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Milorganite Alternative

21K views 87 replies 24 participants last post by  LIMEY  
#1 ·
Need some help here. In my quest to find an alternative to Milo (Can't get in Canada), I have come across this natural fert from a local supplier. I wanted to get thoughts and opinions if I would get similar benefits to Milo.

9-2-2 + Iron
All natural - organic
Promotes thick, lush green lawn
Slow release Nitrogen
Non-burning
Builds a deep root system
Derived from Feather Meal, Non-Bovine Bone Meal and/or Rock Phosphate, Sulfate of Potash, Ferrous Carbonate, Gypsum and Dolomic Limestone

GUARANTEED MINIMUM ANALYSIS:
Total Nitrogen 9.0%
0.9% Water Soluble Nitrogen
8.1% Water Insoluble Nitrogen
Available Phosphoric Acid 2.0%
Soluble Potash 2.0%
Iron Actual 2.0%
Calcium 2.5%
Magnesium 1.0%
Sulphur 1.0%
Organic Matter 40.0%
 
#6 ·
Dang @Sinclair the density of your grass is crazy.

Back to the original question. That fert is good stuff and will probably give you good results over time. It's important to remember organics take a longer time than synthetics to see benefits. We've talked a couple times on the forum about this and it isn't really a direct comparison to milo. That doesn't mean it's not a good fert but just not exactly the same.
 
#18 ·
I haven't used the HH fert yet. I'm going to order it this week.

I would think you'd have your spreader setting low when doing weekly apps of 2lbs/1000. Maybe 3 or 4. But don't forget a lot of it depends on walking speed. You and I will walk at different speeds.

Sinclair, can you confirm the setting you use?
 
#19 ·
I only have a small yard, so I use a hand held spreader open about halfway, and I walk the lawn about 2x.

You don't have to think too hard with organics though. Just let'er rip and if you put down a little too much, scale back your setting next time.
 
#20 ·
First post for me, and as a Canajun, I too have felt the wrath of not getting Milorganite, nor do I much care for the various bans implemented by the various Provincial Governments on products approved by the Federal Governement.

Case in point, no herbicides for "cosmetic" use due to "safety" concerns. Meanwhile farmers can still use Roundup on food crops to improve yeilds, runoff is bad but farmers and golf courses can still apply 2, 4-D.

Sorry... I tend to go off the rails sometimes.

Some organic fertilizers I've found in Canada:

Turkey Trot 6 -4 - 6 (deodorized, composted and pelletized turkey manure) (Growers Fertilizers LTD in Winnipeg)

GroundsKeepers Pride 8 - 4 -5 (about 2% water soluble N) (Westland)

Biofert Lawn Food 8-2-3 (Biofert in BC)

as well as the afformentioned product available from Home Hardware that I was unfamiliar with.

As I live in Winnipeg, Turkey Trot looks to be my best bet pricewise. Still at $44 for a 20KG (45lb) bag, it's not CHEAP.

I am a bit bewildered by the package label..... I have no problem with 20lbs per 1000sq feet for summer and fall application, but it says to apply at 49lbs per 1000 sq feet in the spring! That's a bit beyond "shoveling it on", no?

I calculate that to be almost 3lbs of N per 1000 sq feet! Yes, I know it's organic and the N is bound up, but 3lbs?!?!

Regards

Christian
 
#21 ·
Not to get off topic but has anyone from Minnesota heard of SFS fertilizer? Or Minnegrow? Sounds like a company in shakapee is doing something similar to milorganite. And there is a company in my town that sells it to farmers. They don't bag it. Im going to call this next week to get some more info and see if I could purchase some in bulk?
 
#23 ·
@kaptain_zero and @Harts I have been using the BioFert product this year with great success. My neighbour works for HH and bought a bag of their Nature's Best organic fert. Again with noticeable success. Our lawns are dominating the neighbourhood for sure and tbh probably a much broader area too.

Both products are however, expensive at around $80 a bag out here on Vancouver Island, BC.

I gave alfalfa pellets a go a few weeks ago. With my hoc at 18 mm the pellets when breaking down (they swell up) in the process, covered the grass up. I raked a few times to break the pellets up and to try and prevent any loss of grass. My grass is also very dense. I wasn't too impressed at the time with the additional effort, but coincidence or not the colour around three weeks afterwards was amazing. I will never know if this was a result of the added benefit of natural stimulants in the pellets or the doses of liquid organics I had applied: effective Microorganisms, kelp, humic, molasses and Epsom salts! I buy the liquid organics from gardeners pantry.ca in Victoria and add in some Epsom salts.
 
#25 ·
@GlennBlake Thanks for the info on BioFert. I started looking for it, but the nearest dealer is in Saskatoon and they don't carry the organic one (they do carry something else) and I won't be making the trip there until Sept. so I decided I'm going to try the locally produced"Turkey Trot" and see how that goes. At $44 per 20KG, the price isn't that bad. The alfalfa pellets sound interesting, though perhaps a bit more hands on than I want to deal with right now.

I've recently retired and as I worked in a physically demanding job outdoors summer and winter, the last thing I wanted to do when I got home was play with the lawn, so I neglected it completely for the past 17 years. Now that I have the time and desire, I'm starting to realize just how neglected my lawn has been. Yes, it's green..... in parts, but precious little is actually turf, and with the Provincial ban on the common herbicides, getting those weeds out is going to be a chore. Still, it won't be hard to dominate on my block, most here just let their crops of dandylions go to seed without bothering to mow.

There are a few homeowners who get one of companies to come out and fertilize, weed treat and mow, but that comes at a rediculous price, not to mention they come once a week to mow... even in the rain with no care or concern for the lawn... just to meet contract obligations.
 
#26 ·
@kaptain_zero I had a bad dandelion infestation in my backyard this spring (as I do most years). I back onto a park that the city neglects and a neighbour that doesn't maintain their lawn hardly at all.

What worked really well for me was the weed be gone concentrate. I mixed it up and sprayed once a week for about 3 weeks. I got rid of 90% of the weeds with minimal effort.