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kjackson227

(2,166 posts)
Wed Mar 7, 2012, 04:55 PM Mar 2012

Milorganite Fertilizer

Has anyone ever used this on their lawns? What were the results? Any complaints (outside of smell)? It has a very interesting history to say the least, so I bought a bag this afternoon and I'm anxious to use it.

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Milorganite Fertilizer (Original Post) kjackson227 Mar 2012 OP
I've used it before Joe Shlabotnik Mar 2012 #1
I used it last year in my garden to repel the deer. Denninmi Mar 2012 #2
It bothers me that there's no phosphorus in it... kjackson227 Mar 2012 #3
Well, that depends on what's already in your soil. Denninmi Mar 2012 #4
Okay, thanks. kjackson227 Mar 2012 #5
We use this all the time Worried senior Mar 2012 #6

Joe Shlabotnik

(5,604 posts)
1. I've used it before
Wed Mar 7, 2012, 07:07 PM
Mar 2012

Years ago I had a few landscaping customers that would request it. It works, but it's no where near as effective as chemical fertilizers. If I recall correctly it had to be applied at 6-8 times/season vs 3 or 4 times of the regular stuff, so it actually gets expensive. It breaks down fast. It's much lower in Nitrogen. It can make the ground feel kind of slimy after years of use. The pellet form stuff's smell is kind of funky, but actually dissipates quickly. Thats about all I remember.

Denninmi

(6,581 posts)
2. I used it last year in my garden to repel the deer.
Wed Mar 7, 2012, 10:06 PM
Mar 2012

It did work. It is rather smelly.

The vegetables seemed to like it.

And no, I'm not afraid of using it on food crops that are grown up above it, not in close contact -- tomatoes, corn, peppers, that sort of thing. I don't think I'd use it on salad greens, although the EPA has no restrictions on its use for food crops. Frankly, all of the deer poo that I had the prior summer in the garden, when the dumb things were out there grazing and staring at me from 20 feet away, bothered me more in terms of a contamination risk. At least Milorganite is sterilized.

kjackson227

(2,166 posts)
3. It bothers me that there's no phosphorus in it...
Thu Mar 8, 2012, 02:25 PM
Mar 2012

should that be a concern, also? I went ahead and bought a bag, and I'll be sure and read how often I have to apply it. If it gets too slimey or if I have to reapply too often, then I will have to try another brand.

Denninmi

(6,581 posts)
4. Well, that depends on what's already in your soil.
Thu Mar 8, 2012, 04:23 PM
Mar 2012

If you have a soil test done, it will tell you the phosphorus level, along with everything else.

My garden has been a garden for so many years, with yearly doses of fertilizer, that it was extremely high in available Phosphorous, so I don't have to add that for several years.

Nothing says you can't buy a separate phosphorous supplement and use it at the same time, like rock phosphate or bone meal.

Worried senior

(1,328 posts)
6. We use this all the time
Thu Mar 15, 2012, 03:15 PM
Mar 2012

it's great for grass and gardens. If you spill it does not burn the grass, it's also more reasonably priced. Don't want to use all those chemicals on my grass, where we live it doesn't matter if there are a few weeds. We have sandy soil so any green is good.

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