A lush, healthy, vibrant green lawn is something that we all appreciate and want for ourselves. So how do you achieve this?
Well, one of the most important parts of lawn maintenance is supplying nutrients through fertilizers, manure, or compost. But did you know that there’s a neat tool that will help to do just that?
If you’ve never heard of one, you’ll be thrilled to learn about compost spreaders! These garden tools make keeping your lawn green and orderly easy.
Whether you’re looking for a small, compact tool to fertilize your humble front lawn or trying to make it easier to cover a large area with compost, there’ll always be a type of spreader that gets the job done!
Below, I’ve gathered the best compost spreaders on the market today, and I am confident that you will find the best product that suits your every need in the list below! So let’s get into it.
Table of Contents
What Is A Compost Spreader?
Traditional methods involve walking around your garden with a big bag of compost or fertilizer and sprinkling the product onto your lawn by hand.
But even for a small lawn, this method can take a long time. Luckily, people have invented an easy way to speed up this process.
Compost spreaders are handy-dandy tools that you can use to evenly disperse compost or manure to all kinds of different terrains, such as lawns, flower beds, and crop fields. No more carrying heavy bags of compost and spending hours trying to fertilize your grass!
These spreaders come in various shapes, sizes, and mechanisms. But we’ll talk more about that later!
Do You Need A Compost Spreader?
While a compost spreader is not necessarily an obligation, it can be a valuable addition to your gardening collection. Spreaders are the perfect tool to add nutrition to your soil easily; as we all know, healthy soil equals healthy grass.
A compost or manure spreader will reduce the effort and time spent adding fertilizer or compost to your lawn.
It will also help to ensure that your product is evenly spread across your lawn, so you needn’t worry about decaying brown spots from lack of nutrients or adding too much compost to a new lawn.
Manual compost spreaders are the best way to make gardening chores less daunting and more efficient, especially for those with large lawns.
Can I Spread Peat Moss With A Compost Spreader?
Yes! Garden spreaders can be used for various materials and purposes. They are usually advertised as compost spreaders, but they are far more versatile than many people think.
A few materials that can be dispersed with compost spreaders include:
- Compost
- Manure
- Chemical fertilizers
- Peat moss
- Topsoil
- Vegetable or grass seeds
- Melting salts
Different Types of Compost Spreaders
Compost spreaders come in various styles, so regardless of your specific lawn, you’ll be able to find a perfect product. Each type has several benefits and downsides, which I will cover below.
Broadcast Spreaders
These spreaders consist of a hopper and a spinning component, which distributes granules (or compost) in every direction in a consistent spread pattern. They are very easy to operate and most suitable for covering large areas in less time.
Pros and Cons of Broadcast Spreaders
Something unique to this type of spreader is that the faster you walk, the faster it will broadcast the product. So, if you’re in a hurry, your broadcast lawn spreader will keep up with you!
Another great bonus of broadcast compost spreaders is that they make it easy to cover your entire lawn quickly, as they can reach much further than other types of spreaders.
However, it’s hard to have full control over your coverage when using broadcast spreaders. You might find much material dispersed to areas you didn’t want it to go, especially if you’re working with a smaller area.
Drop Spreaders
The main difference between a broadcast and a drop spreader is that instead of spewing the fertilizer in every direction, drop spreaders simply drop it to the ground, meaning you only cover the area directly below the spreader.
Pros and Cons of Drop Spreaders
My favorite aspect of drop spreaders is that they make it incredibly easy to control where you distribute your product directly.
People might prefer drop spreaders because they allow for more accurate distribution and minimize product waste since you can pinpoint where you distribute.
Drop spreaders are more suitable for small to medium-sized lawns but less favorable for heavy use and bigger gardens.
Rotary Spreaders
Often mistaken for a lawn mower, this manure spreader is popular among homeowners due to its convenience and easy usage, although larger models for farmsteading are also available.
These spreaders distribute compost or fertilizer, allowing the granules to fall through a metal mesh from a spinning tube.
Pros and Cons of Rotary Spreaders
Due to the mesh-lined basket, your compost will be “sieved” to an even consistency. This makes this product a good fit if you work with clumpy materials like natural compost or manure.
