Natural Green Lawn

I have been using Milorganite for several years now for my own lawn, and also for customer properties and I can tell you that it works well and brings great results.

Milorganite is pretty much processed sewer sludge. Yeah, it’s human poop… a bio-solid organic fertilizer. Some of you won’t like that… but when you get it in the bag, it is just dark gray granulars with a slight musky scent – no worse than any other garden odor.

So let’s get away from what Milorganite “is” and get to what Milorganite “does” – cuz that is what really matters.

Milorganite Contains Nitrogen

Nitrogen is the primary element that supports healthy turf growth and color. If you want a “green lawn,” then nitrogen is your friend. The good news with Milorgnite is that it won’t over-push the to growth of the grass. What I mean is that too much nitrogen will actually make your lawn grow too fast and cause it to thin out over time. I usually see this happen when synthetic fertilizers are used on a lawn in excess of labeling recommendations.

however, with Milorganite, you don’t run the risk of applying too much nitrogen, and in turn, there is no chance of burning the lawn either.

Milorganite Contains Iron Too

Iron is a micro-nutrient that directly supports plant photosynthesis. As you will recall from your high school science class, photosynthesis is the process whereby plants (including grass!) make their own food. The food the plants make (sugars) go to making more and more leaves and roots and so on.

Iron is important, but it has to be in a state that it can be utilized. Oftentimes iron gets bound up in soil and is useless to grass plants. however, the iron in Milorganite is “chelated” which basically means it is immediately available to the plant. Bonus!

Of course, for me and you, we want iron in our lawns because it makes the grass a nice deep-blue-green color that will set us apart!

So if you are looking for a top notch natural fertilizer product that will produce excellent results, I HIGHLY recommend Milorganite. I use it on my lawn, and just love the results.

It’s August right now, and many of ya’ll are starting to tire of the whole lawn care season aren’t ya? Yep, you’d rather be doing other things rather than fertilizing your lawn, but I assure you, summer lawn fertilization is very important! Even if you are not all about “natural lawn care” and everything like I am, I want you to read and heed what I am saying here because it all works out in the end. A thick, healthy green lawn is what we want, and summer fertilization is an important part of that. (get my step-by-step fertilizing guide here)

Best Summer Lawn Fertilizer

Since it is hot and dry this time of year, I want you guys to consider using an organic lawn fertilizer. The reason for this is the natural slow release that organics give. You see, organic and natural lawn fertilizers break down and release their nutrients from heat, not water. This is why you have to water in most of the synthetic fert you get at the store, whereas organics just need time… slow time… slow release! THAT is why they work well and they won’t burn the lawn or push an over-abundance or growth.

I have two preferences for summer lawn fertilizers: Milorganite and Ringer Lawn Restore. Let’s talk about each one for a bit.

Milorganite Organic Fertilizer For Lawns

Milorganite should be used (in my opinion) at the end of May as your early summer boost fertilizer. It is basically sewage from Milwaukee that has been combined with iron and packaged for lawns! Gross I know, but by the time you get it, just little charcoal colored pellets remain. It is very slow release and contains iron and nitrogen in quantities that will give your lawn a sustained feeding during the transition from spring to summer.

You need to follow the directions on the label, which at the time I am writing this, call for 15lbs of Milorganite per 1,000 square feet of lawn space. Guys, that is gonna feel like you are shoveling it on, but trust me, it will be just fine. Milorganite will not burn your grass and you have to apply a lot in order to get the long-term sustained slow release we are looking for. A related article on lawn iron will help you understand why I like this fertilizer for early summer so much.

See a picture of my lawn below taken August 4 just after we had sustained temps in the mid-90s here in Indiana. Color stayed really nice.

Ringer Lawn Restore Organic Fertilizer

My second choice for a summer natural fertilizer is Ringer Lawn Restore. I recommend you apply this one in mid-August just to help push your lawn through later summer pressures and get you firmly into the fall lawn season. Ringer is lots of chicken poop and parts and all that… YUCK! … and it smells, but I tell you what guys, the results it brings are awesome.

Ringer works well because it contains nitrogen and potassium which are very essential elements when it comes to the turf’s ability to sustain summer heat, lack of water and insect stress.  You don’t need quite as much Ringer Lawn Restore to get good results; bout 10lbs of product applied to each 1,000 sq feet of lawn area. It will seem like a lot still, but have no fear!

If you use these two fertilizers on your lawn this summer and apply them properly, you will have nice results that will help your lawn look good during the hottest months. Of course, I must stress the importance of proper lawn watering and proper lawn mowing during the entire year, but especially when it is hot outside!

Good luck lawn care lovers… your questions are welcome below in the comment section: