[zinger565]

Milo is a biosolid. The soil microbes will "release the nutrients" and then the lawn uses them. Organic sources, (corn, corn meal, alfalfa, milk, banana peels, tree leaves, wood, etc) will also breakdown but they are feeding the soil. Earthworms, roly polies, snails and other decomposers get to eat. They in turn improve your soil structure and release nutrients to the plants. If you just want to provide nitrogen to your lawn, then ignore the organics; synthetics are cheaper.

Thanks for the great response and awesome video! I'm definitely on team soil.

 

[SNOWBOB11]

@Lawnmower_Man look at the same TSC store that has the cracked corn for the alfalfa pellets. I'm going to get this one https://www.tscstores.com/25KG-ROLLING-ACRES-COMPLETE-HORSE-RATION-P1767.aspx Actually I ordered a couple bags of this https://www.pricelessproducts.com/item.php?ID=85&n=Alfalfa-5-1-5-w-Kelp-Meal but it's more expensive and I am probably going to be mainly using the stuff from TSC. I just wanted to try the alfalfa with kelp one first. It has ground up pellets so they can go through the spreader. I'm concerned that it might be too powdery but I wanted to give it a try anyways. If I was you I'd just get the one from TSC when I got my cracked corn.

Keep in mind it will take a while before you notice the effects of the grains as has been said in this thread already. Also I definitely wouldn't give up on synthetic fertilizer all together. You will need to give the lawn synthetic N especially in the fall to see better results.

Nice! Thanks for the link. Gonna buy this cracked corn and horse feed (alfalfa) and spread it across my lawn.

I assume 25kg (corn) + 25Kg (alfalfa) should give me two applications on a 2500 sq ft lawn?

Also, you mention the synthetic fertilizer still being useful in fall... which is interesting.

Ideally, what would be your recommendation for me to apply to my lawn throughout the season?

Would it be reasonable to apply the following:

early May: 25kg corn+alfalfa blend
mid-June: 25kg corn+alfalfa blend
early August: 25kg corn+alfalfa blend
mid-August: topsoil dressing with KBG seeds
late Sept: synthetic fertilizer

Just trying to build the best possible feed schedule for my lawn. It looks great right now. Would be devastated to see it go south.

That sounds like a decent plan but there are a couple things I might change if it was me.

I'd probably wait until mid may for the first grain feeding.

Also you don't have to seed *** every fall if it doesn't need it. Bluegrass feed properly will spread to fill in thin areas. That's not to say you can't if you think there are areas that really need it but it's not something that has to be done.

It could also be good to incorporate one or two apps of synthetic fertilizer before fall. It is difficult to say what you need without doing a soil test but if you wanted to drop a app of 16-16-16 fertilizer in late May and late June to get some P and K along with some N I think that would be good. Reason I say 16-16-16 is because I know they sell triple 16 at TSC store but any balanced granular fertilizer you can find will work. I'd say go around 6lb/K if you do get the triple 16. If you can get 10-10-10 then go 10lb/K. Your trying to get about 1lb of each nutrient per k so you'll have to do the math if you find a differant number balanced fert.

Finally with regards to synthetic fall fertilizing, you'll want to use urea for that. Here's a great link about fall fertilizing. https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=753

 

[Sinclair]

@SNOWBOB11

Please post pictures of the TSC alfalfa feed when you get it - I am interested in this one as well.

Have you used Priceless Products successfully? I work very nearby, and went for a drive but couldn't find them at the address they give on their website. I was hoping to pick up some of the alfalfa/kelp.

 

[SNOWBOB11]

@Sinclair I ordered the alfalfa/kelp from priceless products last week Thursday so I'm hoping it gets delivered today or tomorrow. I'll snap a pic of the alfalfa/kelp when it arrives. I'll also take a pic of the pellets from TSC but I'm probably going to use the alfalfa/kelp first as I ordered 2 bags of it so probably won't be until next month that I get the one from TSC. I'm going to check it out before that though when I go get my cracked corn sometime this week or next so if I can snap a pic of it in the store I'll do so.

 

[Lawnmower_Man]

@Lawnmower_Man look at the same TSC store that has the cracked corn for the alfalfa pellets. I'm going to get this one https://www.tscstores.com/25KG-ROLLING-ACRES-COMPLETE-HORSE-RATION-P1767.aspx Actually I ordered a couple bags of this https://www.pricelessproducts.com/item.php?ID=85&n=Alfalfa-5-1-5-w-Kelp-Meal but it's more expensive and I am probably going to be mainly using the stuff from TSC. I just wanted to try the alfalfa with kelp one first. It has ground up pellets so they can go through the spreader. I'm concerned that it might be too powdery but I wanted to give it a try anyways. If I was you I'd just get the one from TSC when I got my cracked corn.

Keep in mind it will take a while before you notice the effects of the grains as has been said in this thread already. Also I definitely wouldn't give up on synthetic fertilizer all together. You will need to give the lawn synthetic N especially in the fall to see better results.

Nice! Thanks for the link. Gonna buy this cracked corn and horse feed (alfalfa) and spread it across my lawn.

I assume 25kg (corn) + 25Kg (alfalfa) should give me two applications on a 2500 sq ft lawn?

Also, you mention the synthetic fertilizer still being useful in fall... which is interesting.

Ideally, what would be your recommendation for me to apply to my lawn throughout the season?

Would it be reasonable to apply the following:

early May: 25kg corn+alfalfa blend
mid-June: 25kg corn+alfalfa blend
early August: 25kg corn+alfalfa blend
mid-August: topsoil dressing with KBG seeds
late Sept: synthetic fertilizer

Just trying to build the best possible feed schedule for my lawn. It looks great right now. Would be devastated to see it go south.

That sounds like a decent plan but there are a couple things I might change if it was me.

I'd probably wait until mid may for the first grain feeding.

Also you don't have to seed *** every fall if it doesn't need it. Bluegrass feed properly will spread to fill in thin areas. That's not to say you can't if you think there are areas that really need it but it's not something that has to be done.

It could also be good to incorporate one or two apps of synthetic fertilizer before fall. It is difficult to say what you need without doing a soil test but if you wanted to drop a app of 16-16-16 fertilizer in late May and late June to get some P and K along with some N I think that would be good. Reason I say 16-16-16 is because I know they sell triple 16 at TSC store but any balanced granular fertilizer you can find will work. I'd say go around 6lb/K if you do get the triple 16. If you can get 10-10-10 then go 10lb/K. Your trying to get about 1lb of each nutrient per k so you'll have to do the math if you find a differant number balanced fert.

Finally with regards to synthetic fall fertilizing, you'll want to use urea for that. Here's a great link about fall fertilizing. https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=753

Thanks for the additional links.

Just to confirm...when you say "6lbs/K" you mean 6 pounds of fertilizer per 1,000 sq ft, correct?
So, for my 2,500 sq ft lawn, I would need 15lbs of fertilizer per application (or 33kg). Let me know if that's correct.

So, with your vital input, how does this new edited schedule look below?

mid-May: 25kg corn+alfalfa blend
late-May: 16-16-16 fertilizer
mid-June: 25kg corn+alfalfa blend
late-June: 16-16-16 fertilizer
mid-July: 25kg corn+alfalfa blend
mid-August: topsoil dressing with KBG seeds (if needed)
late Sept: 5lbs Urea (prior to rainfall)

 

[GlennBlake]

For everyone's info the alfalfa pellets I applied on Sunday with daily sun and a hand mist with the garden hose are nearly all broken down from and on the soil / base of the grass blade. I think another couple more days and there will be no sign of the pellets.

@Lawnmower_Man 6 lbs/K or 6 lbs/M does mean 6 pounds of product per 1,000 sq.ft. 15 lbs equals 6.8 kg

 

[SNOWBOB11]

@Lawnmower_Man that fert schedule looks good to me except for the final urea app. If you don't seed I would apply urea in late August at 2lb urea per k (1lb N per k) and again in late September at the same rate. Then wait for top growth to stop and apply you're urea winterizer. That could be as late as early November. The winterizer app is very important for the next season for early green up and all around better grass. If you do seed omit the August urea app and just do a late September urea app then your winterizer. I think that without doing a soil test and knowing exactly what nutrients you need that schedule will probably give you good results. As it says in the fall nitrogen blitz, you can also spoon feed weekly apps of urea if you want instead of doing monthly apps but that's you're choice.

 

[desirous]

So, for my 2,500 sq ft lawn, I would need 15lbs of fertilizer per application (or 33kg). Let me know if that's correct.

A small correction, 15lbs would be about 7kg.

 

[Lawnmower_Man]

@Lawnmower_Man that fert schedule looks good to me except for the final urea app. If you don't seed I would apply urea in late August at 2lb urea per k (1lb N per k) and again in late September at the same rate. Then wait for top growth to stop and apply you're urea winterizer. That could be as late as early November. The winterizer app is very important for the next season for early green up and all around better grass. If you do seed omit the August urea app and just do a late September urea app then your winterizer. I think that without doing a soil test and knowing exactly what nutrients you need that schedule will probably give you good results. As it says in the fall nitrogen blitz, you can also spoon feed weekly apps of urea if you want instead of doing monthly apps but that's you're choice.