Rotary spreaders are also very easy and accessible for beginner gardeners. They allow for easy loading, have a lightweight design, and do not feature fancy components that might break or need to be replaced.
However, rotary spreaders might be less suitable for large areas and uneven terrain. These spreaders do not feature wheels, making them less ergonomic than other types of spreaders.
Handheld Spreaders
Handheld spreaders are the smallest compost or manure spreader option. As their name suggests, you hold this tool as you walk around and spread the product around your lawn or garden. You operate this spreader with a manual crank, which drops fertilizer evenly when you pull it.
Pros and Cons of Handheld Spreaders
Hand-held broadcast spreaders are a great choice if you only want to cover a smaller area or a certain spot in your garden, but they may be less suitable for larger spaces because covering an acre of land with a small tool will take a lot of time to complete.
Large-Scale Compost Spreaders
This category of spreaders is commonly used in large-scale farming and other big spaces, such as equine centers and football fields.
You’ll find rear-discharge or side-discharge spreaders (to broadcast and spread), which can be equipped with horizontal or vertical beaters (to break up natural materials like compost or manure).
Because these spreaders are unsuitable for at-home use and small lawns, I won’t cover them in much detail.
How To Pick The Best Compost Spreader for Your Lawn
With so many types of lawn compost spreaders, deciding the best choice for your lawn might be hard. For the best results and to avoid buyer’s remorse, you must do some calculations to determine the most suitable product for your situation!
Below are the most important considerations to keep in mind when shopping for compost spreaders!
Size Of Your Lawn
Do you need to fertilize a small patch of grass near your driveway, a smaller lawn, or a larger area? Certain compost spreaders will be more suitable for different coverage sizes, so examining how many square feet you need to cover is important because you do not want to spend hours running around your 500-square-foot lawn with a tiny lawn spreader.
Your Available Budget
Compost spreaders come in many price ranges. Although higher-end options will have more favorable features, many budget spreaders will do the job without issues.
However, it is important to remember that you will pay more for high-quality, durable products, which may yield better results, which is something to consider.
Materials You’ll Be Working With
Compost spreaders can be used for many purposes, but not every spreader suits all kinds of products.
Certain spreaders will have difficulty distributing large clumpy material like natural compost or manure, while others have a built-in sieve, allowing even distribution regardless of product consistency.
If you only want to apply a layer of topsoil, then a specific peat moss roller can do the job. However, a multi-purpose spreader will be the best option if you want to use your spreader to function as a compost, salt, and grass seed spreader all at once.
The Type of Grass You Have
Did you know that each type of grass has specific needs? Cool-season grass, for example, requires more fertilization than warm-season varieties. So, depending on your type of grass, you might need to use your spreader more often.
In that case, choosing a sturdy, durable spreader that can handle long runs and intensive use would be a good idea.
Ease of Use
Sometimes, simpler is better, and other times, it is not. If you’re an experienced gardener and know your way around garden tools, it might be worth investing in a more complex product.
However, beginner gardeners are usually better off opting for a simple, no-frills spreader to avoid confusion and frustration.
Our Top 10 Picks of Compost Spreaders in 2023
1. Walensee 24 inch Compost Spreader
For me, the Walensee 24 inch Compost Spreader is the best compost spreader on the market today. It features a 24-inch wide spinner and a strong T-shaped handle that is comfortable and easy to use. It has a lightweight design, so you won’t have to break a sweat trying to push it around your lawn.
Due to the metal mesh basket feature, you can use this spreader with all materials; the mesh will simply filter large chunks to allow for uniform product distribution. The basket has a capacity of 2.7 cubic feet, making it easy to cover large areas in a short period of time.
2. Landzie Lawn & Garden Spreader
This Landzie Lawn & Garden Spreader will help you save time, money, and energy when working on your lawn and garden. Landzie spreaders come in multiple sizes, from 24 up to 44 inches, and the 24-inch version can cover up to 300 square feet in a single pass!
The easily accessible mesh basket has innovative side latches for easy refills, and the ergonomic handle design makes this a comfortable product for heavy use.
