@@ryanknorrlawncare I find out it burn my lawn. I Just brought the grass. It wasn't a bad, bad burnout, but it did enough damage. It kills a lot of my sexy glasses. They were lying; they were a lot of yellowish grass. Any Idea on how to revive the beauty of my grass again. It's a palmetto grass
Hey Bro - yep you got it, I still recommend Ringer Lawn Restore be used every other app. It's in my book that way too, but some of these folks in this community are just straight up savage and throwdown like crazy... I don't know why they do it... I rarely encourage it. 😂 But either way, yes, it's time to start getting back to a sense of normal in years 2, 3 and onward. I like to teach the beginners to throwdown hard, just so they gain confidence and experience.
Yeah I wonder where they would ever get an idea to throw down...and throw down often! Haha I just started to notice that people were like "milo until the end of time" and I wanted to point out that potassium shouldn't be our long lost cousin who we never talk to again. :)
The Lawn Care Nut I hear ya. I'm in your lawn care nut forum and these guy can easily forget about balance. They seem to ignore your important rules about moderation and just thrower down and wonder why they have disease or other problems. I sure do like JP's approach and your embracing his philosophy to incorporate into your already GREAT programs. Thanks Allyn for your wonderful videos. Love Ryan's efforts as well. Although I don't use milo that often I just got my hat from Allyn and will wear it with pride. I used milo in since the early 80's in Boca Raton in the GC business and have kept it in my garage on stand by ever since. I have been trying NatureSafe 16-0-2 lately. I've been impressed with its results. Might be worth looking into
Used Milorganite exclusively for last 2+ years. No complaints. I have had great results and believe it helped my soil greatly. Did a soil test this past spring and noticed I was deficient in Potassium. I used Ringer immediate after and had GREAT results almost immediately. I plan on rotating Ringer and Milorganite from now on.
I'm in the Northeast and I'm just really getting into lawn care. After a hot summer my lawn was looking terrible and in early September I applied Scotts and about 10 days later over-seeded the lawn and things started looking great. About 6 days ago I applied Milo and the lawn is really popping now, I've never seen it this green. So, my question is this, when you saw rotate Ringer fert with Milo, first how soon after applying one should we apply the other? Would it be a mistake to mix the two and then applying or is that not a good thing for the lawn?
I'd probably go like 2 weeks apart in the fall. That would be the only time of year I would place them so close together as the lawn can handle it. Spring you would get a ton of top growth and summer you don't really want to be pushing nitrogen if you don't have to because the grass is naturally trying to fight off the heat.
Over the 40 years I've been taking care of a lawn I've tried many fertilizers organic, synthetics. I still find Scott's turf builder products work best for me.
I'm sure I speak for a lot of viewers when I say, thank you for always staying transparent! There are so many sell outs on youtube, keep on keeping it real man!
Ryan - great point. I use a combination of synthetic and organic. I use synthetic in spring and late fall which both include Potassium (spring-starter fert ; fall-winter guard), and then use Milo May, July, and Sep. I agree that it is important to have a balance. Great video!
RKLC - Great video with sound information. Thanks to LCN, the first week of September 2018, I aerated, overseeded, put down Milorganite (from my hometown Milwaukee, WI), then Lesco Starter Fert 18-24-12, and watered every day (without cutting the lawn) for 14 days (including rain) and now front and back lawn are awesome. I started using Milogranite during the first week of April and alternated with Ringer every other feeding through June. This process has increased my Potassium count dramatically and I am dominating my neighbors. Keep up the good work!
I use milorgranite with Ringer and its been an amazing combination for years. Ringer Lawn Restore is the best thing you could possibly use on your yard in my humble opinion.
@@melindagrimes7671 sure do! It's organic so they go well together have for years. Or you can do Ringer one month, Milo next month, etc. I think together provides a great mix, Ringer greens up faster, Milo is adding a darker color due to iron. Can't go wrong
I just spent 2 hours ( my own fault) watching "yard vids" and I was so overwhelmed ,I didn't know what to do first. Then I saw your video and thought "this guy is making since and his yard looks like he knows what he's talking about." So I'm gonna start with a soil test. Thank you. We bought our place in April of 2019 and when we viewed the property in March, the front lawn looked like a fairway. Little did I know he had over seeded with winter rye and wow, did our yard look bad in the summer. Dallies grass is my biggest problem and yes I know how bad that problem is. I've been removing the seed heads by hand before mowing (?) and spot treating with glyphosate and hoeing them up when dead.
I work for a lawn care company and we switched to milorganite as our default fertilizer outside of Dimension and Grub Control rounds 1,2 and 4) and I saw a HUGE uptick of fungus in customers yards towards late summer/early fall. Lawns were very green early on, but I cant recommend using milorganite exclusively on your yard. Sprinkle anything with potassium in at some point because milorganite has none and your lawn will lose some defense to fungus.
Great Video. I think alot of people dont realize that phosphorus doesnt leach out of the soil like Nitrogen does. Milorganite is a great product but it is definitely not a complete package.
I turned my backyard into a creeping bentgrass putting green so I don't use milorganite but potassium is critical to disease resistance. I apply a fungicide once every 3 weeks and I spoon feed NPK once a week. Another thing people don't consider, and I'm not sure if it's relevant but you mentioned iron, is micronutrients. If you are severely deficient of a micronutrient it can also wreak havoc on your grass. Cutting at just over 1/10th of an inch really shows you how much attention it takes to achieve beautiful turf.
Im glad this was said again. You need all levels to be near par at least. I have noticed fungus in my lawn and took this test and had very similar test results.
If you want to stay organic, look for products by a company called Holganix. They are available at Ewing Irrigation, if you have one nearby. They produce all organic fertilizers, both in liquid and granular. It's made with chicken poop, and smells fantastic!! I will be throwing some down hopefully next weekend, if I can get my lawn leveled out and topdressed.
In the UK we have 6X chicken fert which they do in a pelletised form. It is easy to use, does not smell, pet friendly, is 5-3-2. It is sterilised so weed seed and bug free. Greats stuff if you have something similar in the USA. Has lots of trace elements in it too: Magnesium, Calcium etc. It's 100% throwerdownable!!
Well said Ryan. I use a 10-10-10 generic starter blend on the Spring, for overseeding, or just anytime I think the lawn needs some variety. You absolutely need to look at the whole picture and not get stuck on autopilot.
Hey Ryan - Same thing has happened to me. Soil test showing high "P" levels and low "K" levels. I have pretty much stopped using Milorganite on my lawn, because of the high "P" levels and lack of "K" I guess what I wanted to mention, if some one was still interested in using Milorganite, they could also add a liquid potash product "K" . I did purchase come my self, but it was very expensive. I made some changes this year to my soil/fertilizer program, did a soil test in spring, and another soil test this fall because I wanted to see if the changes I made are working, something else you should be aware of, is your adjustments to your soil amendments may take a year or two to actually show up, so dont be disappointed if you do a soil test and make adjustments and theres no change or little change the following year, stick with it, follow your lawn fertilizer program and the adjustments will pay off! Great video Ryan. I have a few videos on my channel on this same subject, and of course a subscriber to your channel.
My soil test came back low on phosphorus and potassium. I am using a 10-10-10 to supplement my fertilizer program. So many phosphorus free fertilizers out there right now.
Ryan - try Soy Bean Meal in conjunction with Milorganite.... You'll be amazed. My lawn never looks better than when I'm using soybean meal. As a side note, I've struggled with dollar spot and brown spot. After 4 years I realized I always seem to get it after applying Milorganite. So now I've cut out Milorganite. I use some synthetics very early and very late in the season when the soil temperatures don't favor organics. Then I use soybean meal from June through September with phenomenal results. Soybean meal is 7-1-2 so it's almost perfect. Agronomists that specialize in turf management suggest a 2:1 N-to-K ratio. Soybean meal is just a hair short. So If my soil tests show I need Potassium I will put down SOP (Sulfate of Potash) to winterize and make up the difference.
Great video. I recently did a soil test and had identical results to your test bc I have been using primarily Milo for a few seasons. I applied Purely Organic Lawn Food fertilizer in the beginning of September and I didn't noticed any different in the grass after I applied Purely Organic. I started to spoon feed my lawn with a Walmart brand fertilizer 26-0-4 with 8% iron so far so good. Next season I'll cut down on Milo to 2 applications rather than 4 or 5.
