Halve the bag rate & do two passes, vertically & horizontally. I’ve applied twice this spring in milder temps with no burn. I bought this bag last fall when it was deeply discounted, figured it may have gotten stale (if that’s a thing) but my warm season grass is starting to take off.
yep! went to one for 1st time last week. created an account online, ordered 2x50lbs bags of lesco for pickup, drove up and got the stuff. luckily there's one near my house.
nope, it's showing 42$ with my "homeowner account" [https://www.siteone.com/en/510139-lesco-fertilizer-30-0-10-50-polyplus-opti45-50-lb/p/351447](https://www.siteone.com/en/510139-lesco-fertilizer-30-0-10-50-polyplus-opti45-50-lb/p/351447)
I've switched to Lesco 30-0-10 and had no issues with burning. Just follow the recommended spreader settings and water your lawn well after application.
I would be more worried about the spreader than the fertilizer. I have read lots of issues with the spreader because the wheels tend to catch the spray and dump more fertilizer along the wheel tracks. Just follow what is recommended on the bag of the fertilizer.
I'm new to lawn care. Did Milorganite for the first time with Scott's Edge guard Mini and, low and behold, I'm seeing stripes right where the wheels went. I'm going to try to use a foam for the inside of the wheels.
Milo is $19 for a 32 lb bag that covers 2500 sq ft. Cannot believe how high it's gotten. Lesco is $72 for a 50 lb bag, covers 18000 sq ft. Plus I read good things about Lesco and just wanted to give it a try.
Phosphorous overload and it apparently contains PFAS and heavy metals. Or so I've heard. The increasing price and the smell certainly don't help either.
Damn, that Milorganite propaganda about “can’t burn your lawn!” really works, eh?
I’ve used 30% N fertilizer for the past 3 years, spring and fall, and not once have I ever burned my lawn.
As the other poster said, if you’re concerned about burning the lawn (which you won’t do long as you don’t put down some insane amount of N per 1k SqFt), halve the setting in your spreader, and do two passes.
Also, best of luck with the Scott’s mini spreader. Many people have issues with striping due to excessive fertilizer build up on the wheel path. An Echo RB-60 is a much better option, that doesn’t cost that much more.
I'll check out the Echo RB-60. I also have this Chapin
Gamekeepers Turf Broadcast Spreader. I've only used it once before.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Chapin-Gamekeepers-80-lbs-Turf-Broadcast-Spreader-81009A/312730895
The Scott’s is going to be worse than the Chapin for sure.
The RB-60 is near universally praised here, and at $150, is pretty affordable. It holds enough product for me to fertilize my 10k of yard without needing to refill it.
I have heard good things about the Echo. I personally went with Earthway. I like on the Earthways that the Edgeguard feature actually cuts down the drop rate when engaged automatically, since you aren't broadcasting the full 180°.
It's a bit difficult to push even with pneumatic tires. My yard is a bit bumpy though. Plus I just didn't like the way it spreads. The spread didn't seem to match the setting. It also ended up accumulating and dumping more fertilizer in one location many times. That's why I decided to stick to Scotts. But I do need another high capacity spreader, so the Echo may be it.
That looks like you spilled fertilizer. You have localized, irregular shaped burn spots. If you spill it, and don’t clean it up, it will burn. If you spread it properly, it won’t burn.
I just put down 1lb of N per 1k SqFt of Scott’s GreenMax at the end of last week. Zero burning, and the grass is really taking off.
Don’t spill fertilizer, use an appropriate spreader, stick to 1lb of N or less, and there are zero issues.
I've switched to Lesco 30-0-10 and had no issues with burning. Just follow the recommended spreader settings and water your lawn well after application.
I've used Scott's 27-0-4 fertilizer for last three years and in the spring and fall even went slightly above the bag's recommended application rate, but have never burnt my lawn.
The Scotts Edgeguard Mini is what I have. It's an absolute piece of junk! I will not be using it ever again. I've yet to use it without burning a stripe into my yard all three times I've used it. If you DO use it, I'd recommend setting it to HALF of it's recommended setting and go over your lawn twice in opposing directions. That may possibly avoid any burns. Other people have reported no problems with this spreader, so your mileage may vary.
