It is unnecessary and harmful to use Milorganite every month. Milorganite is an organic, high-nitrogen fertilizer with a very slow release schedule. It takes 8–10 weeks for Milorganite to release all of its soil nutrients and feed your lawn. If you apply Milorganite to your grass each month, you risk the following negative effects:
- Weakened grass, due to poor root growth.
- Thatch buildup from forced grass blade growth.
- “Burnt” grass caused by an overabundance of nitrogen.
- Poor drought recovery, as well as decreased resistance to hot and cold temperatures.
In order to avoid these ill effects, apply Milorganite a maximum of 4 times per year, with applications about 2 months apart. You will reap massive rewards from this incredible fertilizer without the risk of damaging your yard.
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How Often Can You Apply Milorganite?
You can apply Milorganite up to 4 times per year. This will deliver continuous nutrients to your lawn while it’s growing. Typically, these applications are spaced 6–10 weeks apart. This allows time for the nutrients within the Milorganite to fully release into the soil and feed the grass before the next application. By allowing this nutrient dispersal, you get the most out of your Milorganite and eliminate the risk of harming your lawn.
Milorganite Application Schedule
Depending on your grass type and your location, your optimal Milorganite application schedule will differ. Cool-season grasses are often found in the northern half of the United States, while warm-season grasses are typically found in southern and coastal states. Make sure you know what grass is growing in your yard before you start fertilizing with Milorganite.
Cool-Season Grasses (Rye, Fescue, Kentucky Bluegrass)
- First Application: Early- to late-May (when the lawn has exited winter dormancy)
- Second Application: Early July
- Third Application: Early September
- Fourth Application: Early to mid-November (before the first snowfall)
Warm-Season Grasses (Bermuda, St. Augustine, Zoysia)
- First Application: Early- to mid-April
- Second Application: Late-May to early-June
- Third Application: Early September
- Fourth Application: Early-October (4 weeks before the first frost, if applicable to your region)
Negatives of Milorganite Every Month
Milorganite is a high-nitrogen fertilizer. Nitrogen is great for your lawn if it’s provided in the right doses. It feeds grass and suppresses many species of weeds that thrive in low-nitrogen soil (such as clover and dandelions). On the flip side, there is the possibility of getting too much of a good thing. Although Milorganite is much less likely to “burn” your yard and kill grass than an overdose of synthetic high-nitrogen fertilizer, it does carry some negative effects, such as:
- Overuse of Milorganite promotes shallow, weak grass roots. This makes your grass much less resistant to drought, heat, and cold.
- Too much Milorganite causes forced excessive blade growth. This results in thatch buildup that chokes grass, robs moisture from the soil and invites fungal diseases.
- Grass can yellow or brown, losing color due to an excess of nitrogen in the soil.
Can You Use Too Much Milorganite?
Too much Milorganite can damage your grass by promoting weak roots, making your lawn less resistant to drought, summer heat, and winter lows. Although applying Milorganite every month may produce a quick abundance of blade growth, you’re actually sabotaging your lawn’s future by weakening the roots.
Milorganite is a slow-release fertilizer. This means two things—it’s safer for your lawn and less likely to kill the grass by “burning” it than fast-release fertilizer, but it also shows results more slowly. Be patient. Milorganite releases its nutrients over an 8–10-week span. This means that for 2 months, your grass will get a little stronger, greener, and thicker each day. Wait it out—Milorganite will deliver great results when given time.
How Much Milorganite is Too Much?
1 bag (32 lbs) of Milorganite is intended to feed 2,500 square feet of lawn (a 50-by-50 area). Do not exceed the recommendations for Milorganite concentration by area. More Milorganite does not mean better or faster results. An excess of Milorganite can even weaken your lawn. If you apply Milorganite every month, your lawn may look worse next year than it did this year.
Apply Milorganite in the volume recommended, using a spreader for even distribution. Milorganite delivers the best results at the manufacturer volume. Why use more? You’ll spend more money and get worse long term results.
Milorganite Every Month
Although it may be tempting to apply Milorganite every month throughout the growing season to promote a lush, thick yard more quickly, this isn’t recommended. Milorganite takes around 2 months to release all its nutrients into the soil. By applying Milorganite each month, you may see a short term boom in grass blade growth, but you will weaken the grass roots, create excess thatch buildup in your lawn, and even run the risk of killing patches of grass with nitrogen overload.
If you use Milorganite each month, you can cause grass disease or death, as well as poor green-up after dormancy. Don’t run the risk of harming your yard with monthly Milorganite. Apply Milorganite 4 times per year to build up soil quality and promote long term health. Your lawn will be happier, you’ll love the results, and you’ll save money.