Thank you for the tips! As as a sidenote, that has to be frustrating to give such care and dedication to your lawn only to live next to the jackass with all the junk vehicles and spare parts in his front yard.
I use your average organic fertizlizer 16's or whatever plus the milorganite. Throughout the year I'll add bug or fungus control and crabgrass control. Iriagting your yard twice a year also helps with root growth. Reseeding in the fall and adding some topper by hand throwing throughout helps. I have fantastic results, and I live in area with clay soil.
Dithiopyr Dimension at home depo is 19-0-7. I also added super phosphate which is 0-18-0. After 2 days of rain my minnesota lawn is green. I also added 16 bags of manure/compost and 3 bags of fine mulch. Dont forget to rake thatch and I also used a garden tool that pokes holes but not very deep. It was just enough to penetrate the soil surface
A side note to the message I wrote earlier, i wish i put down lesco 0-0-7 instead of the 19-0-7. But the super phosphate and cow manure have been awsome!. Anyway. Yea nitrogen is good but I should have applied it in an organic slow release
Good tip. Just put out some Milo and plan a follow up in mid to late May. Will use Ringer in the Fall to help winterize my lawn and for the additional nutrients.
I agree. My soil test wound up so serious that I had to put down 12 lbs/tsf of SOP (0-0-50). That was last fall and it was a great idea. I also find that where I live (glacial boreal forest converted to grass), most soils are normally low in potassium; I have yet to test a typical lawn in my town with high potassium. I would also add that in a cold fall (like a Canadian one) you need the synthetics: this is because the soil microbial activity slows down with lower temperatures. They do not get a chance to free up the nutrients from organic fertilizers in time to help the grass before it goes dormant. Unfortunately there is no perfect fertilizer that is good for all lawns at all times. Great video!
Great job Ryan, I did a soil test and it came back deficient in Potassium. So I still use Milorganite but I follow up with a Synthetic 24-0-11 from Lesco. That helps me with the potassium. Not trying to plug for any company, just what I use in conjunction with Milo!
Rather than sending off one plug per year for $30 from one spot in the lawn, it might be time to do your own testing with a DIY kit, like the one from Lamotte. The Lamotte kit is $70 and is good for about 20 tests. It is also rated as the most accurate by a lab that tested many of the kits out there. A DIY kit also allows you to quickly determine how recent treatments have moved the numbers. I think you'd find it interesting to plot out the soil's health in various areas of your lawn over the course of a season.
I think this is what I need to do; as not only do I have very 3 different areas of yard (with different grass types for each area) but I also have trees...some drop flowers, some drop fruits, some needles and cones, others nuts and berries...and while I do try to collect as much of that off the ground as possible, I'm dealing with years and years of accumulation in the soil ...I've been somewhat successful with just 'hit or miss' trying stuff out till I get grass growing in different areas of sun, shade, heat, wet, and under different trees, but something is still not right around my magnolia tree....I'm guessing just starting with some simple cheap pH home testing is going to be important with trees?
Very well done video! Much overdue about Milorgonite....u cut thru the hype....and level set us it is not the ONLY product to use! I am a Milorganite fan . May i ADD to your i sights on Milorgonite, up here in CT...Milorganite NEEDS warm weather to properly get activated, consistent temps in 50-60s...i put it down in April, got no-little growth, or greenup....until last 2 weeks, and now i am fine. Lesson learned, FIRST product down in late March is synthetic Scotts Turf Builder, not temp dependent, then use Milorganite. Your points on a yearly soil test, products balanced w N, Fe, lime, PHosphorus, K....and interspacing QUALITY synthetic fertilizers (Scotts, etc..) are good insight to success. I too, need to find a product liquid or granular, that boosts K.....with stress, disease, droughts, etc...better K levels in the soil, make grass more robust to withstand probs proactively. I thank u for stressing more focus on K levels, while being objective in Milorganite! One last thought, do not fill your plastic wheel/hopper Scotts broadcast spreaders to the max w fertilizer! I had 2 of those and it strains gears, and breaks the plastic spinner in the hopper. Secret is to fill hopper to 1/3 will last u longer, or to go to black Scotts Pro broadcast spreader w rubber wheels and better spinner...or even those crude metal pin/clip impeller spreaders work best. New subscriber after this insightful vid!
For people in the NJ/PA area, Espoma offers a great fertilizer as well. The fall blend has an analysis of 8-0-5. Its similar to ringer and is often available at independent garden centers. Lowes and the Depot usually don't have it.
Turf Care Supply has a 25-0-2 w/ bios(43%) & 2% Iron. I've been it using this year with great results. My lawns (and mine) look amazing despite the extremely hot summer and all the fungal issues that I thought I was going to be renovating this fall. It's the perfect balance of supplement and bio solids. Get that quick green up and then also the sustained green and soil feeding from the bios.
Great video! I think Milorganite is still a great full proof fertilizer for someone who just wants to use an organic fertilizer that won’t burn their lawn. In your case you would want to find something with little or no phosphorus. I’ve used a moorganite the first part is moo because it’s made from cow manure and it’s a 5-1-1. Fish fertilizer has the same ratio by the way. I started using it when milorganite started getting hard to find, plus it’s cheaper. As a new home owner about 10 years ago I went went 4 applications of milo and it worked great but I also had st Augustine and no weeds so it was easy and got me learning about fertilizers. Now I use a combination of synthetic and organic fertilizers. At my new house I’ve been at about 4 years I’ve had to relearn lawn care because my yard was not healthy and full of weeds, plus I was dealing with a low quality Bermuda mix. Anyway, milo is great but most people don’t need such a high phosphorus ratio.
I added some K via starter fert in Sept 17 but used milo in Oct, Dec, May, July, August. Soil analysis Sept 18 showed only nitrogen was "low". We've had a very wet summer with 31inches of rain since July 1 so i was surprised the levels had held up. N6.11ppm P13.04ppm, K48.11ppm
Oh ! ...and I forgot to mention that I have been using alternately this year a synthetic fertilizer made by Promix (Canadian Company) and their formula is 36-0-12 compared to Scotts Turf Builder Green Max at 27-0-2 for example. I mixed both fertilizer together before spreading and throwing her down light. Not an expert at all but after few days the lawn looked really good. I think I will keep using this recipe of mine next season along with some Organic fertilizer and the Green County Fertilizer Bio Stinulants Pack, which I use for the very first time this season. I have seen tremendous improvement this summer with my lawn and its all because of you guys....much thanks to all of you !!!
Excellent Vid. Super Important!!! I have the exact same issues as you and I am in a Sandy Loam soil which does not hold K well. So I had to start supplementing K with a Sulfate of Potash 0-0-50. This now has to be my new norm if I am going to keep using Milo, even if I alternate Ringer it still is not enough K for me in this sandy soil. Thanks for a great vid Ryan!!!
FYI Be Careful with the 0-0-60 as that is Murate of Potash and has a very High Salt index. If you apply that at high rates and you NA (Salt) is already high, its going to jump to extremely high levels really quick. Sulfate of Potash 0-0-50 is really much better as the Salt index is about 1/2 that of the Murate version. Per Matt Martin (Grass Factor) the very best way to increase K levels is using a Liquid K like potassium acetate as it has a very low salt index and gets into soil profile much faster and is a foliar application for quick plant uptake as well. www.domyown.com/turfgrasspro-29-p-17266.html
I LOVE this video...one of the best! We all lose sight of Potash (K) completely missing from Milorganite and the long term effects on the immeasurable, hard work we do to maintain our own lawns. This was a big wake up call for me to ensure using Ringer and humic root supplements regularly with Milo. Kudos Ryan! Keep up the GREAT work!! If there is more cost efficient organic alternative to Ringer for Potash, please let us know!!
Had the same issue this spring and started adding a granular potash every few feedings. Hopefully that does the trick. Gonna do a test in sping. 50lb bags of straight sulfate of potash are tough to find but if u call enough places maybe you’ll get lucky
I use Milorganite for my Memorial Day and Independence Day lawn feedings and use synthetics for my early and late season feedings. I haven’t used any soil test kits but I do use other biological (humic acid and liquid kelp) and iron liquids.
Awesome video! I was just thinking about this a couple weeks ago and started to research how to add P to my lawn, without breaking the bank. My lawn is new (new construction) and have only been feeding it Milo, since July. I applied milo July and September, thinking of applying something else for the final application coming up. I bought a soil test kit, I will be using for next year, to start the year off right. Or at least in the right direction.
