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5 Best Milorganite Alternatives – Reviews and Buying Guide 2023

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Milorganite has been a popular solid organic fertilizer for gardens and lawns for years. This is because of its nationwide availability, low cost, and ability to support healthy yield every year.

However, the problem with Milorganite is that it’s becoming more expensive every year, with the phosphorus content being very high compared to nitrogen content. This means you need to go for the Milorganite alternatives.

Today many alternative products are completely organic and slowly release nitrogen into the lawn. You need to go for the best Milorganite alternatives because it is easy to use and do not contain substances that could be harmful to children or pets.

These alternatives allow the grass to grow properly, resulting in a beautiful lawn. You will get the minerals like phosphorus, nitrogen, amino acids, and potassium. Also, they have the most organic ingredients like blood meal, alfalfa meal, feather meal, or soybean to provide potash and nitrogen.

These best Milorganite alternatives offer plenty of nutrients to the soil needed by the plants without burning the lawn. This will give you dense green grass and a healthy lawn when they sprout.

Safer Brand 9334 25 lb Lawn Restore Fertilizer Best Milorganite Alternatives 2
Safer Brand 9334 25 lb Lawn Restore Fertilizer – via Amazon.com

Factors to consider when buying the best Milorganite alternatives

Lawn size

When buying the best Milorganite alternatives, you need to consider the lawn size. You need to consider the lawn size you plan to apply Milorganite alternatives before purchasing any specific product.

Some models come in different maximum coverage, ranging from approximately 2,500 square feet to 12,000 square feet. So make sure you choose the Milorganite alternatives that successfully cover your lawn in one go. It also saves time and money.

Type of fertilizer

As Milorganite alternatives, you can use a variety of fertilizers, including organic fertilizers and synthetic fertilizers. Both have their advantages as synthetic fertilizers act faster than organic fertilizers. Nevertheless, some synthetic fertilizers are unsafe and not eco-friendly to the environment.


5 Best Milorganite Alternatives

1. Simple Lawn Solutions Superior Nitrogen & Potash Quality Phosphorus-Free Milorganite Alternative

Simple Lawn Solutions Superior Nitrogen Potash Quality Phosphorus Free Milorganite Alternative Best Milorganite Alternatives

Simple Lawn Solutions has developed this Milorganite alternative that the phosphate-free nutritional fertilizer. For one thing, it is made of high-quality feed ingredients. It helps to nourish the lawn to health with pure liquid nutrients. It is designed to be easily and quickly applied in the same case.

If you require to maintain the lawn health or the lawn shows some symptoms of potassium and nitrogen deficiency, this is the right fertilizer for you. The model has potash, sulfur, and humic acid that intensify growth and green while it offers the key nutrients for grass hardiness. Also, a humic acid condition in the soil will help the food transfer all over the plant cell.

You need to keep the lawn watered adequately to ensure the nutrients are properly absorbed. Ensuring that you will nourish the soil safely, this Milorganite alternative is designed with suitability and may apply quickly across different grass types. Typically these grass include Bermuda grass, St. Augustine grass, Palmetto, Bluegrass, Zoysia, Fescue, and many more

Pros
  • Maintains lawn health
  • Intensifies growth and green
  • Quickly and easily applied
  • It can be applied to all grass types
  • It ensures the transfer of food all over the plant cell
  • Safe for pets and children
  • It strengthens the grass
  • Nutrients are properly absorbed
  • It has balanced nutrients and vitamins
  • Superior nitrogen and potash
  • Resistant to both cold and hot weather
  • Helps to attain greener grass
  • Free from all harsh chemicals
  • Easy to apply
Cons
  • The flow rate is too high

2. Safer Brand 9334 25-lb Lawn Restore Fertilizer

Safer Brand 9334 25 lb Lawn Restore Fertilizer Best Milorganite Alternatives

Many people are going for this product from Safer Brand because it helps to revitalize grass to a dense turf by just strengthening root systems. It makes the lawn green within three to five days and promotes a robust root system to ensure a healthier lawn. Equally important, it offers efficient year-round care by assisting plants to withstand cold, drought, and heat stresses.

A bag of 20 lb can cover up to 5,000 square feet and contains every nutrient your lawn requires to revitalize to get thick grass with only one product. The NPK nutrient ratio provides the soil and lawn with the nutrients needed to promote healthy growth and soil vitality. Also, it develops robust root systems, alleviate stress conditions, and repair thinning lawns throughout the year.

If this Milorganite alternative is applied as directed in the instructions, it is safe for pets and children immediately after application. The presence of potassium helps promote a strong root system to keep the grass healthy for longer. More importantly, it has no phosphorus since it is required to promote flower growth on the beautiful lawn.

Pros
  • Make the lawns l greener within three to five days
  • Promote a robust root system
  • It ensures a healthier lawn
  • Offer effective year-round care
  • It helps the plants to withstand cold, heat, and drought stresses
  • Promote soil vitality
  • Safe for pets and children
  • Repair thinning lawns
  • Alleviate the stress conditions the entire year
  • Promote flower growth
  • Promote microorganisms and root systems
  • Easy to use
Cons
  • Odor is horrible

3. The Andersons Innova Premium 7-1-2 Milorganite Alternative

The Andersons Innova Premium 7 1 2 Milorganite Alternative Best Milorganite Alternatives

The unique thing about this best Milorganite alternative from The Andersons is that it is safe for use around pets, kids and is an environmentally-sensitive waterway. It is 100% plant-derived, where it does not contain manure, biosolids, animal parts, or composted waste products. Equally important, it is safe for ponds and wells and perfect for all climates and grass types.

Additionally, this product does not have any toxins or synthetic chemicals, making it an ideal fertilizer for grass with pet and kid traffic. In like manner, it does not pose any risk of turf burning or over-application, and you can safely apply it in dry and hot weather. On the other hand, it comes with low-dust and homogeneous granules, making application easy.

Similarly, it is designed to ensure healthy plants and soils by supplying the ideal ratio of carbon and nitrogen, which is 6:1. Thanks to the highly-digestible carbon source, it acts as fuel for helpful soil microbes.

Also, it delivers phosphorus, nitrogen, amino acids, and potassium that are important to the lawn. The slow-release formula offers extended feeding without any risk of burning your lawn or over-applying.

Pros
  • Safe for use around pets and kids
  • 100% plant-derived
  • It does not burn the lawn
  • Easy to apply
  • Ideal for all climates and grass types
  • Highly-digestible carbon
  • No obnoxious odors
  • Improve soil health
  • It provides beneficial soil microbes
  • Easy to use
  • Amino-acid enriched formula
  • It stimulates healthy plants and soils
  • Creates a perfect condition for seed germination and plant growth
  • Easy to spread
Cons
  • It attracts pests
  • It has a foul smell

4. Scotts Turf Builder 12.5-lb Lawn Food Milorganite Alternative

Scotts Turf Builder 12.5 lb Lawn Food Milorganite Alternative Best Milorganite Alternatives

The Scotts product is formulated to strengthen and feed your lawn and protect against future problems. It comes with exclusive all-in-one particle technology that can ensure greening and feeding. In all honesty, it builds deep and strong roots and helps to improve the grass’s ability to absorb nutrients and water.

Likewise, it can be applied in any season to help handle the stress caused by weather and activity. This Milorganite alternative is made of meat meal, feather meal, bone meal, sulfate of potash, and blood meal. In a like manner, it is safe for children and pets, and the children can play out on a lawn that has been applied immediately.

Moreover, it comes with the high nitrogen ratio of the NPK formulation of 11-2-2. If you discover there is no Milorganite, you can solve this shortage using this product. An application will build a green, thick lawn organically. OMRI lists this product as a safe product for children and pets.

Pros
  • It builds strong and deep roots
  • Improves the absorption of water and nutrients
  • It does not burn the lawn
  • Safe for children and pets
  • The children can play on a lawn straightaway after application
  • High nitrogen ratio
  • Easy to use
  • Easy to spread
  • Promotes green leafy growth
  • Simple application instructions
Cons
  • It attracts dogs

5. Covington Naturals Chelated Liquid Iron Milorganite Alternatives

Covington Naturals Chelated Liquid Iron Milorganite Alternatives Best Milorganite Alternatives

The important thing about this Milorganite Alternatives from Covington Naturals is that it is economical, quick, and easy to correct iron deficiency in the plants. Notably, it contains the essential micronutrients that can be added to the shrubs, trees, lawns, flowers, and vegetables. When the concentrate is readily mixed with water, it can be applied to the plants.

Similarly, it contains 6% highly-bioavailable iron, which is correct and helps prevent the plant from turning yellow. In the same case, it is effective because the plants grow rapidly and are least effective when suffering from stress or dormant.

Thanks to 12% nitrogen, 0.05% manganese, and 3.3% sulphur, they are applied on the garden and lawn for premium results. The product has a versatile formula compatible where you can use it everywhere from golf courses, residential lawns, and large farming operations. It is easy to apply because the liquid iron may be applied as a soil drench or foliar spray. Before you app

Pros
  • It has a premium result
  • Turns the yellow color from plants to green
  • It is versatile
  • Easy to apply
  • It is lightweight
  • Acts faster than many fertilizers
  • It is affordable
  • Easy to use
  • Convenient to use
Cons
  • Iron can damage the bushes

What are the types of fertilizers

1.       OrganicOrganic fertilizers

These fertilizers are natural in origin and are therefore considered environmentally friendly. Other plants are processed and animal waste products are used to get them. 

For example, wood ash, peat, manure, and infusion of green herbs are used. The effect of such feeding lasts for a long time. Organic fertilizers improve soil structure. However, they must be handled carefully, as oversaturation of the soil with some elements may occur.

2.       Mineral fertilizers 

They are inorganic compounds containing high concentrations of plant nutrients in various mineral salts. Such fertilizers are obtained chemically. Mineral fertilizers may contain one macro or micronutrients like nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur, and fluorine. Such fertilizers are called one-sided or simple. 

If the fertilizer contains several elements in a compound or mixture, they are called complex. Mineral fertilizers are used when there is a lack of certain minerals in the soil. Such fertilizers should be used with caution because incorrectly calculated application doses can harm the soil and plants.

3.       Organo-mineral fertilizers

These types of fertilizers are usually produced in granules. They have the properties of organic and mineral fertilizers. Unlike other types of top dressing, trace elements, in this case, enter directly into the root system of plants. Mineral and organic fertilizers, on the contrary, disperse trace elements throughout the soil.

4.       Microbiological fertilizers

They are preparations that contain highly active microorganisms. The nutritional conditions of crops are improved. Microbiological fertilizers increase yields. They are eco-friendly, and plants cannot overdose. Fertilizers are available in powder or liquid form.

Application of organic fertilizers

Methods for applying organic fertilizers at home and in agricultural holdings differ. At home, organic fertilizers are applied manually. As a rule, the fertilizer must first be down and overturned. Then when it is in the form of aqueous solutions, it is applied to the soil. Purchased granulated manure or chicken manure can be applied in the form of granules or also dissolved in water.

The farmers use machines for applying organic fertilizers. With the help of tanks containing sprinklers, liquid organic fertilizers are applied. Various types of seeders or spreaders are used for rotted manure and chicken manure. 

Spreaders are also used for applying granular fertilizers. Granular fertilizers on farms are applied in dry form. The granules, falling into the ground, gradually dissolve over several months, evenly introducing useful substances into the soil.

When to fertilize the plants

For plants to develop fully, they need water, light, and minerals. With their shortage, flowers and other crops begin to wither, pathogenic bacteria may appear on them, or they can die altogether. To avoid this, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the plants. There are several situations in which plants need fertilizers.

In spring, you can fertilize the plants when the seeds germinate when seedlings are planted in the ground, and during the period when the plants bloom, or fruit ovaries form on them. In autumn, plants need to be fed when preparing to mature. Fertilize them for normal wintering to reduce the risk of death.

What fertilizers to use for special purposes

Fertilizers are used as a means of controlling weeds or pests. They also restore the soil, strengthen the immunity of plants, stimulate their growth, and nourish them with useful substances.

So that the plants do not have weeds, use mulch that covers the ground. Wood chips, plastic sheeting, grass clippings, or leaf litter will do. All this also restores the soil by moisturizing and adding nutrients.

The soil is also restored with organic fertilizer, decomposition products of organic waste of plant or animal origin. To prevent pests and plant diseases, urea is usually used and chemical preparations. 

Most often, they are produced in the form of powder or granules. The preparations should be dissolved in water and sprayed with this solution of the plant.

Almost all fertilizers stimulate plant growth and nourish them with nutrients. To make up for the lack of any element in the soil, you should pay attention to the composition written on the package.

How much fertilizer is needed and how to store it?

The volume and weight of the fertilizer determine the dosage. For different needs, a certain amount of fertilizer is required. For example, if you observe nitrogen deficiency in plants, you need to feed them with ammonium nitrate. 5-15 g per square meter is enough. 

Application methods for different crops and different problems are usually prescribed on fertilizer packages. As a rule, fertilizers are sold in large volumes, which are not fully used at one time. 

In this case, they should be stored in a well-ventilated area free of drafts. The room must be dry because fertilizers lose their quality and nutritional value if fertilizers get wet. 

Organic ones emit a strong smell, so you should keep them away from living quarters. The shelf life of mineral fertilizers is indicated on the packages. On average, it is 1-3 years. Organic can be stored for no more than nine months.


Conclusion

Using the best Milorganite alternative is the ideal option if you want lasting health of the lawn. They add a lot of organic matter to the soil, making the plants flourish.

In the same way, they have a slow nutrient release over an extended time and ensure a good drainage, aeration, and soil texture. Since nutrients are released slowly, you do not worry about overdoing when applying, so you do not damage the lawn.

The Andersons Innova Premium 7-1-2 Milorganite Alternative is the best-selling product because it does not have toxins or synthetic chemicals, which is fit for pets and kids to play around with after application. Likewise, it has important minerals like phosphorus, nitrogen, amino acids, and potassium, making the plants healthy and strong.

This product has achieved the required factors because it does not contain toxins or synthetic chemicals harmful to pets and children and has important minerals for plant growth.