Your Milorganite schedule will depend on whether you have warm or cool-season grass. Warm-season grasses should avoid fertilizing too late in the fall, one month before dormancy or the average first killing frost. If cool-season grass, wait to apply your last application mid to late Nov, just before the first deep freeze or snowfall in your area. This fertilizer application is known as a “dormant feeding,” or winter fertilization, which encourages healthier, greener lawns in the spring. Check out our blog for more information on the benefits of dormant fertilizer application.

Excellent work on your fall lawn care game! Immediately after aeration, your lawn is ripe for overseeding and fertilizing with Milorganite. The holes provide excellent soil exposure for grass seed and will deliver the fertilizer directly to the roots of your grass.  

Cool-season lawns should apply Milorganite again around mid to late November before the first significant freeze or snowfall. This "dormant" feeding helps your lawn build food reserves as winter approaches. The roots will be strong and healthy, and your lawn will be better prepared to green up quickly in spring.  View our blog to learn more about the many benefits of dormant lawn fertilization.

You are not alone! Many of us are facing drought conditions this fall. Turf can go dormant for differing lengths of time depending on their genetics and overall health. Most established lawns can stay in a drought-dormant state for 3-4 weeks without dying. If the drought goes beyond four weeks, we recommend re-hydrating the lawn with deep, infrequent watering early in the day. Check out our blog for more tips on managing your lawn during fall drought.

Great question! Milorganite is different from most other fertilizers. Slow-release fertilizers derived from organic-based materials, such as Milorganite, help condition and feed the soil's ecosystem. Healthy soil grows healthy plants. Synthetic fertilizers quickly release nutrients to feed the plants and do very little to improve the soil's ecosystem. The quick hit of chemically based fertilizer may provide more immediate results than  Milorganite but for a shorter period of time. There's also a greater risk of nutrient run-off into area waterways when using synthetic fertilizers.

Another important characteristic of Milorganite that makes it different from chemical-based fertilizers is that it's less likely to burn. Milorganite is manufactured using organic materials. Using Milorganite, you won't accidentally end up with burned, brown rows in your lawn, as you might experience if you over-apply a synthetic fertilizer.

Milorganite also contains chelated iron, a form of iron that is more readily available to plants for a more extended period of time compared to iron sulfate because it doesn't need to remain on the surface of the grass blade. The iron in Milorganite helps maintain a greener lawn over a longer period of time and won't stain concrete or other surfaces.

For more information on using organic-based vs. synthetic fertilizers and to learn more about what makes Milorganite different than other fertilizers.

Necrotic ringspot (NRS) is a perennial disease of Kentucky bluegrass. NRS results in circular or doughnut-shaped patches of dead grass. A combination of good turf management practices and fungicide applications can suppress NRS. Check out the Colorado State University Extension website for advice for disease management of NRS: https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/necrotic-ring-spot-of-kentucky-bluegrass-2-900/

According to a Penn State Extension publication: "Stiltgrass is an annual grass which germinates in the spring and grows slowly through the summer months. Its root system is shallow and weak. It tolerates full sun to heavy shade. Stiltgrass spreads through a high production of seeds and also by sprouting new shoots from the stems that come in contact with the ground. A single plant may produce between 100 and 1,000 seeds that can remain viable in the soil for at least three years. Stiltgrass thrives in areas subject to regular soil disturbances such as flooding, mowing, tilling, and high foot traffic. The small seeds may be carried by animal fur, water during heavy rains, contaminated hay, potted plants, or soil and mud stuck to footwear." The key to controlling stiltgrass is to prevent it from setting seed. Check out PennState Extension website for information on how to manage small and large infestations: https://extension.psu.edu/practical-remedies-for-japanese-stiltgrass

Check with your local landscape distributors for the Milorganite Professional 50 lb bag, our Greens Grade product with smaller granules. For the proper application, you will need to adjust your spreader settings.

Potassium (potash) helps the grass build thicker cell walls, which strengthens the plant so it can withstand external stresses such as drought, heat, cold, and disease.
We recommend having a soil test taken to see if your lawn needs more potassium.  Typically, it’s a nutrient that we see sufficient amounts of in the soil, but a soil test is always best. You can get soil test kit at our local garden store, online, and at your local Cooperative Extension Office. 

