Why did they change it?

I got the New one more N it doesn't say Organic anymore, Joe are you getting tons of rain over in NJ??? ugh it's NON stop here last night Poured and so Humid I am at my wits end, going to put down Milo soon it's been a month almost

Very warm and humid today with rain expected later and the next few days....

I forget what I posted from the milorganite website about when to apply, but I think they said July 1st.

I would assume they're taking into account the new formula...

You can apply each month. Some say don't push nitrogen during the summer months and some say do it. If there is enough rain or irrigation I would say lay it down. Especially if disease is present.

I recall this talk of milorganite and iron awhile back. IIRC, nothing has changed but some legal issue. They had to lower the stated iron because of something or other, but the product itself was the same. Anyone else remember it that way?

If you have a fungus problem, be careful with the nitrogen. In my case I may or may not have necrotic ring spot. It looks like it but I haven't had it tested. This article

http://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/necrotic-ring-spot-of-kentucky-bluegrass-2-900/

says the following about nitrogen (it also says to mow KBG at 2.5 to 3.0 inches):

• Avoid applying excessive amounts of nitrogen fertilizer.
  Applications of more than 4 lb total nitrogen per 1000 square feet per
  year may enhance NRS. Timing of fertilizer applications is as important
  as the total amount applied. Follow CSU recommendations for fertilizing
  Kentucky bluegrass. Apply most of the nitrogen in the fall. Spring
  fertilizer applications, especially fast release formulations such as
  urea stimulate rapid turfgrass growth and favor NRS development.

  Consider the use of slow-release or programmed release formulations
  of nitrogen if spring fertilization is necessary to maintain turfgrass
  color. Alternatively apply slow release products in late fall. Late
  summer and fall fertilizer applications may help the grass recover from
  NRS more quickly. Do not apply more than 1 lb total nitrogen (fast
  release formulation such as urea) per 1000 sq feet at any given
  application date during the spring and summer. Following the late-season
  fertilization program helps reduce this and other lawn disease
  problems.

I'm not too happy with milorganite, minus the price. The older product was better and it could really bring out the dark green with out using an iron foliar or synthetic fertilizer.

This is from the Milorganite website and explains the content claims

https://www.milorganite.com/blog/milorganite/milorganite-iron

As stated the ability of the product green the grass has not changed with the 1.5% reduction in the guaranteed amount of iron.

Remember the guaranteed amount is not the actual amount of iron in the product, only that the iron will not be less than the stated 2.5%.

I don't agree with Milorganite's claim that reduced iron doesn't affect greenup. If you are like me with high pH, it does matter. I noticed this after 3 rounds of using the new packaging..it just doesn't green as well. Sadly, have gone back to PGR use and foliar iron to get back that dark green but I wish I didn't have to.

@mishmosh What is pgr? I was disappointed with milorganite this round. I look forward to fertilizing and we only get so many in a year. Oh well on to new things. I enjoy trying new and different products. My next fertilizer app will be Dr.Earth lawn fert. It has fish meal and other organic inputs. Also it has a nice blend of mycorrhizae fungi, much more than espoma lawn ferts.

Thanks I'll check around but I think im done with biosolids hahah. Milorganite comes from Wisconsin from Milwaukee. I wonder if the formula changes because of people's diets are changing. Too much beer and brats I guess. I would like to try Scott's Green Max that has 5% iron but i have been dedicated to organic inputs. I don't know too many organic products besides greensand.

@ ZT Lol This could be True, I find that the Milorganite is the exact same IMO I Just put another application last night and watered it in to activate it, but with all the rain lately didn't want to run the water much, don't mind my foot prints in the lawn the trouble with thick lawns it leaves footprints all the time :x

@Lisa Very nice, your grass looks amazing. Is that bluegrass? You had mentioned that you were dealing with a disease but by that picture it looks flawless.

Thank you! Yes nothing bad yet but a few spots! it's that deep blue green that I Love from Milorganite though

Sorry didn't answer your ? Yes it's KBG. Fescue and Rye It was Sodded in 2008 in October

While it did not say specifically in the article, the minimum assay for Milorganite changed as the city tried to make changes in their purification system to conform with the Environmental regulations on pertaining to water from plant discharge into the natural water of the country.

To meet those regulations it sounds like they have changed the chemistry they use in their purification systems.