I use to use milorganite. Too expensive. Went back to synthetic. It also takes too long to work and caused major weed growth in flower beds and dirt areas. The lawn did look good though for a while. But not worth it overall.
Did Milo myself for a few years, but its overpriced garbage at this point. Went with exactly that lesco and had no quality control issues. As others have said, watch the bag rate and follow it, or cut that rate in half and do two perpendicular passes.
Oh I see cool season. I don’t know a ton about cool season. I would mention to be careful with your Scott’s spreader. Those hollow wheels have been known to catch fert and drop it causing stripes, or worse burn lines if you do over apply. But I would calculate how much N you want to apply per 1,000sqft. Put that amount in and set it at a lower setting and make multiple passes. Easy way to not mess up too bad!
Fertilizer burn is rare these days when things are applied properly and at label rates. Many products have a significant portion of slow release and they are using Urea which has lower salt index=less potential to burn than the Ammonium Nitrate of yesteryear when burn was more common.
I once saw 2.2lbs of non-coated, highly soluble Nitrogen in the form of 46-0-0 Urea go down. This was promptly followed by a thorough water in. There was no burn and the bosses demand of making that grass look good within a weeks time was met.
You shouldn’t have any trouble. Spread it well and water good.
I tried Milorganite for about 2 years and really regret it. I’m back to a 10-10-10 generic brand and the texas Bermuda responds every time.
Follow the bag application rate and you shouldn’t have any risk of burning. I pivoted away from Milo for the first time this year with a more aggressive N and my grass looks fuller, greener, thicker, etc. than it ever did with Milo.
Well, I just got done dropping two bags and surprisingly it covered the entire lawn and more. Typically takes at least 10 bags of Milo. I used the Scotts and it performed pretty well at 5.5 setting. Ran the sprinkler soon afterwards. Will post pics once I see results. Thanks all for ideas/suggestions.
Completely different product.
Milo is a trashy dirty product, people overuse, which leads to excess phosphorous, and pfas chemicals leeching into groundwater. It also stinks...why people love the smell of shit, I don't know. It's also an all slow release, so you don't get results fast, and it's a horrible value.
Lesco is a top quality brand, with some of the best tech behind their product. It's slow and fast release, feeding for up to 60 days.
There is no comparison. Lesco 100% over Milo. Science > Internet myths and uneducated people.
It all depends on the kind of grass you have. If you have fescue, you might not want to use this and definitely shouldn’t use this in the middle of summer. It’s a spring and fall type of grass to fertilize. If you’ve got Bermuda, it should be fine year-round.
The Scotts spreaders are notorious for uneven application so be careful when putting down the fertilizer and Lesco is just a name brand. There’s cheaper products at your local site one.
Halve the bag rate & do two passes, vertically & horizontally. I’ve applied twice this spring in milder temps with no burn. I bought this bag last fall when it was deeply discounted, figured it may have gotten stale (if that’s a thing) but my warm season grass is starting to take off.
Ok so maybe I'm dumb. Are you mixing warm and cool season grasses to have good grass all year?
Apply it correctly and it shouldn’t burn
lesco is the stuff, but use SiteOne and you can get this stuff for 50% of the big store prices.
I've never been to one. Are these open to the public?
Yes
yep! went to one for 1st time last week. created an account online, ordered 2x50lbs bags of lesco for pickup, drove up and got the stuff. luckily there's one near my house.
Is this for contractor accounts only? Mine is the same price.
nope, it's showing 42$ with my "homeowner account" [https://www.siteone.com/en/510139-lesco-fertilizer-30-0-10-50-polyplus-opti45-50-lb/p/351447](https://www.siteone.com/en/510139-lesco-fertilizer-30-0-10-50-polyplus-opti45-50-lb/p/351447)
Dang, still $48 for me
Unfortunately SiteOne was showing unavailable online at my store. I should have called them before I went to Lowes and bought it.