I've been working with a new construction lawn for three summers. It's been a struggle. The builder didn't do the best job clearing the yard so I have a lot of bumps. I over seeded and aerated last fall and produced great results. I'm considering hiring a company to top dress the lawn with the hope of leveling out several spots. Milo, 10-10-10 and Ringer have been my solid favorites.
Good video dude. Good thoughts. I think you hit it on the head when you mentioned all the starter fertilizer you had been using and/or the slight over use of any and all fertilizer (organic and synthetic) in general contributing to your P of the charts. I think it would be beneficial to maybe take our collective foot off the pedal with fertilizing, and I don’t think it a bad idea to throw a good quality all purpose 10-10-10 in the mix within the season or continually through out several seasons. Good on you for taking a detailed soil test and determining that your K is low. However I think that it might be your soil in particular, and not necessarily the absence of it in Milorganite or the other products you’ve been using. I would bet that it is the same in your entire neighborhood or block, meaning that it is an environmental thing.
Thanks for your comment and I agree, more is not necessarily better. It is definitely possible we have low K soil but I need to work to improve on that so we can move in the right direction for fighting off disease and some real stresses we have here in the summer.
Lawn actually uses very little phosphorus that is why synthetic or specialized lawn ferts contain usually no more than 1 to 2% and potassium is always higher as it is needed more by the plant especially the roots. Phosphorus is used more for flowering and fruiting. Also iron levels will usually show as low as it is one of the fastest used elements by plants.
Great video Ryan. I finally scored some Milorganite after weeks of searching but will probably not use it exclusively for the reasons you say, and it's hard to find in my area anyway. I've been trying out Urban Farms Liquid Lawn organic fertilizer the last few weeks, it's 10-1-2, appears to be working well but only after doubling its recommended dilution. Also just received humic acid soluble powder from Amazon, 2 lb bag for only $25, will easily last a couple years, that goes down tomorrow.
Greg Egan I’m thinking of trying liquid lawn just that 10 dollars of shipping idk... you can check out How to With Doc. He has a nice Bermuda lawn where he uses Humic Liquid Lawn and some iron. You should check his channel out, very informative.
Buka Okafor Thanks, the Liquid Lawn comes out to about $40 no matter where you order from, but you get a couple applications out of it. My lawn is definitely looking better after 3 applications but I think their recommended dilution of 1 tbspoon per gallon is too weak, I double it. I'm set for humic and iron/minerals for a couple years with the 2 lb bag of powdered humic acid from Amazon.
Go to your local Co-Op and get you some triple 13 and mix it with the Milorganite. Be prepared to mow like crazy but your yard will be a beautiful green!
My soil test this year showed me deficient in N and K, with my P levels as high as they should be. I bought some Ringer for my ~7000 square foot lawn but its pricey! Have you heard of or tried Purely Organic Lawn Food? Its 10-0-2 and much cheaper. Also my local Home Depots carry it which is awesome. Going to try that to not go broke on fertilizer :)
Great info. It's too bad Milorganite doesn't have any K, but it is refreshing to use Ringer throughout the year, too. Not just because it smells better, but because you get the Potassium, and I find it's easier to see the Ringer product when applying it (less mess).
I am more worried about the phosphorus levels as they take longer to come out of the soil and they bind up some of the micros (iron and zinc) I have started doing a foliar spray of the micros to try and alleviate this in my lawn most ferts in the UK all contain phosphorous. You are right to tell everyone to do an annnual soil test keeps us all on the right part timely video I love seeing your lawns from a drone total domination!!!
I'm from MN also. I only fertilize 3 times a years. Lowes has the Sta Green and it's got iron in it. I'm going to try out the Lesco this year. Your right about the Phosphorus. I've use Milorganite for 10+ years minus the winterizer. I used to be into the organic everything. I use both now but not much organic.
Im using NPK:s from april to july. After that, only PK:s from august to september for winter period. NPK levels are 9-2-7 and PK levels 5-20. I never put Nitrogen after July!
Thank you for this video. I just need some help without doing a soil test, I live in El Paso, TX.......desert city..lol. So just you know I had nothing but rocks in my backyard, previous owner never had grass nor trees. Nothing by small yellow rocks, cement, and bricks in the back. All of that was removed and was left nothing but dirt, then got some landscapers to install some Bermuda SOD on March 16, 2022......it was fantastic at the beginning but now after 4th week I noticed a change. Started getting all patchy ( I do water 3 times a week in the mornings for about 35-40 min). Thought I had some fungus so i applied some Scotts diseaseX 2 weeks and just this past weekend I applied some Revive. Thought maybe my dirt (soil is not holding up the water), hopefully that helps improve the soil. So now next week, I plan on fertilizing the lawn then adding some top soil to help it improve. Just not sure what type of fertilizer should I start of with. I live in the corner of West Texas. Can you help me out?
My soul savvy test was nearly identical. I was using milo for 2 years exclusive. This year i supplemented milo with some liquid K. I’ll be doing a hybrid program next year to get my levels in line.
Noticed a very low K level this year. Lawn was just stagnant even after Milorganite and some 10-10-10. Soil test showed I needed over 10lb of 0-0-50. Drove 45 min to Site One and put down 2lb today. Hopefully this works it out. Thanks Ryan for you great content!
Ryan - I went back to watch this video last night as my interest in Milorganite is on the decline. I used for about four years staight and got good results. Like yourself, I refine my lawn care plan. I will use Milorganite in May in the Northeast but that will be all. I use to do 4th of July and Labor Day. I have found the 4th July is too much on my lawn. Too much drought in Northeat around this time of year is to blame. I am usually leveling and reseeding in September so Milorganite is not needed. I have been supplementing my lawn with mostly Jonathan Green seed and fertilizers.
I'm in the northeast, Southern New York, and we've had an unusually warm start to the fall this year. Back in September I put down Scotts Turf-builder and then one week ago I used Milorganite for the first time ever. I'm really just starting to get back into lawn care and this summer was harsh on the grass in that it was a hot summer but we also had a good amount of rain in July (it rained just about every weekend) and then after the first week of August it just stopped raining and the weather got pretty hot and the grass took a beating. I applied the Scotts in early September and about two weeks after, I over seeded and the grass really started coming back, though there has been an increase in weeds and also clovers. About a week ago I used Milo for the first time ever and noticed how green the grass has started to get but what I also noticed is that is some spots on both the front lawn and the back lawn this whitish almost cobweb-like looking spots starting to show and it looked like it was expanding but since we got rain today, those spots are gone now. Do you think this has anything to do with the Milo or is that more from the humid and abnormally warm weather we've gotten?
That's the humidity and it's fungus growing. Hopefully you get a cool down and it should go away pretty quickly at that point. If you see it continue to spread you may need to look into fungicide
Thanks...yes, tomorrow the cool down begins, it will be windy and much cooler, temps be in the mid-60;s and the next week or so the temps will be in the high 50's and low 60's. I will monitor it the next few days and see if it all disappears...today because it rained you couldn't see it but, I noticed this starting to form on Sunday, Monday was cloudy and damp and though it didn't rain it was misty all day and since you mentioned it was fungus, then I supposed the warm and humid weather provided a good breeding ground for it. Hopefully it will go away but I will get a fungicide if I see it is still around. I thought it was possibly caused by the Milo since it was the first time I ever used it.
I only use Milo in the Summer since I live in Miami, FL. The rest of the year I put Lesco 24-2-11 every 5 weeks. Also, I mix my own liquid juice for soil maintenance.
100% this. Guys drool over one product but it takes a variety of things to really bring out the best. All the top LC youtubers add multiple products to help facilitate the ultimate goal.
I use Milorganite for Fall feeding because squirrels seem to be less attracted to it and do less digging in my lawn after it is applied. The Fall that I used Ringer I had a terrible time with squirrels digging up the lawn.
Great information. I need some help! I don’t know what to do in what order. I sprayed my front and back yard with Weed be Gone. My front and back yard has mostly weeds. Temps are 80 in Missouri, but dropping into 30s in a few days. What order would you attack this? (Fertilizers, pre-emergent, aerate, dethatch, fill holes and level spots with top soil, seed etc.) I am overwhelmed starting this. Thank you.
No potassium means weak disease resistance which is huge with battling fungus and since I'm battling it right now there is no way I'll ever go pure Milo.
