Is Milorganite Organic?

[LeeG]

Greetings - I'm new to this forum, and learning. Apologize if this is a stupid question.

I told my "organic lawn guy" that I was considering using Milorganite (after learning about it here). His response, and I quote, was: "Milorganite is not considered organic because it is made from sewage and contains heavy metals"

True?

[bernstem]

Milorganite is not OMRI certified. It does contain small amounts of heavy metals. Some are required by the plants, some are not. The levels are low and don't concern me. It is worth asking your "organic guy" what he uses and what the level of heavy metals are in his product since many OMRI certified fertilizers have detectable levels of heavy metals. Some have levels far higher than Milorganite. Just having an OMRI certification is not a guarantee that the product is heavy metal free.

[turf_toes]

For what it’s worth, if a product containing measurable levels of heavy metals makes it non organic, then tap water isn’t “organic” either.

So you should never irrigate your lawn from any source other than rain water. oh wait...

[turf_toes]

The other thing to ask yourself is if you started using Milorganite, how much would you still be paying to your “organic lawn guy?”

If the answer is nothing, that should lead you to other questions only you can answer.

As an aside, if you’re going Organic because you want to be more responsible to the environment, then using Milorganite might fill the bill. It’s a very effective fertilizer and has a low impact on the environment.

Yes, it contains heavy metals. But so does your drinking water.

What’s more important to you? Whether it is environmentally sound and effective, or if it gets a merit badge from some group?

Heck, by the standards of some organizations, most grains can’t be certified as organic either, unless you ask the farmer who grew the original plant whether (s)he ever fertilized with a non organic fertilizer.

Going “organic” shouldn’t be hard. I guess the question is whether this organic thing is a religion for you or something you do to be more responsible.

Only you can answer that question.

[andy10917]

Agree with Bernstem and TT...

Always also try to remember that if you're going "organic", the materials can't be refined and manipulated. It's in it's original form, and that generally means with any "contaminants" that naturally reside with the substance in nature. You can't have manipulation (even if for the improvement of the item). People often want the best of both worlds - refined and concentrated but "organic". That's a nonstarter.

[Dchall_San_Antonio]

If you are going to have your lawn certified by the USDA as "Organic or Organically Grown," then you would have to spend three years keeping detailed records of everything you use on the lawn. That is what your lawn guy is talking about. Nobody does that...nobody. If you simply want to have great looking lawn, then Milorganite is fine. Have you looked at the lawn showcase pictures on the ATY home page? I don't know about the current pictures, but all the lawns in the original pictures happened to be organic (lower case). It was not a requirement to be in the showcase, but they were really nice looking lawns.

Having said that, I don't use Milorganite for the reasons your lawn guy doesn't like it. My feeling is that if I can get something else that works and does not have the metals, then I will. I have been using organic fertilizer exclusively since 2002. At first I used corn meal. Then I used corn gluten meal. Now I use alfalfa pellets. The application rate for everything mentioned is 15-20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. In your area check the price of soybean meal, corn gluten meal, and alfalfa pellets to compare with Milorganite. You can find this stuff at a feed store. Here is a link to feed stores near you. Call ahead to get prices and availability.

[Green]

Here's another take...

Milorganite recently had to change their packaging and remove the "organic" from it, because the definition of what can be considered organic in the US was recently refined. So, technically, the guy is right. But I bet he's just being a bit pompous because he thinks his products (what are they?) are better.