If you’re looking to reinforce your grass’s growth, then you’ll need to adequately tend to its needs.
One of the best ways to make sure of this is by using the proper fertilizer, but there are so many different options and brands out there that it could make your head spin.
For that reason, we’ve put together this comparison of two of the top kinds of fertilizers that you’d want to use on your lawn. We’ll start off by taking a look at Milorganite and then we’ll move on and see what Scotts Turf Builder has to offer.
We’ll also give you our final verdict on which one works best.
Milorganite vs. Scotts Turf Builder: Which is Better?
The best choice for you will largely depend on what you want out of your fertilizer. For most beginner lawn care applications, we’d recommend using Scotts because of its ease of use.
The four steps involved in using Scotts are easy to follow and difficult to mess up, but if you already know how to care for your lawn, we’d highly recommend Milorganite.
Milorganite is such a great choice of fertilizer because of its organic composition and the sheer quality of the fertilizer itself.
While you’ll likely end up spending a little bit more on your Milorganite, it’s worth the money if you care about your lawn and you want to see it thrive.
Milorganite Pros and Cons
- Milorganite farminf plant
Milorganite is a fertilizer made by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, and it is one of the most effective slow-release fertilizers on the market and an extremely popular choice for homeowners.
Milorganite is characterized by its status as a highly effective tool as long as you know how to use it.
This is because Milorganite isn’t designed to hold your hand through the process of using it like Scotts is.
Instead, the makers of this product trust you to come up with your own fertilization schedule that you can then stick to and make the most of.
However, that isn’t the only advantage of Milorganite.
One of the most impressive things about this fertilizer is that it was one of the first that was manufactured to be as eco-friendly as possible.
If you love your lawn, then it only makes sense to support the ecosystem that makes that lawn possible, and that’s what you’re doing when you purchase Milorganite.
Through the processing of sewage into fertilizer, the company is able to reduce the strain that we put on our surroundings while creating an excellent product that can be used to feed your lawn.
Another great thing about Milorganite is that you’re not just restricted to using it on your lawn, as it can also be used to fertilize flowers and your garden.
Pros:
- Fully organic
- Eco-friendly
- Highly effective formula
Cons:
- Expensive
- Requires some experience
Scotts Turf Builder Pros and Cons
- Grows new grass 70% thicker, 35% quicker versus unfed grass
- Improves seeding results--also great for sod and grass plugs
- 24-25-4 fertilizer ratio provides the nutrients for developing lawns
Scotts Turf Builder isn’t a single product, like Milorganite. Instead, it’s a four-step system that you can use to improve your lawn dramatically.
Scotts even makes different variations of their Turf Builder that are designed for different regions of the country, since you’ll face different problems with your lawn based on where you are.
As you’d expect from a highly efficient fertilizer, each bag contains healthy amounts of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus.
The first step is a Crabgrass preventer that can stop invasions before they occur. This will ensure that your turf doesn’t end up getting smothered by this grass-like weed.
The next step is the weed control system, which will ensure that hardy weeds like dandelions and clovers don’t end up worming their way into your lawn.
This is known as a weed and feed mixture because it is designed to cut the growth of weeds while also providing your lawn with the nutrients it requires.
Step 3 is the first of the two lawn food mixtures that you’ll be adding to your grass. The extra iron in this step ensures that your grass won’t end up going yellow.
Finally, the last step is your fall lawn food, which is designed to reinforce the boost that you gave your lawn in the summer and to ensure that your grass will come out of dormancy healthy.
Scotts Turf Builder Pros:
- Steps are easy to follow
- Specialized ingredients based on region
- Good price
Scotts Turf Builder Cons:
- Non-organic
- Less safe for pets and children
Can I Mix Milorganite With Scotts?
When caring for a lawn, you have to remember that it’s not a cut and dry matter that you can just get out of the way by following a predetermined set of steps. Every lawn is different and the conditions in which your lawn grows may also be different, so you’ll have to account for those variances.
If that’s the case, can you use both of these fertilizers to get the best of both worlds?
Unfortunately, it is possible to over-fertilize your lawn, so you don’t want to reach that threshold. If you end up putting too much fertilizer on your lawn, then you can end up burning your lawn or even killing it outright.
However, if you’re not trying to use the whole 4-step program from Scotts while still using Milorganite, you may at least be able to benefit from one of the steps.
We’d recommend mixing in a bit of the step 2 mix to kill off any hardy weeds that are working your way into your lawn, just balance it out by reducing the amount of Milorganite you’re using at the time.
When Should You Put Down Scotts Turf Builder?
The right time to put down Scotts depends entirely on the part of the 4-step program that you find yourself at.
For example, you should wait until early Spring, between February and April to put down the first step of Crabgrass preventer fertilizer. You can then move on to applying step 2 about four or five weeks after that.
Around midsummer, when the days are starting to get unbearably hot, you’ll have reached the point where your grass can take the much-needed refreshment of the third step.
Finally, as you’d expect from the name, you can apply the Fall Lawn Food formula around early fall, about 5 weeks after you applied the last step.
When Should You Put Down Milorganite?
Whenever you apply Milorganite, you should be putting down about 32 pounds of it per 2500 square feet of lawn you have. You should expect to put down Milorganite about four times per year, starting during mid-May for cool-season grass.
After that, you’ll want to wait until early July to apply the next batch of it to your lawn.
Next, you can wait until early September to add even more Milorganite to your grass, as it will need these nutrients heading into the Fall.
After that, you’ll have to wait until just before the first frost comes along, so you should add some Milorganite to your lawn around mid-November just before it goes dormant.
Milorganite vs Scotts Turf Builder – Which is better
If you’re experienced at lawn care and don’t mind paying a little extra for your fertilizer, Milorganite is an excellent choice due to its eco-friendliness and versatility.
While that doesn’t mean that Scotts is outright inferior, we’d still recommend to stick with Milorganite for your lawn.
Also read
Milorganite vs Ironite – Difference and Comparison