My soil has 2 lbs/acre N, 4 lbs/acre P, and 223 lbs/acre K. Ideal is 60,65, and 300, respectively. Milo is going to be just about perfect for my lawn for a long time (along with 10/20/10).
Hi Ryan, I really appreciate you taking the time to make this informative videos. Have you tried Humic acid in your lawn care program? I haven’t tried a soil test, but I am going to, after watching your latest video. I know my soils needs help, as my fertilizer applications are simply not enough. Wish you all the best and stay safe. Cheers from Ottawa Canada.
Nice video . Did you decide on what product you going to rotate with ? And if so how often do you rotate what will the cycle look like let say if I put milo fert and after 4 week I rotate with a fert with potassium in it will that work your recommendation will be greatly appreciated.
There's a couple products...Ringer or Purely Organic Lawn Food Ringer - amzn.to/2VJvTyt Purely Organic - amzn.to/2VP6weU I highly recommend a soil test to know for sure what you should be applying but if you were going to rotate and we'll just say you fertilize 4 times a year to make it easy, then just 2 milo and 2 other would sound good to me
Excellent point raised here Ryan. Have you ever heard of a real/reliable DIY soil test - instead of the pain of mailing it out, etc? I saw this rapitesst product on Amazon but not sure how good it'd be.
I have used milorganite several times on my lawn with good results, but I'm only applying it twice per year. I just renovated the lawn by aerating, top dressing with organic compost, and overseeding with certified perennial rye. I swear by the compost. My lawn has never looked as good or has been as healthy as it is now. And I live in Maine with 2 frosts under my belt already
Robert James I have access to compost from a compost facility, $6 a backhoe bucket! But my yard is almost an acre, how can I spread it over a yard that big? Maybe aerate then spread compost and fertilizer in the spring
This was my exact rookie mistake. I got caught up in the whole Milorganite frenzy and only used that for a whole season. come last spring I tested my soil and found things way off balance, grass was unhealthy, and had a bad fungus problem. After this last season of fixing my mistakes and alternating with ringer my yard is 100x better and healthier.
I actually have a lawn care company puts down their fertilizer and then I touch it up with Milorganite. I even add a little fast acting though VERY small amounts and have had amazing results. I would not just use one alone.
Also, Milorganite is very expensive. In SE Wisconsin, a bag is around $10, but only cover 2,500 sf. So it may seem cheap, but the coverage is far less.
Couldn’t find Milo this year hardly at all. Only have done 1 full app. I used Ringer the second week of September. It worked great. Try it. It’s a big more expensive tho.
I found that it's a little cheaper if you buy it directly from Ringer's website. They have a points to cash system that makes the future purchases of Ringer less expensive compared to other places like Amazon.
If you might like organic potassium and micro nutrients you might try Fertrell brand jersey green sand for slow acting, and kelp meal, sometimes sold as sandaid at golf suppliers for a quick boost. Both are about ten pounds per thousand so not a cheap choice but the green sand is long lasting and slow release.
i heat my house in winter with a wood stove, gonna try and figure out a way to spread wood ash on my lawn next spring for the potassium and phosphorous content to go along with my milorganite . I shall have the nicest lawn in the hood then
I had low k. Fungus and grass that wouldn’t stand up another thing I heard is from lack of k. And my p levels are through the roof as well Good video Ryan
Interesting you and Allyn decided to start telling folks to chill out throwing Milo down. Maybe the folks at the plant told him they will run out of product at the pace we're all using it. Lol. It was getti ng blown out of hand. Thanks for mentioning the "K-0" issue
What's weird is we actually did not plan to talk about that same subject but we were both just seeing a lot of posts in forums on going crazy with milorganite. So because of that it's important to remember it's not the only solution and a balance formula for a lawn is extremely important.
Newbie here. Moved into a new build home and sod was laid out during winter months. It’s spring now and I just used ironite on my grass. Is it okay to use milorganite a week after? Do you know whether Scott’s turf lawn food contains potassium?
Eh, Ryan - Great topic and amazing info to keep in mind. I have been doing well this year following all you guys Lawn Tips and all but this is something I would like to have done (soil test) too before starting the next season. Thanks again, buddy !!!
You can see the build in my yard. My soil looks amazing compared to my neighbors. Theirs is pretty much sand. Mine is black and rich and full of worms. It’s almost impossible to find a fertilizer here in south Florida that has potassium. It’s pretty much banned. The general consensus here is that it’s not needed.
Hey Ryan. Have you heard of or used jobes organic fertilizer?? My local Lowe’s has it. Seems to be pretty similar to ringer. It’s a 10-0-2 ratio. And is pretty inexpensive, says 15lbs covers 5000sqft. Seems like a good option to go back and forth between milorganite and jobes.
What time of year should I apply the malginorite, and how much. I saw another video who says put down as much as I want and one a week if desired. Please help, novice lawn care
Another big reason a milo-only lawn isn't ideal is that fall time fertilization is the most important period, yet as temps cool down the microherd winds down and won't process the fertilizer. Using milo for winterization is a poor choice for this reason. Fully synthetic quick release (ideally straight urea) is the better choice in that case.
Ryan, great video and I just subscribed. I’ve only used Scott’s program and have never been ecstatic with my final results so I want to change it up a bit. How can I build a great annual lawn program for optimum results? I would invest heavily to get the desired results and ideally get to a four or five time treat-rate. I live in MD with a 45k sq ft lawn. Milorganite (which I never used) sells for $20bag, when available. I just recently put down a pre-em and just purchased Ironite. But what should I do next? Any help would be appreciated.
Ryan knows lawns very well (easy to see from his front and back yard lawns). However, he says at the beginning of this video about the benefits of Milorganite that “over the years that I have been using it (Milorganite), I feel that my soil has has improved a little bit.” But then he follows that immediately with “it’s hard to measure that exactly between using it synthetic fertilizer and something like Milorganite.” So, did he just say he can’t tell if using Milorganite is any better than using synthetic fertilizer?
Unless I woild have done a side by side test with just one or the other I'm not sure I could say for sure. For the first 4-5 years of taking care of my lawn I used both synthetic and milorganite and I still like a similar program except I have switched from Milo to other things that don't contain phosphorus since I have an overabundance. What I meant with why I think things improved a little has to do with organics creating more microbe activity and in turn feeding the soil in that way. Hope that explains it further as to what I was discussing.
Where can I buy that shirt?
teespring.com/stores/ryanknorrlawncare
@@ryanknorrlawncare I find out it burn my lawn. I Just brought the grass. It wasn't a bad, bad burnout, but it did enough damage. It kills a lot of my sexy glasses. They were lying; they were a lot of yellowish grass.
Any Idea on how to revive the beauty of my grass again. It's a palmetto grass
Hey Bro - yep you got it, I still recommend Ringer Lawn Restore be used every other app. It's in my book that way too, but some of these folks in this community are just straight up savage and throwdown like crazy... I don't know why they do it... I rarely encourage it. 😂 But either way, yes, it's time to start getting back to a sense of normal in years 2, 3 and onward. I like to teach the beginners to throwdown hard, just so they gain confidence and experience.
Yeah I wonder where they would ever get an idea to throw down...and throw down often! Haha
I just started to notice that people were like "milo until the end of time" and I wanted to point out that potassium shouldn't be our long lost cousin who we never talk to again. :)
Great topic idea for the winter months shows. I am guilty of throw’er down and now dealing with sky high phos and chlorotic turf.
The Lawn Care Nut I hear ya. I'm in your lawn care nut forum and these guy can easily forget about balance. They seem to ignore your important rules about moderation and just thrower down and wonder why they have disease or other problems. I sure do like JP's approach and your embracing his philosophy to incorporate into your already GREAT programs. Thanks Allyn for your wonderful videos. Love Ryan's efforts as well. Although I don't use milo that often I just got my hat from Allyn and will wear it with pride. I used milo in since the early 80's in Boca Raton in the GC business and have kept it in my garage on stand by ever since. I have been trying NatureSafe 16-0-2 lately. I've been impressed with its results. Might be worth looking into
people need to be aware that these product if use carelessly will run off after a big storm. Florida Red tide was nothing to joke about.
Get out of the way LCN, tttttthhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrroooooooooowwwwwweeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrr Dooooooowwwwwwwnnnnnnn!
Used Milorganite exclusively for last 2+ years. No complaints. I have had great results and believe it helped my soil greatly. Did a soil test this past spring and noticed I was deficient in Potassium. I used Ringer immediate after and had GREAT results almost immediately. I plan on rotating Ringer and Milorganite from now on.