Excellent detail. Thanks.
How's this look now

mid-May: Corn+Alfalfa blend (25kg total)
late-May: 16-16-16 Fertilizer (6.8kg)
mid-June: Corn+Alfalfa blend (25kg total)
late-June:16-16-16 Fertilizer (6.8kg)
mid-July:Corn+Alfalfa blend (25kg total)
mid-August: topsoil dressing with KBG seeds (if needed)
late-August: Urea (2.27kg) - only if seeding was not conducted above
late-September: Urea (2.27kg)
early-November: Urea (2.27kg) - assuming top growth has stopped (urea winterizer)

Note: Apply Urea prior to rainfall (or apply water immediately after applying Urea onto lawn to prevent burning)

Also, when you say "Urea Winterizer", you just mean applying plain old Urea after the grass has stopped growing in late-fall/winter, correct?

I assume I would just water the Urea after applying it (to prevent burning the grass) despite it being pretty cold outside at this point.

 

[SNOWBOB11]

That plan looks good to me.

Yes the winterizer is just normal 46-0-0 urea. And yes you need to water it in always even if the temperature is close to the freezing mark. You'll get some strange looks from your neighbors but it has to be done. :?

 

[SNOWBOB11]

@Sinclair I know you were interested in the alfalfa from priceless products. The 2 bags I ordered came and I dropped at about 8lb/k this evening. I snapped a pic of the granulars.

You can see there smaller than the horse feed alfalfa. There more made to fit through a spreader.

One thing I did notice is in the ingredients there is more than just alfalfa and kelp.

You can see there are several other things along with the alfalfa. Not that those are bad or anything but I think after I use up these bags I'll just start using the alfalfa pellets from TSC instead.

Also not sure if it was the kelp or not but man does it ever smell high.

 

[probasestealer]

@Sinclair I know you were interested in the alfalfa from priceless products. The 2 bags I ordered came and I dropped at about 8lb/k this evening. I snapped a pic of the granulars.

You can see there smaller than the horse feed alfalfa. There more made to fit through a spreader.

One thing I did notice is in the ingredients there is more than just alfalfa and kelp.

You can see there are several other things along with the alfalfa. Not that those are bad or anything but I think after I use up these bags I'll just start using the alfalfa pellets from TSC instead.

Also not sure if it was the kelp or not but man does it ever smell high.

Awesome.

It's likely the alfalfa. I had my veggies in the sunroom, sprinkled a little alfalfa on them, my wife and I thought there was a leak or dead animal somewhere..

 

[pennstater2005]

I checked a few of the feed stores around me and TSC was actually cheaper on both cracked corn and alfalfa.

 

[SNOWBOB11]

@Sinclair I know you were interested in the alfalfa from priceless products. The 2 bags I ordered came and I dropped at about 8lb/k this evening. I snapped a pic of the granulars.

You can see there smaller than the horse feed alfalfa. There more made to fit through a spreader.

One thing I did notice is in the ingredients there is more than just alfalfa and kelp.

You can see there are several other things along with the alfalfa. Not that those are bad or anything but I think after I use up these bags I'll just start using the alfalfa pellets from TSC instead.

Also not sure if it was the kelp or not but man does it ever smell high.

Awesome.

It's likely the alfalfa. I had my veggies in the sunroom, sprinkled a little alfalfa on them, my wife and I thought there was a leak or dead animal somewhere..

Yeah it was pretty stinky lol. I'm hoping it goes away quick. I noticed it less after I watered it in so I think it will.

 

[zeus201]

Alfalfa stinks for a day or two, but worth it in the long run.

 

[Alpine]

I have been reading this thread and interesting in improving my soil. I picked up a bag of alfalfa pellets and hand tossed across the entire lawn. It will be raining for most of the day today so I will get broken down pretty well. We'll see what happens.

 

[jonthepain]

Who cracked your corn?

Just curious.

 

[g-man]

Who cracked your corn?

Just curious.

We buy it cracked.

The US image looks different. This is what I use: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/producers-pride-cracked-corn-50-lb?cm_vc=-10005

Yes it is to feed chickens, but the lawn likes it. The cracked version has never sprouted for me. The first time it will take a while to breakdown, but after that it disappears in no time.

By the way I use this for alfalfa pellets: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/dumor-alfalfa-pellets-50-lb?cm_vc=-10005

 

[chrisben]

Jimmy, and I don't care.

 

[jonthepain]

+1