OT- Lawn Care

NotEnoughSmoke

What does everyone like using for lawn fertilizer? Anyone ever use Milorganite?  I hear it works great, but smells like poop.

Eoin

Nothing, it grows too fast already.

JMCXL

I have used it for year, help keep the deer away

Gulfcoastguy

Milorganite is processed composted human poop. While I believe that all disease carrying bacteria are dead I would be concerned about toxic metals and chemicals. In short don’t use it to grow food.

Captainjimpark

NotEnoughSmoke said:

What does everyone like using for lawn fertilizer? Anyone ever use Milorganite?  I hear it works great, but smells like poop.

I’ve been playing with fertilizer for years it was hit and miss till I sent a soil sample in to get tested,they sent me back a report on what my soil was lacking.now my lawn is perfect, otherwise you are just rolling the dice.best 29 dollars I ever spent.

alaskanassasin

 I might add that there are a million variables! Where do you live? Florida or Canada? Blue grass or Zoysia? Starter or fall fertilizer? Weeds?

surveyor

I use scotts for the last 30 years and it is great. would not use anything else. I am kind of a yard nut. fertilize 6 times a year and have the most full and green yard in the neighborhood. 

kl8ton

Ask @theyolksonyou Father in law. 

Hub

Nitrate.  It is all about the Nitrate.  I put a bag of Nitrate in my spreader 3-4 times per growing season.  My lawn is thicker and much more of a dark green color than any of the other nice lawns in my area.  The neighbors all ask my secret.  It's so simple.  Just get to know Nitrate.

Blues2

I’ve used milorganite for a decade on/off years, not consecutively.  Will not hurt the dogs, slow release and won’t burn the turf.  It smells like a treatment plant for a few days and rabbits stay out for awhile.  Haven’t used any synthetic fertilizers since 2008.  

Captainjimpark

Airiating your lawn does wonders on some lawns that the ground is hard?well used hi traffic lawns.

CPFC1905

I have given up adding anything.   Heavy 'London clay' soil here, which dictates any growing - hence raised beds behind rail sleeps for the pretty bits.  Certainly added fertiliser when I re-laid it with decent quality turf several years ago.
Grass is just a plant, so how do specialist fertilisers know the difference? 
My Dad's advice to me;  it needs a breeze across it to grow and doesn't like shade, pull out obvious weeds and rake before a trim. 

Teefus

Milorganite works great. Make sure the PH of your lawn is proper. That makes as much of a difference as anything.

ryantt

@NotEnoughSmoke please check out The Lawn Care Nut’s YouTube, he has a ton of good information on fertilizing your yard.   

Markarm4119

You can go to the Lesco website and download a calander based on your grass type and region of the country.

thetrim

We have St. Augustine grass down here in Florida.  I hate it.

NotEnoughSmoke

Thanks for all the advice.  I just planted new seed in the backyard and its looking great ( Sun and Shade mix).  However, my front yard is brown St. Augustine and I am not sure if it is just dead or if it needs a feeding.  Trying to decide what to do in the front... I have been watching the Lawncarenut on youtube.  Very informative. Thanks again for all the help.

alaskanassasin

18-24-12 is a great starter for fescue. What kind of grass is it? What kind of prep did you do?

saluki2007

I let my lawn guy take care of it.  However, I started using Johnathan Green grass seed for over seeding and fixing some bare spots.  That stuff is awesome. 

Froman

I have to water the milorganite in because the dogs go nuts for it.  It says on the bag dogs may try to eat it!

Gulfcoastguy

Froman said:

I have to water the milorganite in because the dogs go nuts for it.  It says on the bag dogs may try to eat it!

That is because it is heat treated human sewer sludge. Google it.

jones2289

Captainjimpark said:

NotEnoughSmoke said:

What does everyone like using for lawn fertilizer? Anyone ever use Milorganite?  I hear it works great, but smells like poop.

I’ve been playing with fertilizer for years it was hit and miss till I sent a soil sample in to get tested,they sent me back a report on what my soil was lacking.now my lawn is perfect, otherwise you are just rolling the dice.best 29 dollars I ever spent.

+1.  Collecting the samples just takes a few minutes, and at least with the lab I sent mine to, they send you back a detailed report of which types of fertilizer to use, how often to apply, when to apply, and how much to apply.  

Completely removes all the guess work, and prevents you from unnecessarily spending money on products you don't need or won't work for your lawn/soil types.  Also, something that's important to me, is that you're not over applying.

Captainjimpark

jones2289 said:

Captainjimpark said:

NotEnoughSmoke said:

What does everyone like using for lawn fertilizer? Anyone ever use Milorganite?  I hear it works great, but smells like poop.

I’ve been playing with fertilizer for years it was hit and miss till I sent a soil sample in to get tested,they sent me back a report on what my soil was lacking.now my lawn is perfect, otherwise you are just rolling the dice.best 29 dollars I ever spent.

+1.  Collecting the samples just takes a few minutes, and at least with the lab I sent mine to, they send you back a detailed report of which types of fertilizer to use, how often to apply, when to apply, and how much to apply.  

Completely removes all the guess work, and prevents you from unnecessarily spending money on products you don't need or won't work for your lawn/soil types.  Also, something that's important to me, is that you're not over applying.

Well said

kdink

@Captainjimpark, @jones2289  Where did you send to?  I need to do that!

Captainjimpark

kdink said:

@Captainjimpark, @jones2289  Where did you send to?  I need to do that!

I called the USDA in San Benito Tx near where I live ,they gave me a soil sample kit,just two bags and instructions .i got a sample in my front and back yard and mailed them to the usda office in Houston and within a week they emailed me back results on what my lawn was lacking and what to use to get it in shape. No guess work now. Perfect lawn

Woody

Sorry, see the response

lkapigian

I use The Weed Man, a franchised Lawn Service, yes it is a bit more, but it gets done without me worrying about it, they do the lawn and flower beds, probably average 12 visits per year ( some months they come twice)......I mow the lawn myself, but I do appreciate this service

kdink

@captainjimpark, Found this while researching, at $9.00 a sample I am all in.
http://agsci.psu.edu/aasl/soil-testing/soil-fertility-testing
Thanks for the help guys!

Captainjimpark

kdink said:

@captainjimpark, Found this while researching, at $9.00 a sample I am all in.
http://agsci.psu.edu/aasl/soil-testing/soil-fertility-testing
Thanks for the help guys!

That’s the best 9 dollars you’ll ever spend.takes all the guess work out.

Botch

saluki2007 said:

I let my lawn guy take care of it.  

When I bought this place 23 years ago, the POs said they'd already paid the lawn guy for one more year.  Just one application in the spring, that was it, and I had the best looking grass on the block.
Couple years later, they said, "We now do two applications, one in the Fall"; I said, "Well, okay..."  Then soon it was 3/year, then 4.  When they tried to go to six I cancelled them, and did my own.
It looked okay for a couple years (never had my soil tested), but the weeds started coming in more and more.  Went to a different company, 4 apps per year but my yard looks great again, and they spot-poison any weeds, blow off my back patio/driveway/carport/sidewalks, and even spray the weeds growing in the driveway/sidewalk cracks; very happy with them.
Now, however, we get less and less snow with the global warming and I may be going with xeriscaping and a couple raised gardens instead, soon.  I wouldn't miss the mowing...

MaskedMarvel

How do we feel about the Zoysia seed mixture from Scott’s? 

Used to be you could only get plugs..