I'm in the Northeast and I'm just really getting into lawn care. After a hot summer my lawn was looking terrible and in early September I applied Scotts and about 10 days later over-seeded the lawn and things started looking great. About 6 days ago I applied Milo and the lawn is really popping now, I've never seen it this green. So, my question is this, when you saw rotate Ringer fert with Milo, first how soon after applying one should we apply the other? Would it be a mistake to mix the two and then applying or is that not a good thing for the lawn?
I'd probably go like 2 weeks apart in the fall. That would be the only time of year I would place them so close together as the lawn can handle it. Spring you would get a ton of top growth and summer you don't really want to be pushing nitrogen if you don't have to because the grass is naturally trying to fight off the heat.
Agreed. Ringer is a great option and looking at Ryan’s soil test results, 10-0-6 is recommended. I like to interchange them as well.
Over the 40 years I've been taking care of a lawn I've tried many fertilizers organic, synthetics. I still find Scott's turf builder products work best for me.
I'm sure I speak for a lot of viewers when I say, thank you for always staying transparent! There are so many sell outs on youtube, keep on keeping it real man!
Ryan - great point. I use a combination of synthetic and organic. I use synthetic in spring and late fall which both include Potassium (spring-starter fert ; fall-winter guard), and then use Milo May, July, and Sep. I agree that it is important to have a balance. Great video!
RKLC - Great video with sound information. Thanks to LCN, the first week of September 2018, I aerated, overseeded, put down Milorganite (from my hometown Milwaukee, WI), then Lesco Starter Fert 18-24-12, and watered every day (without cutting the lawn) for 14 days (including rain) and now front and back lawn are awesome. I started using Milogranite during the first week of April and alternated with Ringer every other feeding through June. This process has increased my Potassium count dramatically and I am dominating my neighbors. Keep up the good work!
I use milorgranite with Ringer and its been an amazing combination for years. Ringer Lawn Restore is the best thing you could possibly use on your yard in my humble opinion.
LonghornsLegend do you put both down at the same time ? Thanks
@@melindagrimes7671 sure do! It's organic so they go well together have for years. Or you can do Ringer one month, Milo next month, etc. I think together provides a great mix, Ringer greens up faster, Milo is adding a darker color due to iron. Can't go wrong
What do you use to kill your weeds ( crabgrass, etc.)?
I just spent 2 hours ( my own fault) watching "yard vids" and I was so overwhelmed ,I didn't know what to do first. Then I saw your video and thought "this guy is making since and his yard looks like he knows what he's talking about." So I'm gonna start with a soil test. Thank you.
We bought our place in April of 2019 and when we viewed the property in March, the front lawn looked like a fairway. Little did I know he had over seeded with winter rye and wow, did our yard look bad in the summer. Dallies grass is my biggest problem and yes I know how bad that problem is. I've been removing the seed heads by hand before mowing (?) and spot treating with glyphosate and hoeing them up when dead.
I work for a lawn care company and we switched to milorganite as our default fertilizer outside of Dimension and Grub Control rounds 1,2 and 4) and I saw a HUGE uptick of fungus in customers yards towards late summer/early fall. Lawns were very green early on, but I cant recommend using milorganite exclusively on your yard. Sprinkle anything with potassium in at some point because milorganite has none and your lawn will lose some defense to fungus.
Great Video. I think alot of people dont realize that phosphorus doesnt leach out of the soil like Nitrogen does. Milorganite is a great product but it is definitely not a complete package.
I use Milorganite all through the year but I use Scotts Turfbuilder in the fall.
I turned my backyard into a creeping bentgrass putting green so I don't use milorganite but potassium is critical to disease resistance. I apply a fungicide once every 3 weeks and I spoon feed NPK once a week. Another thing people don't consider, and I'm not sure if it's relevant but you mentioned iron, is micronutrients. If you are severely deficient of a micronutrient it can also wreak havoc on your grass. Cutting at just over 1/10th of an inch really shows you how much attention it takes to achieve beautiful turf.
Im glad this was said again. You need all levels to be near par at least. I have noticed fungus in my lawn and took this test and had very similar test results.
If you want to stay organic, look for products by a company called Holganix. They are available at Ewing Irrigation, if you have one nearby. They produce all organic fertilizers, both in liquid and granular. It's made with chicken poop, and smells fantastic!! I will be throwing some down hopefully next weekend, if I can get my lawn leveled out and topdressed.
Good option to look at.
In the UK we have 6X chicken fert which they do in a pelletised form. It is easy to use, does not smell, pet friendly, is 5-3-2. It is sterilised so weed seed and bug free. Greats stuff if you have something similar in the USA. Has lots of trace elements in it too: Magnesium, Calcium etc. It's 100% throwerdownable!!
Well said Ryan. I use a 10-10-10 generic starter blend on the Spring, for overseeding, or just anytime I think the lawn needs some variety.
You absolutely need to look at the whole picture and not get stuck on autopilot.
Hey Ryan - Same thing has happened to me. Soil test showing high "P" levels and low "K" levels. I have pretty much stopped using Milorganite on my lawn, because of the high "P" levels and lack of "K" I guess what I wanted to mention, if some one was still interested in using Milorganite, they could also add a liquid potash product "K" . I did purchase come my self, but it was very expensive. I made some changes this year to my soil/fertilizer program, did a soil test in spring, and another soil test this fall because I wanted to see if the changes I made are working, something else you should be aware of, is your adjustments to your soil amendments may take a year or two to actually show up, so dont be disappointed if you do a soil test and make adjustments and theres no change or little change the following year, stick with it, follow your lawn fertilizer program and the adjustments will pay off! Great video Ryan. I have a few videos on my channel on this same subject, and of course a subscriber to your channel.
My soil test came back low on phosphorus and potassium. I am using a 10-10-10 to supplement my fertilizer program. So many phosphorus free fertilizers out there right now.
Ryan - try Soy Bean Meal in conjunction with Milorganite.... You'll be amazed. My lawn never looks better than when I'm using soybean meal. As a side note, I've struggled with dollar spot and brown spot. After 4 years I realized I always seem to get it after applying Milorganite. So now I've cut out Milorganite. I use some synthetics very early and very late in the season when the soil temperatures don't favor organics. Then I use soybean meal from June through September with phenomenal results. Soybean meal is 7-1-2 so it's almost perfect. Agronomists that specialize in turf management suggest a 2:1 N-to-K ratio. Soybean meal is just a hair short. So If my soil tests show I need Potassium I will put down SOP (Sulfate of Potash) to winterize and make up the difference.
Great video. I recently did a soil test and had identical results to your test bc I have been using primarily Milo for a few seasons. I applied Purely Organic Lawn Food fertilizer in the beginning of September and I didn't noticed any different in the grass after I applied Purely Organic. I started to spoon feed my lawn with a Walmart brand fertilizer 26-0-4 with 8% iron so far so good. Next season I'll cut down on Milo to 2 applications rather than 4 or 5.
That's what I have been doing now is 2 applications of milo and then fill in the rest with something a little more balanced
@@ryanknorrlawncare I'll probably apply Milo in May and July.
Thank you for the tips! As as a sidenote, that has to be frustrating to give such care and dedication to your lawn only to live next to the jackass with all the junk vehicles and spare parts in his front yard.
Shouldn’t be frustrating, just makes your lawn pop more
@@KDlGG That's a good way to look at it. I guess till you have to sell the house. 😂
@@SVW1976 I can confirm it does stray some people away, but those same people usually love the house itself
Had similar results to my soil test and have swapped in Ringer for the last couple of apps to balance things out.
I use your average organic fertizlizer 16's or whatever plus the milorganite. Throughout the year I'll add bug or fungus control and crabgrass control. Iriagting your yard twice a year also helps with root growth. Reseeding in the fall and adding some topper by hand throwing throughout helps. I have fantastic results, and I live in area with clay soil.
Dithiopyr Dimension at home depo is 19-0-7. I also added super phosphate which is 0-18-0. After 2 days of rain my minnesota lawn is green. I also added 16 bags of manure/compost and 3 bags of fine mulch. Dont forget to rake thatch and I also used a garden tool that pokes holes but not very deep. It was just enough to penetrate the soil surface
A side note to the message I wrote earlier, i wish i put down lesco 0-0-7 instead of the 19-0-7. But the super phosphate and cow manure have been awsome!. Anyway. Yea nitrogen is good but I should have applied it in an organic slow release
Good tip. Just put out some Milo and plan a follow up in mid to late May. Will use Ringer in the Fall to help winterize my lawn and for the additional nutrients.
