7 Best Milorganite Alternatives for a Thicker, Greener Lawn

Milorganite is a highly effective organic fertilizer ideal for growing grass, flowers, vegetables, and other leafy plants. A downside to using Milorganite is its seasonal unavailability issues, which makes it quite difficult to rely on it for season-long lawn care. In the event of shortages, you want to have an alternative fertilizer that’ll still make your lawn grow thicker, fuller, and greener.

The best Milorganite substitute is The Andersons 7-1-2 Innova Premium Organic Fertilizer with the supplementation of iron. Other substitutes you can also use include Scott’s Turf Builder Lawn Food, Greenedge Slow Release 6-2-0 NPK fertilizer, and Procare Natural Fertilizer.

Other great substitutes I highly recommend are:

  • 10-0-2 Purely Organic Products Crabgrass Defender Lawn Food
  • EcoScraps Slow-Release Fertilizer

7 Best Milorganite Alternatives

Most of the Milorganite substitutes listed below can improve your soils’ nutrient quality and promote overall plant nutrition at a cheaper price. You want to try and match Milorganite’s NPK ratio, iron content, as well as its organic, slow-release nature when looking for viable alternatives. Most of the substitute products are readily available at Menards, Home Depot, Amazon, and Costco but may not contain the same exact nutrient ratios as Milorganite.

Here are 7 of the best Milorganite alternatives

1. Anderson’s Innova 7-1-2

The Innova 7-1-2 organic fertilizer is a high-quality product suitable for your lawn improvement needs. The product features a natural soybean base and contains a high concentration of amino acids (and additional elements) to improve your soil’s overall quality over time.

The 7:1:2 NPK ratio readily compares with the 6:4:0 NPK ratio of Milorganite (although the latter contains higher potassium concentrations).

Innova organic fertilizer is an OMRI- listed product with environmentally friendly compounds ideal for most lawns. It is also a safe lawn fertilizer for pets and kids. 

The product slowly releases nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, and other essential nutrients that last within the soil for longer and prevent overapplication and turf burn that can make grass turn yellow or brown. Its high carbon to nitrogen ratio (6:1) enhances effective microbial activity during its use.

I would recommend that you apply the fertilizer within 4-6 weeks during periods of active growth. The appropriate application rate largely depends on the plant variety, soil type, and growth stage. The average application ratio ranches from 3½ to 11 Pounds per 1000 sq. ft. but amounts may vary for trees, flowering plants, or seeding.

2. Greenedge Slow Release 6-2-0

The Greenedge Slow Release organic fertilizer is a high-quality product that is ideal for greening your lawn. It has nitrogen-rich organic compounds as the primary base materials for the fertilizer.

Greenedge Slow Release organic fertilizer has an NPK ratio of 6% Nitrogen, 2% Phosphorous, and 0% (less than 1%) Potassium and boasts a greater nitrogen release efficiency (to Milorganite) owing to a unique processing mechanism that combines hydrolysis and microbial activity.

You can adopt the fertilizer as an appropriate substitute to Milorganite, given its high nitrogen quantity, ease of application, and diverse potential uses. Greenedge Slow Release fertilizer helps to improve soil fertility by adding nitrogen (and other essential minerals) to your soil over an extended duration without the worry of turf burn.

This fertilizer provides an organic, environmentally friendly solution to general landscaping and turfgrass maintenance for your residential and commercial needs.

Greenedge Slow Release organic compounds come in the form of solid granules or liquid sprays. The fertilizer works best on short grass and you can apply it periodically during the active growing phase.

3. Epsoma 8-0-0

Epsoma 8-0-0 provides a reliable organic solution for your lawn/grass requirements. The product contains a blend of feather meal and pasteurized poultry guano to produce a natural alternative compound for landscaping. You can apply the fertilizer as a starter on newly seeded areas to improve mature grass and enhance flora as per the buyer’s needs.

Epsoma 8-0-0 has an NPK ratio of 8% Nitrogen, 0% (less than 1%) Phosphorous and 0% (less than 1%) potassium. The fertilizer also contains significant quantities of calcium and magnesium to improve the soil’s nutrient quality and aid in the translocation of essential minerals through your plant’s roots.

As a result of its high nitrogen quantity, organic nature, and slow-release properties, Epsoma 8-0-0 can serve as a Milorganite substitute. In contrast with Milorganite, the fertilizer is readily available, has a reasonable price tag, and lacks dangerous chemical compounds like lead (which can cause harm to the environment and personal health if left to accumulate).

It is advisable to apply about 6 pounds for every 1000 sq Ft. But overapplication of the fertilizer has no detrimental impact on the soil (and does not cause turf burn). It is best to apply the product in late summer and to gently water the surface after application.

4. Safer Brand Lawn Restore 10-0-6

Safer Brand Lawn Restore 10-0-6 is a reliable organic alternative to Milorganite. The product has abundant nitrogen and potassium concentrations making it ideal for applying to your lawns, gardens, etc.

The brand has an NPK ratio of 9% Nitrogen, 0%(less than 1%) Phosphorous, and about 2% Potassium. Safer Brand Restore organic fertilizer promotes foliage growth leaving your lawn with an appealing lush green color. The fertilizer takes about the same time as Milorganite (two weeks) for your plants to start showing results. Considerable concentrations of potassium help improve your lawn’s resistance to diseases, promotes root strength, and safeguard against wilting.

