My lawn is treated with Milorganite iron

Iron is considered a micro-nutrient in the lawn. It is not necessarily essential, but a lack of it can make the lawn look pale or even yellow. (chlorosis) But for our purposes here, we want to use iron to give the lawn that deep blue/green coloring.

Yep, that’s right guys: iron is what makes Kentucky Bluegrass and other lawn grasses blue. THAT will surely help you stand out from your neighbor won’t it? Of course it will!

Now you need to make sure you get chelated iron for your lawn. Chelated means the iron is in a suspended state where it can be readily absorbed and use by grass plants. I say this because iron can bind up in soil where it can’t be utilized. If you get chelated, you will be just fine. The best source of chelated iron is milorganite. It’s organic and contains chelated iron! Awesome!

Be Careful With Iron – Ironite

If you decide to go with another type of iron for your lawn like Ironite, you need to be careful. Now, don’t get me wrong, Ironite works VERY well. The issue is, however, that Ironite have a few drawbacks. They are:

1) ironite can stain driveways, sidewalks, siding, decks, etc

2) you can over-apply iron and cause the lawn to turn grey or even completely “blow out” where the blades thin out completely

3) ironite is not slow-releasing and in my opinion won’t last as long in the lawn

Seriously guys, if you want iron in your lawn, use Milorganite. There are so many more advantages to it (like a boost of nitrogen as well) and it is error-proof… always important I think!

]]> http://yardandgardens.com/adding-iron-to-your-lawn-and-why/feed/ 0 http://yardandgardens.com/milorganite-organic-lawn-fertilizer-information/ http://yardandgardens.com/milorganite-organic-lawn-fertilizer-information/#comments Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:05:02 +0000 Yard Care Man http://yardandgardens.com/?p=43 If you guys have spent any time around here, you know that I am a big fan of Milorganite for lawns. It is a great slow release fertilizer that also contains iron, and iron makes bluegrass lawns deep blue! But enough of that, read on and learn. A friend of mine wrote this quick review on Milorganite:

Milorganite Organic Lawn Fertilizer is natural slow-release organic nitrogen fertilizer. Proponents of organic slow release nitrogen fertilizers praise Milorganite for its slow delivery of naturally occurring microbial nutrients deep into the roots of the grass, a process they believe is preferable to the instant massive release of chemicals characteristic of synthetic chemical fertilizers. Synthetic chemical fertilizers carry with them the potential for burning the grass because of the large amounts of nitrogen and salts immediately unleashed upon application. Milorganite Organic lawn Fertilizer releases nutrients and minerals slowly and only as the grass is able to use and absorb them. Their release is actually triggered by the microbials in the grass itself when the grass needs to feed upon the organic fertilizer.

Milorganite is made from activated biosolids (sewage sludge) and contains 6% nitrogen, 2% phosporous and 0% potassium, lower ratios of each than the ratios contained in synthetically blended fertilizers, but more effective in feeding lawns, advocates say. The slow release characteristics of Milorganite guarantees groundwater is not polluted by fertilizer runoff into creeks, lakes and rivers.

The absence of salt content in Milorganite Organic Fertilizer prevents the drying and burning of lawns, particularly in the hot summer months, something which can occur with quick releasing fertilizers you find on the shelves of local big box stores.

The presence of 4% iron in Milorganite also creates a deeper green in lawns than synthetic chemical fertilizers and helps build a deeper underlying root system or turf, rather than simply increase the height of the grass itself from a thin root base, a common effect of synthetic chemical fertilizers. This results in a healthier lawn overall and one that does not require extra mowing as a result of rapidly growing grass leaves, or rampant “top growth,” a typical result of applications of synthetic chemical fertilizers.

Milorganite Organic Fertilizer is child and pet safe and releases no dust into the atmosphere, which could be inhaled by people and pets, and which diminishes the actual amount of fertilizer that actually is available to treat the lawn.

A 50-pound bag of Milorganite will treat 3100 square feet of lawn and does not require watering in. Watering in will make the fertilizer more quickly available to the grass and the grass will show faster results from the fertilizer application, but it is not required. Because it is essentially “dust free,” Milorganite Organic Fertilizer will not blow off the grass in windy weather prior to rainfall or watering, which drives the fertilizer into the roots and allows the roots to “feed” on the available nutrients.

Milorganite Organic Fertilizer is widely available at nurseries and garden centers and is one of the most popular natural organic fertilizers on the market. If you are looking to “go green” with your lawn care regimen, give Milorganite a shot.

Wanna know when is the best time to put down Milorganite? How about an entire year’s fertilizer treatment schedule? Get my e-book and learn it! Organic Lawn Fertilizer Schedule