Organic vs. Synthetic Fertilizer - The Grass Factor

[@maggarlion]

I primarily use organic fertilizers under the trees. They are slower but they tend to make the gras more sturdy and not die off in the winter

[@ronniewetherington509]

I am certainly going to lawncare school following your videos. Its good content for me and for my personal needs to become engaged in learning.

[@godfather1116]

I use both, synthetic and Organic.

[@wayneessar7489]

Here Soya meal, ground Soya beans is a popular winter feed. It is about 7 for nitrogen and has some odor as it breaks down but it doesn't make grass grow until the soil warms and moisture is present. And if you want to feed a cow with it, its 35% protein. Other folks use canola meal but its harder to see when you spread it.

[@TheGrassFactor]

Wayne Essar that's pretty awesome! where are you located?

[@wayneessar7489]

Vancouver British Columbia Canada, I get mine from a co-op farm store, it"s about 18$ for 20 kilos, so for you its thirty percent cheaper, 12$ maybe. It is yellow and is coarsely ground so it spreads well with a broadcast spreader and you know where you've been. It soon turns brown. I use it the most for vegetarian customers of the Hindu religion.

[@arielrodriguez6980]

Have you heard of MicroLife organic fertilizers?

[@Velvethamma]

I switched from an all synthetic program to a hybrid organic program this past year. I'm amazed at the soil improvements already. I'd be curious what a soil test will show after a season of organic fert. I'm using Milchem fertilizer which is mostly milorganite with some synthetic blended in for the quick response. Also has a decent iron content which I like too.

[@TheGrassFactor]

Velvethamma I'm 2 years in myself. our soils here are SO poor, I haven't been wow'd yet. I haven't seen much of a change in any soil test category that I can attribute to purely the organic fertilizer, but I have high hopes for sure. if it's affordable, and the science is there, there's really no reason not to do it!

[@tycurtin7565]

Hey Matt - So it's been a year and a half since this video. Have your results improved from the hybrid-organic approach?

[@mowtownni4587]

What about using synthetic as the main program and hollow tining the lawn and applying a fine compost tip dress? Soil re structure and alleviating poor drainage and moss issues. Bearing in mind I am in Ireland so plenty of moss and rain.

[@TheGrassFactor]

what's up, Ireland! that will work really well. anything you can do to get carbon back into the soil will help with more efficient delivery of all nutrients back to the plant - so plugging and topdressing with compost is a great practice in combination with synthetic fert

[@KurtUhlir]

Thanks for talking about the microbial change that helps over time. Any suggestions for where/how an individual home owner can get chicken litter or other biomass in large enough quantities for something cheaper than Milorganite?

[@HippieFertilizing]

Build biomass with molasses

[@davedzwilewski5195]

@@HippieFertilizing your biomass is already built and healthy in well maintained turf or landscape. Adding more doesn't mean better. In any event the best and cheapest was is to add a finely screened compost. In trees and shrubs an organic mulch is best. I read a peer reviewed study of biological soil products on sports turf. of the 125 products tested only 17 showed any response and that response was measured at +/- 2%. That study was posted in a past STMA magazine.

[@Fishneck10]

⁠@@davedzwilewski5195 so like a Lesco carbon pro? Seems pretty”composty”

[@gailmaterialsquotedepartme8710]

@@Fishneck10 I'm sure it's a good product if you want to add carbon. I quarry the sands for professional athletic fields such as the LA Coliseum, LAFC, LA Chargers practice facilities, San Diego Padres and more. The basic blend is 95% usga sand and 5% peat or fir bark. The grounds manger's for high end turf are getting away from a high organic rootzones because they realize dead roots and clippings will create their own organic matter and will add food for micros and increase CEC. Back in the 90's a typical rootzone would of been around a 80/20 but that trend changed much to the anger of peat moss suppliers. When these fields are overseeded it's with straight sand or sometimes a low organic contribution such as a 95/5. Turf managers mainly care about infiltration and percolation and depth of root growth. High organic turf rootzones create issues such as black layer and decreased percolatin and they want to avoid that. Budgets are high so they also push the N and it's all typically synthetic N. Ag of course is different and adding carbon through a cover crop that fixes N or by other means is beneficial. My family farm in Ct that raises tobacco is big into cover crops. Bottom line is plants don't read books. There are multiple ways to achieve the same goal. I do like your blog.

[@coley.bevington]

From watching many many videos on this issue it seems the consensus that Organic improves soil then a byproduct is a better lawn. What I'm still uncertain about is the use of synthetic feet bad for soils. Your video steers that syn is still good for the soul but not to the extent. Other videos have syn feet can harm soil microbes. Any input into this?