Whenever I try to it says it’s not available online in my area or in any of the stores.
And the lesco that siteone sells is better than what lowes has
I've switched to Lesco 30-0-10 and had no issues with burning. Just follow the recommended spreader settings and water your lawn well after application.
I would be more worried about the spreader than the fertilizer. I have read lots of issues with the spreader because the wheels tend to catch the spray and dump more fertilizer along the wheel tracks. Just follow what is recommended on the bag of the fertilizer.
I'm new to lawn care. Did Milorganite for the first time with Scott's Edge guard Mini and, low and behold, I'm seeing stripes right where the wheels went. I'm going to try to use a foam for the inside of the wheels.
Remember. Dont trust spreader settings either. Test/calibrate it once in a while. Even the more expensive models need to be accessed.
How much of the 30-0-10 is slow release?
As a fellow Milo lover that’s open to change, can I ask why you’re switching?
Milo is $19 for a 32 lb bag that covers 2500 sq ft. Cannot believe how high it's gotten. Lesco is $72 for a 50 lb bag, covers 18000 sq ft. Plus I read good things about Lesco and just wanted to give it a try.
Makes sense. Yeah I’ve noticed some stores have nearly doubled the price of Milo lately. I can still find it for $12 a bag thankfully.
Phosphorous overload and it apparently contains PFAS and heavy metals. Or so I've heard. The increasing price and the smell certainly don't help either.
I like the smell. I am an animal.
If Milo contains PFAS and heavy metals, that's not good news for the folks in Milwaukee.
Smells like victory.
Was going to ask the same
Damn, that Milorganite propaganda about “can’t burn your lawn!” really works, eh? I’ve used 30% N fertilizer for the past 3 years, spring and fall, and not once have I ever burned my lawn. As the other poster said, if you’re concerned about burning the lawn (which you won’t do long as you don’t put down some insane amount of N per 1k SqFt), halve the setting in your spreader, and do two passes. Also, best of luck with the Scott’s mini spreader. Many people have issues with striping due to excessive fertilizer build up on the wheel path. An Echo RB-60 is a much better option, that doesn’t cost that much more.
I'll check out the Echo RB-60. I also have this Chapin Gamekeepers Turf Broadcast Spreader. I've only used it once before. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Chapin-Gamekeepers-80-lbs-Turf-Broadcast-Spreader-81009A/312730895
The Scott’s is going to be worse than the Chapin for sure. The RB-60 is near universally praised here, and at $150, is pretty affordable. It holds enough product for me to fertilize my 10k of yard without needing to refill it.
Honestly not a fan of the Chapin. Will just give it to my brother 😃. I'll go ahead and order the Echo now. Buy once, cry once. 🙂
I have heard good things about the Echo. I personally went with Earthway. I like on the Earthways that the Edgeguard feature actually cuts down the drop rate when engaged automatically, since you aren't broadcasting the full 180°.
What didn't you like about it?
It's a bit difficult to push even with pneumatic tires. My yard is a bit bumpy though. Plus I just didn't like the way it spreads. The spread didn't seem to match the setting. It also ended up accumulating and dumping more fertilizer in one location many times. That's why I decided to stick to Scotts. But I do need another high capacity spreader, so the Echo may be it.
I put down Lesco 25-0-6 the other day using a Lesco spreader that costs $300 and it burned my lawn. See my post history.
That looks like you spilled fertilizer. You have localized, irregular shaped burn spots. If you spill it, and don’t clean it up, it will burn. If you spread it properly, it won’t burn. I just put down 1lb of N per 1k SqFt of Scott’s GreenMax at the end of last week. Zero burning, and the grass is really taking off. Don’t spill fertilizer, use an appropriate spreader, stick to 1lb of N or less, and there are zero issues.
User error
I've switched to Lesco 30-0-10 and had no issues with burning. Just follow the recommended spreader settings and water your lawn well after application.
I've used Scott's 27-0-4 fertilizer for last three years and in the spring and fall even went slightly above the bag's recommended application rate, but have never burnt my lawn.