Even if they had not made large changes to the chemistry, the chemistry is changed to make sure the system is discharging regulation water, regardless of how much or little there is coming into the plant. In the time of flooding, the chemistry will be different than it is in time of drought. As the incoming water changes, the chemicals need to meet regulation will change, so the assay of the byproduct, Milorganite, will also change.

At one time Nitrogen was highlighted in the discharge. How while nitrogen is still control, phosphorus has be come the environmental gremlin.

As

Ok Lisa is banned from complaining here because she has a perfect lawn.

It’s working great on my Fescue

Daniel, just to clarify the nitrogen comment really depends on your grass and your fungus. I have Bermuda with a hint of dollar spot. Both call for a lot of nitrogen.

I will have to see how much difference I notice with the milorganite. I would rather increase the amount than go with a synthetic. The synthetics are good to get Bermuda out of dormancy but they push a lot of growth. I just put some Milo down so we shall see how it works

Lol @ Joe, Nooooo Not perfect by NO means, It has some patches not bad yet, I said yet ( fingers crossed ) it just started raining here again, Ugh this week cooler temps 70s then Thur-Monday 80 and sun NO rain! so I put the Milo down perfect timing

@sherm. Agreed. I notice that when I use urea in the fall I get a nicer green than with organics. The after effect in the spring from winterizing also creates a nice color. Maybe it's just the time of year but I assume it is the inorganic N.

@Lisa: The digital grass is always greener on the other side of the computer screen!

Lmao Daniel what do you mean by that comment? Ha Ha I didn't enhance it by NO means, I can take a video for you of it if you'd like Ha Ha

@Lisa lol. No, I didn't mean you were doctoring photos. I've seen all the photos you've posted over time and your lawn is about perfect. I assume you are familiar with the old adage, "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence." The neighbor's lawn always looks nicer because you are looking across their lawn, which makes it seem thicker, rather than looking straight down on your own lawn, which typically makes it look thinner and not as nice. Of course for most of us lawn nuts, our lawns are nicer than the neighbors no matter how you look at it.

This reminds me of someone who posted a couple of years ago. I think they were in PA also. They had probably the most gorgeous green lawn I've ever seen. Even morpheus was raving about it. The problem is that I noticed a stop sign at a street corner in his pic. The color was boosted so much that the stop sign looked like neon. lol. So that does happen... just not in your case, Lisa!

"Hi, My name is Ted, and I have a LawnCare Addiction." (Everybody says 'Hi')

"Well it all started when I was checking out my neighborhood from satellite images on Google Earth. I noticed the lush, rich, deep luxurious emerald blue-green my lawn exhibited (compared to those slugs who live across the street! I mean, they don't even use a weed wacker!)

I've reported them several times to the Code Enforcement people, but they claim there's nothing they can do."

/sarc

Ted Lol too funny and Daniel Thank you I am out there constantly taking such good care of it, it should look decent for as much time and worry I put into it, I want a striping kit so bad, I bought the timer for the water till I install a watering system in Fall

My neighbors have awful lawns Lol FYI hahaha except one down the road

daniel said, I notice that when I use urea in the fall I get a nicer green than with
organics. The after effect in the spring from winterizing also creates
a nice color. Maybe it's just the time of year but I assume it is the
inorganic N.

Chemically, urea is organic. The pure urea fertilizers are not considered to be organic by the organic community simply because they are created out of inorganic natural gas instead of by organic mammal kidneys. Urea is different from the grain type fertilizers we talk about so often, but if you are not trying to certify your lawn as organic, you can call it what you want.

Lisa

"My neighbors have awful lawns Lol FYI hahaha except one down the road"

--------------

Aha! So you DID use GoogleEarth didn'tcha!! I knew you would, that's why I slyly brought it up and put a bug in your ear.

It is useful to see how things are coming along. Sometimes the images are fairly old, streetview at my digs reverts back to a horrible drought period several years back, it was bad. It's amazing how well a bluegrass lawn can recover from what appears to be a catastrophe.

Wanna see something funny? This image from Google Maps must have been taken in fall of 2013 when I had the irrigation put in. lol

You have an irrigation system? Jealous, getting one in the Fall, they didn't have to dig up all that did they?? I heard they can do it and hardly dig anything now

Nice House Btw Daniel

I really want an irrigation system! My yard is so weirdly shaped it would be a huge expense but it would be so much easier than moving the sprinkler around all day.