Safer Brand Lawn Restore 10-0-6 can be an ideal substitute for Milorganite given its comparable NPK, ratio, and organic nature. The product is readily available within most stores, making it a more accessible option during occasional supply shortages.

It’s best to follow the manufacturer’s regulations during application. Some users tout the product to cover an average of 6,250 Sq Ft. per bag, an aspect that gives the user value for money. The average price averages somewhere around $92 for a bag (though prices may differ depending on the bag size and local location).

5. Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Food

Scotts “Turf Builder” Lawn Food is a quality choice for anybody looking for a nitrogen-rich organic fertilizer. The fertilizer is ideal for greening your lawns, shrubs, gardens, and other landscaped spaces. The lawn food is OMRI-listed as proof of its high-quality standards. Besides, you can apply the organic compound to diverse species of grass.

The brand has a high nitrogen concentration comparable to other organic compound varieties (including Milorganite) and has an NPK ratio of 32% Nitrogen, 0% Phosphorous, and 4% Potassium.

Having a high nitrogen content improves soil/lawn quality giving you a greener, healthy-looking space. The product also contains minerals such as sulfur and iron in limited concentrations, making it a great substitute to Milorganite for your lawn.

You can apply the fertilizer during different seasons, but it’s best to feed your grass every 6-8 weeks for the best results. The brand is readily accessible at affordable rates. A 37.5 lb bag can cover a range of about 15000 sq. ft. (which makes the fertilizer a good buy).

6. Procare Natural Fertilizer

Procare Natural Fertilizer is a quality product ideal for greening your lawns, shrubs, gardens, and other outdoor spaces. The fertilizer variety comes with slow-release qualities that ensure a slow and steady release of essential nutrients during your vegetation’s active growth phase.

Procare Natural fertilizer provides you with a safe, environmentally friendly solution to your lawn improvement endeavors. The product has an NPK ratio of 4% nitrogen, 3% Phosphorous, and 0% (less than 1% Potassium).

You can opt for Procare Natural Fertilizer as a viable replacement for organic fertilizer, given their comparable quantities of nitrogen. Both products also feature organic traits and slow-release features. The fertilizer also contains non-staining iron compounds that complement the other essential nutrients.

You can apply Procare natural fertilizer during different seasons. However, it’s best to feed your grass at the onset of its active growing phase to promote foliage and root development. A 36lb bag can cover up to 2500 Sq Ft of lawn space. It’s best to spread the fertilizer every 6-8 weeks for optimum results.

7. Jonathan Green 10-0-1

Jonathan Green is an ideal organic choice for home lawn improvement. The product consists mainly of soybean, blood meal, and feather meal as primary materials in the manufacture of the fertilizer (thereby making it a safe alternative to Milorganite and other sludge-based manures).

The NPK ratio of Jonathan Green fertilizer is 10-0-1 (10% Nitrogen, 0% Phosphorus, and about 1% Potassium). The product appears as regular-sized granules for easy application on seeded/sodded grass lawns. It’s advisable to apply the fertilizer during late spring, summer, or early fall (the crop’s active growth period) for an attractive green color.

Jonathan Green Organic fertilizer makes for an ideal Milorganite alternative given its high nitrogen quantities, organic nature, and slow-release characteristics. Besides, the product is readily available in most agricultural stores at more convenient pricing compared to the latter.

It’s best to use a rotary/drop lawn spreader when applying fertilizer. Ideally, you can start by working on the perimeter to help you establish a turning point and then work on overlaps to avoid gapping. A 17lb pound can cover up to 5000 Sq Ft; overapplication rarely causes adverse effects to the soil.

Why is Milorganite so hard to find?

Milorganite is one of the best slow-release organic fertilizers that make lawns grow visibly thicker and greener. As such, its demand is very high especially from spring through summer when lawn care activities intensify. Since the manufacturing process is quite slow, it cannot meet the demand for Milorganite, which leads to a shortage every year.

Simply put, Milorganite’s high demand to low supply ratio makes it hard to find. If you rely on it to feed your lawn, it is worth considering buying the fertilizer in bulk during the off-season months.

However, if you cannot find the product on the shelves of Home Depot, Amazon stores, Lowes, Menards, Walmart, DoMyOwn etc, you want to consider some alternative fertilizers to Milorganite for maintaining your lawn.

Is there fertilizer comparable to Milorganite?

You can find several other brands of fertilizers that also contain high nitrogen content or have an NPK average ratio that almost resembles that of Milorganite based fertilizers.

However, Milorganite has become increasingly popular because of its high nutrient quantities, organic composition, safety, and environmentally friendly features. Milorganite is beneficial during seeding (or) sodding of young lawns as its slow release properties safeguard against burning the grass in the event of overapplication.

Where can you buy Milorganite Substitutes?

You can readily find Milorganite fertilizer at Home Depot, Walmart, Lowes, and other stores that handle lawn improvement products. Milorganite’s manufacturers have several supply challenges that might make it more difficult for buyers to acquire the product, especially during the peak season.

However, you can opt for viable Milorganite alternatives that may also contain comparable ratios and concentrations of essential nutrients such as Nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, and iron at the same stores or from recommended dealerships.

It’s important to follow manufacturers’ specifications during the application of these products as they might have slightly different application techniques.

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