[@TheGrassFactor]

Coley Bevington most synthetics require soil microbes to break it down. Urea requires urease. So it will have a moot impact on microbes. Ammonium sulfate is higher in salt, but the oxygen in the so4 molecule negates that detriment. So no, use of synths do not effect microbes in the short term. Combining them with an organic fert - organic + synth, out performs organic alone as well as synthetic alone. The carbon to nitrogen ratio is the single most important factor to soil, and ultimately plant health

[@AntonioLopez-bc6qg]

What are some of the things you do to improve soil that has only had synthetics?

[@TheGrassFactor]

Antonio Lopez there's nothing special to starting organics. be careful if you're servicing lawns professionally to not just stop synthetics cold. slowly ween them off. I find for my customers, who demand the best, I have to use bridge products - both synthetic and organic. I just don't get that wow factor from organics alone

[@terrafur-muhlandscapemanag2354]

I know milo is considered organic or a human based biosolid which was huge to put down as a compost on your yard 10 plus years ago here in San Antonio but now the organic radio guru's have railed against it so much that people steer clear of it. What's your take on the chicken litter based products vs human waste/ milo.

[@TheGrassFactor]

I like litter vs biosolids

[@TheLawnGuardian]

Great video and basic description of both types of fert! Super easy to follow and understand for the less experienced, to make a more educated decision. Thanks, Matt.

[@Egleone6]

So question... Can you add a synthetic say 16-0-3 and then a week or two later add a Milo app and keep that green and use a boost in color and feed at first

[@TheGrassFactor]

Yes, kind of, but still doesn't perform the same as a homogeneous product or blend, but it's a good start.

[@Egleone6]

@@TheGrassFactor just aerated Milo not in my area, but seeding in a few weeks.. ILLINOIS Fighting Illini.. lmao ok. what is a good AI for starter fert,,, Going to add a milo like AI slow release fert with starter

[@Egleone6]

I just saw your Xstart fert will definitely look into that

[@jaredpace7229]

Do you have any recommendations on organic fertilizers?

[@TheGrassFactor]

Jared Pace I've tried quite a few of them and I'm more partial to chicken litter. bio-solids are fine, but I get the best, most consistent color response from chicken litter. I've applied milorganite and other biosolids at crazy rates, even up to 20lbs/1000sqft and I just haven't been wow'd.

[@jaredpace7229]

I tried using Milorganite, but not thoroughly impressed as well. I am looking at Holganix or Earthworks fertilizer, have you used these as well and if so what was your results?

[@TheGrassFactor]

I have used holganix as well. Not crazily impressed. It definitely contributed to healthier turf when growing centipede on hard clay, but it wasn't a game changer. Ive also sprayed a lot of other compost teas to varying degrees of success. I know of the earthworks products. Their 8-2-2 is ammonium sulfate and chicken litter. Being a hybridized product, you're going to get a better visual response, faster. I've had a local company blend a 9-1-5 AMS+chicken litter and I liked it. I've also used several tons of a custom AMS+ biosolids + sulpomag 8-2-8 blended by Harrells impregged with Nutri-life that gave good color response. There's many different ways to cut it, but I don't think there's a smoking gun aside from top dressing with a compost mixture.

[@stevenbrown6782]

The Grass Factor 6

[@stevenbrown6782]

The Grass Factor

[@kevins8553]

Will you do a video on managing wild bermuda? Down south it's taking over my fescue lawn, and I can't seem to find a solution.

[@TheGrassFactor]

Search pylex. I've done 6 or 7 of them.

[@kevins8553]

Thanks man. That bermuda is driving me to drink.

[@joshua7999]

I use both but I am curious. Is it possible that the salts in the synthetics would harm microbes?

[@TheGrassFactor]

Usually it's extremely temporary and rebounds within a day or two to normal levels

[@sammyayala9111]

ive been using milorganite ,bio solids from my local watet plant , corn meal and composted this year i live in SW Florida we have sandy soil but i get some yellowing in St Augustine. Why?

[@TheGrassFactor]

+Sammy Ayala there's a ton of reasons you may have yellowing occur. Water, nutrient deficiencies, insects, and fungus all cause yellowing, and even though you use organics, your lawn is still as suceptible to thee issues as the next St Aug lawn.

[@jamestnguyen2165]

Hey Matt, what about using half from organics fertilizer and half from synthetic fertilizer?