3. SIMPO Peat Moss Spreader
Are you looking for a lightweight but heavy-duty spreader that will easily get the job done? Well, look no further. The Simpo Peat Moss lawn spreader is versatile, strong, and easy to use.
The larger-sized drum of 36 inches can hold a great amount of compost and easily attaches to lawn tractors if you need to cover a wide area.
This SIMPO Spreader is made from powder-coated steel, which will withstand rust and corrosion and last you a lifetime.
4. Wefrib 24 inch Compost Spreader
This Wefrib 24 inch Compost Spreader is a simple, no-frills compost spreader that’s going to make fertilizing your lawn a piece of cake. It has quick release hitch pin clips and large opening slits to make loading compost pellets in the product fast and easy.
The Wefrib compost spreader works great on uneven surfaces or slopes, and you can use it with any kind of product because the mesh basket will ensure that everything is evenly distributed.
One of the key features of this spreader is the adjustable pole with an upgrade t-shaped handle, which makes the product accessible to people of all heights. Plus, it allows for easy storage as you can simply shorten the pole so it takes up less space.
5. Gardena Spreader XL
This Gardena Broadcast Spreader is one of the best products to cover larger areas with fertilizers, compost, peat moss, or even road salt in winter.
It can reach up to 6 meters depending on how fast you walk, making this spreader suitable for lawns up to 800 square meters (8800+ square feet!).
6. Scotts Whirl Hand-Powered Spreader
This Scotts Whirl Hand-Powered Spreader is a small yet effective handheld spreader, making it a good option if you need to fertilize a small patch of your lawn with a certain plant or if you need to apply herbicides for weed control.
Weighing only 1.5 lbs, this product sits comfortably in your hand, making spreading compost in a small garden easy.
7. Earthway 2150 Broadcast Spreader
If you’re looking for a heavy-duty compost spreader that won’t take up all the space in your garden shed, Earthway 2150 Broadcast Spreader is the one for you.
With a 50-pound capacity and fully adjustable spreading speed and distance, the Earthway 2150 is a unique product that is simple to use and incredibly effective!
This product features air-filled tires, adjustable handle length, and a strong steel construction. Needless to say, this Spreader will give you an enjoyable experience and a lovely, healthy lawn!
8. Miracle-Gro Lawn Seed Drop Spreader
Miracle-Gro Lawn Seed Drop Spreader is very easy to use and requires almost no preparations to set up.
Simply fill the bin with compost, seed, peat moss, or whatever you use this versatile spreader for, adjust the setting to the right one, and get to walking! The hard plastic wheels make it easy to handle this lightweight spreader.
Because this is a drop spreader, you won’t risk sprinkling expensive fertilizer everywhere and wasting half of it. This system will drop the product right where you want it to be!
9. Agri-Fab Tow Behind Broadcast Spreader
If you own a large garden and the thought of pushing and pulling heavy handheld spreaders around your lawn makes you lose your nerve, you’ll be happy to find this Agri-Fab Tow Behind Broadcast Compost Spreader.
With a coverage of ½ acre and up to 10ft of spreading width, this Broadcast Spreader has the largest capacity of the spreaders on this list, making it a great choice for large-scale gardeners.
It comes with a universally fitting attachment that makes it easy to set it up with your tractor and get to spreading!
Made from high-quality materials, the Agri-Fab is the perfect choice for incentive lawn care, and the heavy duty pneumatic tires make this spreader suitable for any terrain!
10. SOLO Inc. Chest Mounted Spreader
This SOLO Inc. Chest Mounted Spreader can hold up to 20 lbs of compost. If you’re worried that you’re not strong enough to drag 20lbs around the garden all day, don’t worry.
This spreader has straps that make it easy to apply to your chest, so you won’t have to carry all the weight in your hands.
You control the distribution of your product with a hand lever, allowing targeted and even spreading of compost, fertilizer, seeds, or peat moss!
Credits:
Photo: Jon Rehg via Canva.com
Photo: Macniak via Canva.com
Photo: Robin Gentry via Canva.com
Photo: Welcomia via Canva.com