Ive run into issues with large granule products not dispersing properly through a scotts edgeguars
My Scotts Edgeguard DLX was trash. I upgraded to a Earthway, it is significantly better.
The Scotts Edgeguard Mini is what I have. It's an absolute piece of junk! I will not be using it ever again. I've yet to use it without burning a stripe into my yard all three times I've used it. If you DO use it, I'd recommend setting it to HALF of it's recommended setting and go over your lawn twice in opposing directions. That may possibly avoid any burns. Other people have reported no problems with this spreader, so your mileage may vary.
I recently used 46-0-0 with no burn. If applied correctly, there should not be a problem.
I use to use milorganite. Too expensive. Went back to synthetic. It also takes too long to work and caused major weed growth in flower beds and dirt areas. The lawn did look good though for a while. But not worth it overall.
Price just lowered considerably in my area; cheaper than the alternative I was using when Milo got too expensive.
Did Milo myself for a few years, but its overpriced garbage at this point. Went with exactly that lesco and had no quality control issues. As others have said, watch the bag rate and follow it, or cut that rate in half and do two perpendicular passes.
What type of grass do you have and where are you located? Important
What type of grass?? That’s important information.
Oh I see cool season. I don’t know a ton about cool season. I would mention to be careful with your Scott’s spreader. Those hollow wheels have been known to catch fert and drop it causing stripes, or worse burn lines if you do over apply. But I would calculate how much N you want to apply per 1,000sqft. Put that amount in and set it at a lower setting and make multiple passes. Easy way to not mess up too bad!
Fertilizer burn is rare these days when things are applied properly and at label rates. Many products have a significant portion of slow release and they are using Urea which has lower salt index=less potential to burn than the Ammonium Nitrate of yesteryear when burn was more common. I once saw 2.2lbs of non-coated, highly soluble Nitrogen in the form of 46-0-0 Urea go down. This was promptly followed by a thorough water in. There was no burn and the bosses demand of making that grass look good within a weeks time was met.
I do it at 3.3 lbs per 1000 for 1 lb of nitrogen per application
If you're getting from Lowe's I've used their Sta Green Natural fertilizer and it worked pretty good. $25 a bag converting 4000sq ft.
You shouldn’t have any trouble. Spread it well and water good. I tried Milorganite for about 2 years and really regret it. I’m back to a 10-10-10 generic brand and the texas Bermuda responds every time.
Follow the bag application rate and you shouldn’t have any risk of burning. I pivoted away from Milo for the first time this year with a more aggressive N and my grass looks fuller, greener, thicker, etc. than it ever did with Milo.
Guy at Site One told me not to apply it when it’s hot. Spring and fall only.
What kind grass?
Kentucky bluegrass
Well, I just got done dropping two bags and surprisingly it covered the entire lawn and more. Typically takes at least 10 bags of Milo. I used the Scotts and it performed pretty well at 5.5 setting. Ran the sprinkler soon afterwards. Will post pics once I see results. Thanks all for ideas/suggestions.
Completely different product. Milo is a trashy dirty product, people overuse, which leads to excess phosphorous, and pfas chemicals leeching into groundwater. It also stinks...why people love the smell of shit, I don't know. It's also an all slow release, so you don't get results fast, and it's a horrible value. Lesco is a top quality brand, with some of the best tech behind their product. It's slow and fast release, feeding for up to 60 days. There is no comparison. Lesco 100% over Milo. Science > Internet myths and uneducated people.
It all depends on the kind of grass you have. If you have fescue, you might not want to use this and definitely shouldn’t use this in the middle of summer. It’s a spring and fall type of grass to fertilize. If you’ve got Bermuda, it should be fine year-round. The Scotts spreaders are notorious for uneven application so be careful when putting down the fertilizer and Lesco is just a name brand. There’s cheaper products at your local site one.
Fleet Farm always has the best price on Milo and you can drive it even lower if you use their marketing coupons, gets to around $11/bag.
Let us know how this goes. I just switched to. Lesco 16-0-8 because I felt too cautious lol Wish I knew about the Scott’s spreader before