[@TheGrassFactor]

I highly recommend it.

[@full_metal2452]

How the heck did I miss this channel until now!? Great detailed info 👍👍

[@CCCC-tq8yo]

2 yrs later

[@jammosu6498]

Doesn't help the soil to use synthetic. In order to help long term, organic is best. Once established with organically, you'll use less and it will grow slower.

[@BrodeyDoverosx]

Definitely not. AMS definitely has benefits

[@DavidC1]

ive become obsessed with my lawn this year to a new level, and have been putting milorganite down every 3-4 days...am i at risk of killing my lawn? im trying to get it out of dormancy and cooking!!!!!!

[@TheGrassFactor]

David C milorganite is an insoluble nitrogen source. it's not going to provide N to the plant until microbes can break it down. microbes aren't going to be active until soils reach a certain temp

[@DavidC1]

The Grass Factor thanks!!!! I seeded last week and put down a synthetic starter fert. When do you think I can put down the crab grass weed preventative and turf builder. I'm scared to kill weeds until about 2 weeks from know because I don't want to kill the grass.

[@DavidC1]

The Grass Factor I'm in complete panic now. I'm going to get liquid synthetics tomorrow that I can plug into the hose. I think I'm gonna need around 3-4 of them to make up for lost time! Great videos!

[@michaellane203]

Matt great video, my brother and I were just having this exact conversation today about the benefits of Synthetic VS Organics.

[@DavidC1]

i dumped synthetics on my lawn working great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Supanova70]

So best of both worlds use organic as a supp.

[@TheGrassFactor]

I think that's a pretty sure fire approach

[@armandolanda5082]

Does the humic acid levels in rgs do enough proper conditioning of compacted clayish soils creating the porous spaces needed for the colonization of the beneficial microbial communities in the rhizosphere and beyond?

[@TheGrassFactor]

armando landa short term, no, but ultimately yes. The idea is explored further in the root cycling effect video

[@kenwithaK]

oh youre talking about actual grass. i still found this vid well compiled and informative anyway.

[@JohnnyMow]

Hey Matt I use almost all synthetic program. I'm going to put some miliganite on my own lawn. Is this a good product? Honest opinion

[@TheGrassFactor]

Johnny Mow i have mixed feelings about it.is it a bad product? No. Is it a great product? No. Fert is fert is fert. Milorganite provides a source of carbon, which is good for the soil, micros which is good for grass, but no real nutrient value. The best way to maximize your milorganite is to apply it at the same time as a synthetic fert.it helps synthetic fert work longer and without as much loss to the environment

[@JohnnyMow]

I'm a four step guy get great results dimension feet mix rd1 grub feet mix merit rd2 23-0-4 50% slow release rd 3 same for rd 4 50%sliw release great results up here in the north east.

[@TheGrassFactor]

Johnny Mow for the north east, I'd say that 4 step is on the money. If you get your fert blended with biosolids(same thing as milorganite) as a filler, it may help color last longer and may improve soil conditions in ~10 years

[@eyeheartsushi2212]

Best video I've seen about organic and synthetic fertilizers. Really appreciate it.

[@jamesgarfield4101]

there is no such thing as 'synthetic' fertilizer, only 'synthetic' grass. Read the above post (urusoimi). You will understand clearly.

[@jeanninegrant5959]

organics only

[@mohdadib2904]

i'm using organic fert on my lawn (zoysia) it give the greening effect (1lb-N) but the problem is, every time after 3-4 week of the application weed will start to come out. Do yo know why?

[@TheGrassFactor]

Mohd Adib are you using pre-emergents? they need to be utilized in the spring and fall for zoysia. organic or synthetic fert does not care whether it is a weed or grass - it makes them all grow. so if they're in your lawn, the fert will make them grow.

[@mohdadib2904]

The Grass Factor i dont use pre-emergent. because in my place doesnt have access for pre-emergent. i only have diuron. can it be use as pre-emergent?

[@TheGrassFactor]

+Mohd Adib I don't know anything about diuron, but a quick search leads me to believe it cannot be used as a pre-emergent. Again, I do not know anything about that product and cannot make any recommendations

[@mohdadib2904]

The Grass Factor thank you sir for your answer..i will try to get the pre-emergent

[@cuba587]

That’s a lie that’s like saying it’s not a difference between you working for something in something being given to you. It’s a very big difference in the plant recognizes the difference is too.

[@shaydbrayd]

lol...stoned AF

[@jeanninegrant5959]

bunny poop organic rules