We call it the “Kitchen Sink” because our new Soil Mastery 5-0-0 granular bio-stimulant and soil amendment has it all. The Andersons sent me a catalog of all of their offerings asking if I wanted any custom blends and I pretty much just handed it back and said “yes.”
If you’ve been looking for a granular bio-stimulant for your poor soil, this is for you. It’s meant to be an add-on to your regular fertilizing regimen. It will condition your soil, add carbon and bio-stimulants, and improve the overall health of your soil over time. Because I included some N and Fe in it, you will also see a slight visual result a few days following an application.
Expensive? If you look at the sticker price it can for sure look that way but when compared to similar products being offered that have fewer elements included, are in smaller bags and come at a higher cost, I feel really good about the price point we were able to achieve here.
Read the entire description before you decide to purchase - I want you to know what all you are getting here and how and why to use it.
What’s In It?
Soil Mastery has several of The Andersons patented technologies all in one bag, perfectly blended and easily spreadable through DIY/homeowner spreaders. It’s also been formulated with The Andersons patented “DG” technology which stands for “dispersible granule.”
As soon as the prills come in contact with water they disperse into super tiny particles that get all the elements into the soil quickly. This is the closest you can get to a liquid while still having the ease of spreading a granular product.
In the bag are:
Humic Coated Urea - I wanted a whiff of nitrogen in the product to stimulate a bit of growth and color. It’s only 5% overall so it for sure won’t be pushing surges but it is enough, when coupled with the iron, to give you a slight visual result. When you apply at the suggested rate of 3lbs/1000 sq ft, you will get .15 lbs/N per 1,000 sq ft. This low N also means you can apply this product right after or right before your regular fertilizer apps. It will not interfere with fertilizer but instead will enhance it.
What’s cool is the Andersons developed a way to slowly release this N by coating it with humic acid. You’ve all heard me talking about humic acid now for a few years. It’s a proven bio-stimulant and carbon source that improves soil as well as nutrient uptake. The urea nitrogen in this product is hugged by a coating of humic which makes it slow release but also gives you the chelating benefits of humic on top of it.
Black Gypsum DG - next I had them include some of their patented Black Gypsum DG. This adds calcium and sulphur to the mix which are excellent soil conditioners. Gypsum also helps relieve compaction in the soil.
It’s not designed to change soil pH, rather, in this mix it is a great way to get calcium and sulfur plus some additional humic. It will also help reduce soil salinity when used over time.
BioChar DG - biochar is an excellent soil amending carbon source made from super heated coconut husk. Formulated in the DG (dispersible granule) proprietary technology, each piece of biochar in the bag has millions of molecular bonding sites that can hold water, nutrients, microbes and bacteria. Biochar is like a condominium for soil life and the nutrients that support them.
Sea Kelp - This is another one of the popular, proven bio-stimulants we love and I had this added in as some additional microbe food to stimulate growth and movement in the soil.
Iron - 2% of the mix is iron which is there just to give you a little punch of color working in tandem with the 5% nitrogen. This makes it a great summer product for all grass types.
Overall, the bag contains 24% carbon from the biochar and 9% humic acid plus 2% iron, 5.8% calcium, 4.3% sulfur and 5% nitrogen. It literally does have everything but the kitchen sink!
What’s It For?
If you think you have “terrible soil” then Soil Mastery is for you. It will add soil amending carbon materials and work to relieve compaction over time. The suggested application rate is 3lbs/1000 sq ft and you can apply this 4-5 times per year. If you want to go heavier with an application you can as it’s not going to “burn” anything but you’d be better off spooning it in over time.
The DG technology allows the granules to break down into very small particles quickly when hit with water so for sure, water this product in with at least ¼” or rainfall or irrigation.
On the back side, you will see a slight improvement in the lawn’s color without getting a flush of surge growth. That is the iron and nitrogen working together.
Keep in mind, this is a bio-stimulant and soil conditioner, not a macro fertilizer. It’s meant to be used in conjunction with, or in addition to, your regular fertilizing program. The bio-stimulants included will make your fertilizer work better.
How Much Does A Bag Cover?
Keeping with the suggested rate of 3lbs/1,000 sq ft, this 45lb bag will cover 15,000 sq ft. You can apply this 4-5 times per year in any season, including the heat of summer.
The retail price is $69.99 (includes shipping) which breaks down to a cost of $4.67 per 1,000 sq ft. If you have a 5,000 sq ft lawn, you will get 3 applications from one bag at a cost of only $23.33 per application. I always break this math down for you so you don’t get sticker shock. I stock 45lb bags because that is the most economical size when it comes to shipping.
If you look at other products containing biochar and humic (such as on Amazon) they are smaller bags, cost more and have fewer elements inside the bag. Soil Mastery truly is the most complete product of it's kind coming in $10-$15 cheaper than similar products.
Who Should Use Soil Mastery?
Over the last few years I have talked to many of you who really want to apply bio-stimulants to your lawn but you are not a fan of spraying liquids. In fact, many folks have flat out told me they are not going to use liquids at all and have asked me to find a granular bio-stimulant product for them. This is that.
If you are already using the very popular Bio-Stimulant pack from Greene County Fertilizer, then you do NOT need Soil Mastery. You are getting plenty of bio-stimulants and micronutrients from that pack.
However, if you are someone who much prefers granular then this product is for you.
I also know there are many of you who like adding bio-char to your soil and if that’s you, then this is once again, a great option. You can also use this in your garden to improve soil and yields.
We have a limited quantity of Soil Mastery in our warehouses right now but if the demand is there, I will get more in right away.
Thank you for supporting an American Small Business.
PRICE INCLUDES SHIPPING
Shipping: United States Only. Price includes shipping. Currently NOT shipping to: (CA,OR,AK,HI). For WA,ID an additional shipping charge of $9.95/ea will be applied. Also, we can not ship to PO Boxes
Typically delivered in 4-7 business days.