Some of the rain bird systems look pretty easy to install. I got sucked in a youtube worm hole about sprinklers and the rain bird system seemed very doable for most yards.

@ Z t, I bought a Timer and going to put two hoses out one on one side and one on the other side and have it go off at 4 am when it's ready to water and water it for a few hours and that's it, I used to water at 6 pm and finally realize that is not good

@ Lisa, thanks. When irrigation lines are installed they have a machine that digs a narrow trench and pushes the plastic tubing down into the trench all at the same time. It all goes very quickly. My back yard does not have irrigation and I agree that sprinklers are a huge PIA. We're planning on redesigning the back yard some day which will take out a good bit of lawn so I don't want irrigation back there for now.

@Lisa, also when you get your irrigation system installed you should use it with about the same frequency you change your photo. About once every week or two!

You should apply for a spokes model position at Scott's or milorganite or Bayer!

LMAO you got jokes haha

While I have a sprinkler system in the front (was already installed when we bought the house), I'm going to try and not use it this year if possible.

Couple of reasons:

1. It's real easy to freak out on a hot day and say "Oh I'll just water for 20 minutes"

2. I don't have a compressor to blow out the water from the pipes every November and the company that does it charges $100. That's insane. I need to buy a compressor.

3. One of the spickets is broken and shoots water all over the street.

@Joe: do you have a nail gun? I use my small compressor to blow out the lines. When they do it they have a much larger compressor but you really don't need to get the lines 100% clear. I've been doing it with a little Home Depot (6 gallon?) compressor for 4 or 5 years no with no problems.

If you are willing to rent a trencher, you can easily DIY your own in-ground sprinkler system. Becomes more doable if you only need a few zones. I think it would be somewhat difficult to pipe it to the house water but everything else is very doable. Parts aren't expensive and a fraction of what you'd pay someone to install it. Even if you have a sprinkler system, it behooves you to maintain it yourself. As mentioned above, $75-100 for a blow out every fall? $60 to replace a $10 rotor?

Heck, a sprinkler system makes a total renovation so much easier. Tired of sweating over dollar spot, dark green, etc. etc. every year? Newer cultivars are so much better than common varieties in performance and disease resistance.

Looking around for milorganite here in NNJ, most places are out of stock.

I probably won't fertilize again until late June/early July.

If I can't find any milo, does anyone have other brands to suggest?

@Joe BigBlue Try soybean meal from your local feed store. It really kicks things into gear or keeps it going. 15 lbs/ 1000 sq ft There's other brands too that are probably sold your local nurseries like Dr. Earth, Jonathan Green or Ringer.

Soybean meal is sometimes listed as 7-2-1 or 7-1-2 or 7-2-0 but in any case, is very comparable to the NPK of Milorganite except that Milorganite has a high fast-acting percentage now. SBM is also very spreadable. Only downsides are that it has no iron and it smells like BO after you apply it, it rains, and starts to decompose. Milorganite has the same issue but a different smell though.

Joe did you try Ferris Farms in East Brunswick? They have Oceangro.

I'll call them tomorrow thanks!

@mishmosh: I've been mulling over the idea of wiping out my existing KBG and trying something else. Can't believe I'm saying that. I redid a 1000 sf strip on the side of the house 3 years ago and I got KBG seed from a recommended sod farmer. Right now it is a nice dark green compared to the rest of my lawn. I'm going to transplant a patch from the side of the back yard to the center of the front yard in full sun and see how the color holds up. I'd also like to get something more resistant to disease. I can't get a straight answer on exactly what KBG cultivar I have right now.

@danielj_2009 What would you switch to? I have a very blended lawn and plan to overseed in the fall and was going to do kgb but there have been some fescues like Dakota and Montana Fescues that germinate fast and are comparable color wise to kgb. I have a spot where I reseeded just kgb last year and it's noticeably greener than the rest of my lawn, that's why I wanted to over seed with kgb. I don't like the fast it takes so long to germinate though.

Soybean meal does have soggy smell but it greens up the yard pretty fast. Ringer uses soybean meal I believe and they promote their product to green up the yard in 3 days. Soybean meal is much richer in protein's as well. When you have those amino acids and minerals in your soil working together it can help your turf fight against diseases. This is especially true if you have an enthusiastic community of beneficial microorganisms. Soybean meal is a better choice for those microbes than milorganite in my opinion.