Sounds like a good plan
I agree. My soil test wound up so serious that I had to put down 12 lbs/tsf of SOP (0-0-50). That was last fall and it was a great idea. I also find that where I live (glacial boreal forest converted to grass), most soils are normally low in potassium; I have yet to test a typical lawn in my town with high potassium. I would also add that in a cold fall (like a Canadian one) you need the synthetics: this is because the soil microbial activity slows down with lower temperatures. They do not get a chance to free up the nutrients from organic fertilizers in time to help the grass before it goes dormant. Unfortunately there is no perfect fertilizer that is good for all lawns at all times. Great video!
Great job Ryan, I did a soil test and it came back deficient in Potassium. So I still use Milorganite but I follow up with a Synthetic 24-0-11 from Lesco.
That helps me with the potassium. Not trying to plug for any company, just what I use in conjunction with Milo!
Rather than sending off one plug per year for $30 from one spot in the lawn, it might be time to do your own testing with a DIY kit, like the one from Lamotte. The Lamotte kit is $70 and is good for about 20 tests. It is also rated as the most accurate by a lab that tested many of the kits out there. A DIY kit also allows you to quickly determine how recent treatments have moved the numbers. I think you'd find it interesting to plot out the soil's health in various areas of your lawn over the course of a season.
I think this is what I need to do; as not only do I have very 3 different areas of yard (with different grass types for each area) but I also have trees...some drop flowers, some drop fruits, some needles and cones, others nuts and berries...and while I do try to collect as much of that off the ground as possible, I'm dealing with years and years of accumulation in the soil
...I've been somewhat successful with just 'hit or miss' trying stuff out till I get grass growing in different areas of sun, shade, heat, wet, and under different trees, but something is still not right around my magnolia tree....I'm guessing just starting with some simple cheap pH home testing is going to be important with trees?
You have a link? This is the only one I can find and its not 70$ www.amazon.com/LaMotte-N-P-K-Soil-Test-Kit/dp/B0080GQY56
Give us a link
This is the one I was suggesting. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DBSY6B2 . Also see the video on it here: th-cam.com/video/1nsobCTs4ig/w-d-xo.html
Very well done video! Much overdue about Milorgonite....u cut thru the hype....and level set us it is not the ONLY product to use! I am a Milorganite fan . May i ADD to your i sights on Milorgonite, up here in CT...Milorganite NEEDS warm weather to properly get activated, consistent temps in 50-60s...i put it down in April, got no-little growth, or greenup....until last 2 weeks, and now i am fine. Lesson learned, FIRST product down in late March is synthetic Scotts Turf Builder, not temp dependent, then use Milorganite.
Your points on a yearly soil test, products balanced w N, Fe, lime, PHosphorus, K....and interspacing QUALITY synthetic fertilizers (Scotts, etc..) are good insight to success. I too, need to find a product liquid or granular, that boosts K.....with stress, disease, droughts, etc...better K levels in the soil, make grass more robust to withstand probs proactively. I thank u for stressing more focus on K levels, while being objective in Milorganite!
One last thought, do not fill your plastic wheel/hopper Scotts broadcast spreaders to the max w fertilizer! I had 2 of those and it strains gears, and breaks the plastic spinner in the hopper. Secret is to fill hopper to 1/3 will last u longer, or to go to black Scotts Pro broadcast spreader w rubber wheels and better spinner...or even those crude metal pin/clip impeller spreaders work best. New subscriber after this insightful vid!
Hey Ryan, look in to The Andersons omri label organic Innova 7-1-2 and use Humic DG. Also, for a liquid lawn fertilizer called Liquid Lawn 10-1-2
Thanks for the info.
For people in the NJ/PA area, Espoma offers a great fertilizer as well. The fall blend has an analysis of 8-0-5. Its similar to ringer and is often available at independent garden centers. Lowes and the Depot usually don't have it.
Turf Care Supply has a 25-0-2 w/ bios(43%) & 2% Iron. I've been it using this year with great results. My lawns (and mine) look amazing despite the extremely hot summer and all the fungal issues that I thought I was going to be renovating this fall. It's the perfect balance of supplement and bio solids. Get that quick green up and then also the sustained green and soil feeding from the bios.
Great video! I think Milorganite is still a great full proof fertilizer for someone who just wants to use an organic fertilizer that won’t burn their lawn. In your case you would want to find something with little or no phosphorus. I’ve used a moorganite the first part is moo because it’s made from cow manure and it’s a 5-1-1. Fish fertilizer has the same ratio by the way. I started using it when milorganite started getting hard to find, plus it’s cheaper. As a new home owner about 10 years ago I went went 4 applications of milo and it worked great but I also had st Augustine and no weeds so it was easy and got me learning about fertilizers. Now I use a combination of synthetic and organic fertilizers. At my new house I’ve been at about 4 years I’ve had to relearn lawn care because my yard was not healthy and full of weeds, plus I was dealing with a low quality Bermuda mix. Anyway, milo is great but most people don’t need such a high phosphorus ratio.
Agree completely
I added some K via starter fert in Sept 17 but used milo in Oct, Dec, May, July, August. Soil analysis Sept 18 showed only nitrogen was "low". We've had a very wet summer with 31inches of rain since July 1 so i was surprised the levels had held up. N6.11ppm P13.04ppm, K48.11ppm
Oh ! ...and I forgot to mention that I have been using alternately this year a synthetic fertilizer made by Promix (Canadian Company) and their formula is 36-0-12 compared to Scotts Turf Builder Green Max at 27-0-2 for example. I mixed both fertilizer together before spreading and throwing her down light. Not an expert at all but after few days the lawn looked really good. I think I will keep using this recipe of mine next season along with some Organic fertilizer and the Green County Fertilizer Bio Stinulants Pack, which I use for the very first time this season. I have seen tremendous improvement this summer with my lawn and its all because of you guys....much thanks to all of you !!!
Great!
Excellent Vid. Super Important!!! I have the exact same issues as you and I am in a Sandy Loam soil which does not hold K well. So I had to start supplementing K with a Sulfate of Potash 0-0-50. This now has to be my new norm if I am going to keep using Milo, even if I alternate Ringer it still is not enough K for me in this sandy soil. Thanks for a great vid Ryan!!!
FYI Be Careful with the 0-0-60 as that is Murate of Potash and has a very High Salt index. If you apply that at high rates and you NA (Salt) is already high, its going to jump to extremely high levels really quick. Sulfate of Potash 0-0-50 is really much better as the Salt index is about 1/2 that of the Murate version. Per Matt Martin (Grass Factor) the very best way to increase K levels is using a Liquid K like potassium acetate as it has a very low salt index and gets into soil profile much faster and is a foliar application for quick plant uptake as well. www.domyown.com/turfgrasspro-29-p-17266.html
I LOVE this video...one of the best! We all lose sight of Potash (K) completely missing from Milorganite and the long term effects on the immeasurable, hard work we do to maintain our own lawns. This was a big wake up call for me to ensure using Ringer and humic root supplements regularly with Milo. Kudos Ryan! Keep up the GREAT work!! If there is more cost efficient organic alternative to Ringer for Potash, please let us know!!
Had the same issue this spring and started adding a granular potash every few feedings. Hopefully that does the trick. Gonna do a test in sping. 50lb bags of straight sulfate of potash are tough to find but if u call enough places maybe you’ll get lucky
yes I found some at a turf supplier earlier this year
I use Milorganite for my Memorial Day and Independence Day lawn feedings and use synthetics for my early and late season feedings. I haven’t used any soil test kits but I do use other biological (humic acid and liquid kelp) and iron liquids.
Awesome video! I was just thinking about this a couple weeks ago and started to research how to add P to my lawn, without breaking the bank. My lawn is new (new construction) and have only been feeding it Milo, since July. I applied milo July and September, thinking of applying something else for the final application coming up. I bought a soil test kit, I will be using for next year, to start the year off right. Or at least in the right direction.
I've been working with a new construction lawn for three summers. It's been a struggle. The builder didn't do the best job clearing the yard so I have a lot of bumps. I over seeded and aerated last fall and produced great results. I'm considering hiring a company to top dress the lawn with the hope of leveling out several spots. Milo, 10-10-10 and Ringer have been my solid favorites.
