Dare I say, using T-Zone will reduce your need for follow-up spot treatments later in the season?
Lawn diseases don’t show up very often, but when they do, it’s nice to have a proven option in your arsenal. Headway G, the granular version of a popular golf course fungicide, is also labeled for residential use. It is a combination fungicide containing both propiconazole (compare to Banner Maxx) and azoxystrobin (compare to Heritage). A solid one-two punch for preventative control of most common lawn diseases like dollar spot, patch diseases, and snow mold. It’s best to apply when weather conditions favor disease activity. This is another add-on service you can offer your clients.
Grass Seed
Deluxe 50 is the Swiss Army Knife of grass seed mixtures. It does well in full sun and light shade. It does excellent in lower maintenance lawns and commercial properties but will also respond well under higher maintenance. It takes its fair share of traffic, too. A great choice for snowplow damage in the spring and thickening thin turf stands throughout the year.
You will not find a better, higher-performing shade mix anywhere. You may pay a little more for it, but nothing stands up better in heavy shade. It contains 70% fine fescue (what makes shade mixtures shade-tolerant). Even the bluegrass in our Shade Mix is shade tolerant. And don’t limit its use to just shade. It is a great low-maintenance seed mix for use in full-sun, too!
Bonus!!!
Okay, I said I’d share 10 of my favorite Reinders products. I’m giving you a couple of bonus offerings only because I bet these two items seldom pop up on your radar.
A soil probe will set you back around $60, but it’ll be the most valuable tool in your turf management toolbox. Use it to check compaction levels, thatch thickness, and soil moisture. Even if you don’t stick it in the ground, it serves as a great prop. You’ll look pretty cool walking around a property with this shiny instrument in hand. It can also be used to pull soil samples, which brings me to my final bonus offering.
Soil Testing
How do you know what a lawn needs unless you test it? A soil test will cost you around $20, and the benefits are many. A good soil lab, like the ones we work with, will provide all sorts of useful data, like soil pH, nutrient deficiencies (macro & micro), cation exchange capacity, soluble salt levels, and essential fertilizer and amendment recommendations based on the test results.
Soil testing is another service you can offer your clients that provide added value and help support the other services you provide. It can also help identify specific plant health and visual imperfections that your clients notice. Offering soil testing instills a level of professionalism in the eyes of your client, distinguishing you from, well….. normal people.
Joe Churchill
Joe works with sports turf managers at all levels, including K12 schools, colleges, universities, municipalities, and professional ball clubs in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. He is an active member of the Minnesota Turf & Grounds Foundation, the Minnesota Parks & Sports Turf Managers Association, the Minnesota Association of School Maintenance Supervisors, and the Sports Turf Managers Association, where he serves on the STMA Editorial Committee and is a member of the STMA Best Management Practices Task Committee. He is a 40-year Green Industry veteran and has worked for Reinders for 11 years.