Yes! Golf courses across the USA continue to apply Milorganite to their courses. To learn more about Milorganite's history in the golf industry, please visit: https://www.milorganite.com/about-us/history

Milorganite is in short supply again this year —even with greater efficiencies to produce more. We’re not happy about it either. Customer demand is outpacing production and Milorganite can’t be produced using a supply-and-demand model. Our “natural resources” are limited. To learn more about our efforts. https://www.milorganite.com/blog/milorganite/milorganite-shortage-update

We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your support of Milorganite. Please visit our store locator for additional stores in your area.

Fertilize warm-season grasses, like St Augustine, with Milorganite in the fall one month before dormancy or the average first-killing frost. Avoid fertilizing southern grasses too late in the fall. The grass is trying to go dormant, and when you fertilize, you’re encouraging it to grow. This may cause your lawn to be less hardy as it enters cold weather and more susceptible to winter injury. 
Applying too much nitrogen can actually weaken the grass. It encourages blade growth, but not root growth. The nutrients in Milorganite are released slowly over 8–10 weeks, so your lawn will get the nitrogen and greening iron it needs for at least two months. This provides even growth and better root development over a longer period of time instead of a sudden growth spurt and excessive grass clippings.

Creeping Charlie, also known as ground ivy, violets, and plantains, is considered a "broadleaf weed," meaning it is a non-grassy weed with wide, flat leaves, making it distinct from the narrow blades of grass; it is particularly problematic in lawns due to its aggressive spreading nature and ability to form dense mats through creeping stems that root at the nodes. This weed usually gets its foothold in the shade and then spreads throughout the rest of the lawn.   

An eco-friendly weed control option is to take back those shady spots in your yard by growing more shade-tolerant grass like the cool-season fescue or warm-season St. Augustine grass. Mow high and fertilize less, only 1 to 2 pounds of nitrogen per growing season, than the sunny areas of your lawn. Or replace the lawn with shade-tolerant groundcovers. Adjust your overall care to reclaim and maintain the rest of the lawn. Check out our blog for more eco-friendly weed control tips.

If Creeping Charlie has taken over large areas of your lawn, we recommend a targeted weed control approach with a broadleaf herbicide.

Clover (Trifolium) is a perennial, broadleaf weed common throughout the  USA. It has three characteristics: round leaflets on a long stalk and small, round, white, or pinkish/purplish flowers. It’s more resilient than other broadleaf weeds, drought-tolerant, and its low-growing habit evades mower blades. It can quickly spread.

Remove the clover as soon as you see it. It can spread quickly by seed and creeping stems. If the amount of clover in your lawn is minimal,  it’s best to remove it by hand. Loosen the soil to make it easier to remove the entire clover root. If there’s more clover than is practical for hand removal, consider spot treating with an herbicide. If you decide to treat the entire lawn, a broadleaf herbicide application in the fall is very effective. Make sure the herbicide is safe to use on your variety/ies of grass. Otherwise, you may kill the grass along with the clover. Always follow manufacturer instructions and community regulations. View our blog for more information on managing clover in your lawn.

Tall fescue is a wide-bladed clump grass, commonly used in pastures. The textural difference between fescue and cool-season grasses in a lawn is evident because of its clumps. You can dig out the clumps, but ensure you remove all the roots. Then re-seed or re-sod after removal and apply Milorganite to help nurture the new seedlings or sod.

If you choose a chemical control method, spray fescue clumps with glyphosate when growing, which will also kill all turf species you spray, and you will need to re-seed or re-sod this area in your lawn. Colorado State University has helpful information on managing tall fescue in your lawn. 

Apply Milorganite to your fruiting trees and shrubs when leaves lose their natural green color in fall. Apply one lb. of Milorganite fertilizer per tree per the tree's age. If your fruit tree is five years old, apply 5 lbs. of Milorganite. However, do not apply more than 16 lbs. per tree per year. Annual fertilizer applications are usually sufficient for good fruit yields. Pour into holes (1" wide x 12" deep) spaced 2 feet apart along the tree drip line. The second best option is to broadcast Milorganite in a circular band around the tree's drip line.