Good video dude. Good thoughts. I think you hit it on the head when you mentioned all the starter fertilizer you had been using and/or the slight over use of any and all fertilizer (organic and synthetic) in general contributing to your P of the charts. I think it would be beneficial to maybe take our collective foot off the pedal with fertilizing, and I don’t think it a bad idea to throw a good quality all purpose 10-10-10 in the mix within the season or continually through out several seasons. Good on you for taking a detailed soil test and determining that your K is low. However I think that it might be your soil in particular, and not necessarily the absence of it in Milorganite or the other products you’ve been using. I would bet that it is the same in your entire neighborhood or block, meaning that it is an environmental thing.
Thanks for your comment and I agree, more is not necessarily better. It is definitely possible we have low K soil but I need to work to improve on that so we can move in the right direction for fighting off disease and some real stresses we have here in the summer.
Lawn actually uses very little phosphorus that is why synthetic or specialized lawn ferts contain usually no more than 1 to 2% and potassium is always higher as it is needed more by the plant especially the roots. Phosphorus is used more for flowering and fruiting. Also iron levels will usually show as low as it is one of the fastest used elements by plants.
Great video Ryan. I finally scored some Milorganite after weeks of searching but will probably not use it exclusively for the reasons you say, and it's hard to find in my area anyway. I've been trying out Urban Farms Liquid Lawn organic fertilizer the last few weeks, it's 10-1-2, appears to be working well but only after doubling its recommended dilution. Also just received humic acid soluble powder from Amazon, 2 lb bag for only $25, will easily last a couple years, that goes down tomorrow.
Greg Egan I’m thinking of trying liquid lawn just that 10 dollars of shipping idk... you can check out How to With Doc. He has a nice Bermuda lawn where he uses Humic Liquid Lawn and some iron. You should check his channel out, very informative.
Buka Okafor Thanks, the Liquid Lawn comes out to about $40 no matter where you order from, but you get a couple applications out of it. My lawn is definitely looking better after 3 applications but I think their recommended dilution of 1 tbspoon per gallon is too weak, I double it. I'm set for humic and iron/minerals for a couple years with the 2 lb bag of powdered humic acid from Amazon.
Go to your local Co-Op and get you some triple 13 and mix it with the Milorganite. Be prepared to mow like crazy but your yard will be a beautiful green!
Greg Egan you could go with one ounce per gallon then come back with an organic quick green up then long benefits from organic
I did 3 Milo apps this season, but my fall feeding will be 10-10-10.
maybe look for something something 10-0-10 instead. You likely have plenty of P down already
man ryan your soil plug is on point! living in colorado and its this sandy gritty mess
My soil test this year showed me deficient in N and K, with my P levels as high as they should be. I bought some Ringer for my ~7000 square foot lawn but its pricey! Have you heard of or tried Purely Organic Lawn Food? Its 10-0-2 and much cheaper. Also my local Home Depots carry it which is awesome. Going to try that to not go broke on fertilizer :)
Yep I just bought some and will be using it soon. :)
@@ryanknorrlawncare Awesome!!! :)
I gotta give credit to BYD at Bermuda grass central, he told us this a long time ago.
Great info. It's too bad Milorganite doesn't have any K, but it is refreshing to use Ringer throughout the year, too. Not just because it smells better, but because you get the Potassium, and I find it's easier to see the Ringer product when applying it (less mess).
Just put down some Anderson’s triple 19. Lawn looks great with all the rain.
I am more worried about the phosphorus levels as they take longer to come out of the soil and they bind up some of the micros (iron and zinc) I have started doing a foliar spray of the micros to try and alleviate this in my lawn most ferts in the UK all contain phosphorous. You are right to tell everyone to do an annnual soil test keeps us all on the right part timely video I love seeing your lawns from a drone total domination!!!
I'm from MN also. I only fertilize 3 times a years. Lowes has the Sta Green and it's got iron in it. I'm going to try out the Lesco this year. Your right about the Phosphorus. I've use Milorganite for 10+ years minus the winterizer. I used to be into the organic everything. I use both now but not much organic.
Im using NPK:s from april to july. After that, only PK:s from august to september for winter period. NPK levels are 9-2-7 and PK levels 5-20. I never put Nitrogen after July!
Thank you for this video. I just need some help without doing a soil test, I live in El Paso, TX.......desert city..lol. So just you know I had nothing but rocks in my backyard, previous owner never had grass nor trees. Nothing by small yellow rocks, cement, and bricks in the back. All of that was removed and was left nothing but dirt, then got some landscapers to install some Bermuda SOD on March 16, 2022......it was fantastic at the beginning but now after 4th week I noticed a change. Started getting all patchy ( I do water 3 times a week in the mornings for about 35-40 min). Thought I had some fungus so i applied some Scotts diseaseX 2 weeks and just this past weekend I applied some Revive. Thought maybe my dirt (soil is not holding up the water), hopefully that helps improve the soil. So now next week, I plan on fertilizing the lawn then adding some top soil to help it improve. Just not sure what type of fertilizer should I start of with. I live in the corner of West Texas. Can you help me out?
My soul savvy test was nearly identical. I was using milo for 2 years exclusive. This year i supplemented milo with some liquid K. I’ll be doing a hybrid program next year to get my levels in line.
Soil test and apply based off the results. Supplement with milo a few times a year. Winning combination.
Noticed a very low K level this year. Lawn was just stagnant even after Milorganite and some 10-10-10. Soil test showed I needed over 10lb of 0-0-50. Drove 45 min to Site One and put down 2lb today. Hopefully this works it out. Thanks Ryan for you great content!
Ryan - I went back to watch this video last night as my interest in Milorganite is on the decline. I used for about four years staight and got good results. Like yourself, I refine my lawn care plan. I will use Milorganite in May in the Northeast but that will be all. I use to do 4th of July and Labor Day. I have found the 4th July is too much on my lawn. Too much drought in Northeat around this time of year is to blame. I am usually leveling and reseeding in September so Milorganite is not needed. I have been supplementing my lawn with mostly Jonathan Green seed and fertilizers.
I'm in the northeast, Southern New York, and we've had an unusually warm start to the fall this year. Back in September I put down Scotts Turf-builder and then one week ago I used Milorganite for the first time ever. I'm really just starting to get back into lawn care and this summer was harsh on the grass in that it was a hot summer but we also had a good amount of rain in July (it rained just about every weekend) and then after the first week of August it just stopped raining and the weather got pretty hot and the grass took a beating. I applied the Scotts in early September and about two weeks after, I over seeded and the grass really started coming back, though there has been an increase in weeds and also clovers. About a week ago I used Milo for the first time ever and noticed how green the grass has started to get but what I also noticed is that is some spots on both the front lawn and the back lawn this whitish almost cobweb-like looking spots starting to show and it looked like it was expanding but since we got rain today, those spots are gone now. Do you think this has anything to do with the Milo or is that more from the humid and abnormally warm weather we've gotten?
That's the humidity and it's fungus growing. Hopefully you get a cool down and it should go away pretty quickly at that point. If you see it continue to spread you may need to look into fungicide
Thanks...yes, tomorrow the cool down begins, it will be windy and much cooler, temps be in the mid-60;s and the next week or so the temps will be in the high 50's and low 60's. I will monitor it the next few days and see if it all disappears...today because it rained you couldn't see it but, I noticed this starting to form on Sunday, Monday was cloudy and damp and though it didn't rain it was misty all day and since you mentioned it was fungus, then I supposed the warm and humid weather provided a good breeding ground for it. Hopefully it will go away but I will get a fungicide if I see it is still around. I thought it was possibly caused by the Milo since it was the first time I ever used it.
I only use Milo in the Summer since I live in Miami, FL. The rest of the year I put Lesco 24-2-11 every 5 weeks. Also, I mix my own liquid juice for soil maintenance.
100% this. Guys drool over one product but it takes a variety of things to really bring out the best. All the top LC youtubers add multiple products to help facilitate the ultimate goal.
I use Milorganite for Fall feeding because squirrels seem to be less attracted to it and do less digging in my lawn after it is applied. The Fall that I used Ringer I had a terrible time with squirrels digging up the lawn.
Great information. I need some help! I don’t know what to do in what order. I sprayed my front and back yard with Weed be Gone. My front and back yard has mostly weeds. Temps are 80 in Missouri, but dropping into 30s in a few days. What order would you attack this? (Fertilizers, pre-emergent, aerate, dethatch, fill holes and level spots with top soil, seed etc.) I am overwhelmed starting this. Thank you.
No potassium means weak disease resistance which is huge with battling fungus and since I'm battling it right now there is no way I'll ever go pure Milo.
My soil has 2 lbs/acre N, 4 lbs/acre P, and 223 lbs/acre K. Ideal is 60,65, and 300, respectively. Milo is going to be just about perfect for my lawn for a long time (along with 10/20/10).
Yep in that case you'll be good to go! Haha
What about the concerns about PFASs being found in biosolid fertilizers?
Hi Ryan, I really appreciate you taking the time to make this informative videos. Have you tried Humic acid in your lawn care program? I haven’t tried a soil test, but I am going to, after watching your latest video. I know my soils needs help, as my fertilizer applications are simply not enough.
Wish you all the best and stay safe. Cheers from Ottawa Canada.
Nice video . Did you decide on what product you going to rotate with ? And if so how often do you rotate what will the cycle look like let say if I put milo fert and after 4 week I rotate with a fert with potassium in it will that work your recommendation will be greatly appreciated.
There's a couple products...Ringer or Purely Organic Lawn Food
Ringer - amzn.to/2VJvTyt
Purely Organic - amzn.to/2VP6weU
I highly recommend a soil test to know for sure what you should be applying but if you were going to rotate and we'll just say you fertilize 4 times a year to make it easy, then just 2 milo and 2 other would sound good to me
You should become a professor up the road at ISU. Another great video.
Not sure I'm there yet but in hindsight I probably would have loved that career. Now I just get to make videos so it's not a bad thing either. :)
It's all about the balance
Great video Ryan. The soil testing is key. I did a soil test in August after months of "throw 'er down" and was surprised to see my deficits in N-P-K.
Good video. I like to rotate Milo & Ringer.
Great explanation of the NPK........and they why of different fertilizers
Excellent point raised here Ryan. Have you ever heard of a real/reliable DIY soil test - instead of the pain of mailing it out, etc? I saw this rapitesst product on Amazon but not sure how good it'd be.
I haven't heard of one that's accurate. I don't find the mailing to be tough at all though. It's a pretty simple process.
I have used milorganite several times on my lawn with good results, but I'm only applying it twice per year. I just renovated the lawn by aerating, top dressing with organic compost, and overseeding with certified perennial rye. I swear by the compost. My lawn has never looked as good or has been as healthy as it is now. And I live in Maine with 2 frosts under my belt already
Robert James
I have access to compost from a compost facility, $6 a backhoe bucket! But my yard is almost an acre, how can I spread it over a yard that big?
Maybe aerate then spread compost and fertilizer in the spring
This was my exact rookie mistake. I got caught up in the whole Milorganite frenzy and only used that for a whole season. come last spring I tested my soil and found things way off balance, grass was unhealthy, and had a bad fungus problem. After this last season of fixing my mistakes and alternating with ringer my yard is 100x better and healthier.
Thanks for the information Ryan, Easy to understand as usual.Thanks for sharing.😁👍👍
I actually have a lawn care company puts down their fertilizer and then I touch it up with Milorganite. I even add a little fast acting though VERY small amounts and have had amazing results. I would not just use one alone.
Hi...How much should I apply to a 5 gal plant...above ground or around root ball?
Also, Milorganite is very expensive. In SE Wisconsin, a bag is around $10, but only cover 2,500 sf. So it may seem cheap, but the coverage is far less.
Couldn’t find Milo this year hardly at all. Only have done 1 full app. I used Ringer the second week of September. It worked great. Try it. It’s a big more expensive tho.
Yes the expense is a downside for sure.
I found that it's a little cheaper if you buy it directly from Ringer's website. They have a points to cash system that makes the future purchases of Ringer less expensive compared to other places like Amazon.
Well said, Ryan!
If you might like organic potassium and micro nutrients you might try Fertrell brand jersey green sand for slow acting, and kelp meal, sometimes sold as sandaid at golf suppliers for a quick boost.
Both are about ten pounds per thousand so not a cheap choice but the green sand is long lasting and slow release.
Hi there. Grateful content. Can this be use as starer seed I'm about to renovated my lawn
i heat my house in winter with a wood stove, gonna try and figure out a way to spread wood ash on my lawn next spring for the potassium and phosphorous content to go along with my milorganite . I shall have the nicest lawn in the hood then
I had low k. Fungus and grass that wouldn’t stand up another thing I heard is from lack of k. And my p levels are through the roof as well Good video Ryan
Interesting you and Allyn decided to start telling folks to chill out throwing Milo down. Maybe the folks at the plant told him they will run out of product at the pace we're all using it. Lol. It was getti ng blown out of hand. Thanks for mentioning the "K-0" issue
What's weird is we actually did not plan to talk about that same subject but we were both just seeing a lot of posts in forums on going crazy with milorganite. So because of that it's important to remember it's not the only solution and a balance formula for a lawn is extremely important.
Newbie here. Moved into a new build home and sod was laid out during winter months.
It’s spring now and I just used ironite on my grass. Is it okay to use milorganite a week after? Do you know whether Scott’s turf lawn food contains potassium?
Great video, i just put Milorganite down, so when do i put Ringer down?
Eh, Ryan - Great topic and amazing info to keep in mind. I have been doing well this year following all you guys Lawn Tips and all but this is something I would like to have done (soil test) too before starting the next season. Thanks again, buddy !!!
You can see the build in my yard. My soil looks amazing compared to my neighbors. Theirs is pretty much sand. Mine is black and rich and full of worms. It’s almost impossible to find a fertilizer here in south Florida that has potassium. It’s pretty much banned. The general consensus here is that it’s not needed.
Make sure you apply any potassium earlier in the season. Late season applications can lead to snow mold.
That is the general rule. For me I've never had much of an issue late but it's probably because my levels are low
Great video Ryan. I like mixing my fertilizer up throughout the year. I was thinking of going straight liquid organic next year that is 7-2-4.
I may try a few different things next year as well
Hey Ryan. Have you heard of or used jobes organic fertilizer?? My local Lowe’s has it. Seems to be pretty similar to ringer. It’s a 10-0-2 ratio. And is pretty inexpensive, says 15lbs covers 5000sqft. Seems like a good option to go back and forth between milorganite and jobes.
I haven't but yes that does sound like a good option
Thanks buddy.
What time of year should I apply the malginorite, and how much. I saw another video who says put down as much as I want and one a week if desired.
Please help, novice lawn care
www.milorganite.com/using-milorganite/rates-and-schedule
What soil test kit do you recommend
Waypoint analytical
Glad you bring Ringer back in the fold. That is my best combo, Scott’s 4 step, Mel and Ringer is hot times
Another big reason a milo-only lawn isn't ideal is that fall time fertilization is the most important period, yet as temps cool down the microherd winds down and won't process the fertilizer. Using milo for winterization is a poor choice for this reason. Fully synthetic quick release (ideally straight urea) is the better choice in that case.
Absolutely correct.
Ryan, great video and I just subscribed. I’ve only used Scott’s program and have never been ecstatic with my final results so I want to change it up a bit. How can I build a great annual lawn program for optimum results? I would invest heavily to get the desired results and ideally get to a four or five time treat-rate. I live in MD with a 45k sq ft lawn. Milorganite (which I never used) sells for $20bag, when available. I just recently put down a pre-em and just purchased Ironite. But what should I do next? Any help would be appreciated.
Great video Ryan and great advice!
Ryan knows lawns very well (easy to see from his front and back yard lawns). However, he says at the beginning of this video about the benefits of Milorganite that “over the years that I have been using it (Milorganite), I feel that my soil has has improved a little bit.” But then he follows that immediately with “it’s hard to measure that exactly between using it synthetic fertilizer and something like Milorganite.” So, did he just say he can’t tell if using Milorganite is any better than using synthetic fertilizer?
Unless I woild have done a side by side test with just one or the other I'm not sure I could say for sure. For the first 4-5 years of taking care of my lawn I used both synthetic and milorganite and I still like a similar program except I have switched from Milo to other things that don't contain phosphorus since I have an overabundance. What I meant with why I think things improved a little has to do with organics creating more microbe activity and in turn feeding the soil in that way. Hope that explains it further as to what I was discussing.