My wife and I have used various reward systems throughout the years with varying degrees of success.  Starting when our kids were fairly young, we used it as a mechanism to encourage them to earn the rewards that they get in life.

Now that they're a little older (3rd and 5th grade), we've stepped up the concept with a full-blown chore chart and weekly allowance.

I have been completely blown away by how motivated they've been and how well it has worked, and I wanted to share our experiences.



## Introduction

Getting our kids to embrace their chore chart wasn't always easy but there were a few things that helped in a major way.  We used consistency as a tool to help set and keep expectations.  We also used incentives that really motivated our kids to keep them engaged.  Finally, we looked for opportunities to use praise and other positive reinforcement to really help solidify the behavior patterns in our kids.

## Consistency Was a Huge Factor

When we first started using our chore chart, our kids gave us plenty of resistance.  We had power struggles, procrastination and dealt with all sorts of excuses.

Over time, consistency was the thing that helped us overcome this difficult initial period.  By sticking strictly to our reward structure and making our expectations clear, we made it easy for our kids to understand what we wanted them to do, what they would get if they did it, and what they would be missing out on if they didn't do it.

## Money was a Big Motivator for Our Kids

Back when our kids were younger, we used things like star charts (or sticker charts) to keep track of positive behavior and implement reward systems.  If there was a toy that our kids wanted (within reason), or if they wanted to have some screen time, we used the sticker chart as our means for them to earn those things.

As they grew older, we discovered that money was much more of a motivator for them.  My kids are now 8 and 11 and, these days, are more into things like Roblox and Fortnite than action figures or things like that.

For those reasons, among others, cash worked really well as a motivator for our kids.  A lot of video games these days offer players the ability to trade real-world money for enhancements to their game experience.

Helping them to understand money wisely is a secondary benefit of using cash as a motivational tool.  They've run the entire spectrum from saving every cent to buying things without really thinking it through, and they have already learned some really valuable lessons.

## We Looked for Every Opportunity to Show Appreciation

This next part was just as rewarding for us as it was for the kids.  We looked for signs that our chore habits were becoming more regular and really put a lot of praise on our kids when we saw them doing something we liked.

Clearing their spots at the table after lunch or dinner is one of the first things that they learned.  At first, we had to ask them.  We still have to remind them from time to time, but there are many more times when they simple clear their spots on their own now.

These are the things that deserve high praise.  It makes the child feel good, and it makes you feel good as well.  Our kids really responded well to this, and it kept them motivated to keep working and improving.

## A Continuing Journey

Since we started, our kids have changed a ton.  Things I've noticed with them are:

- A desire to take the initiative in situations.  Helping without being asked, coming up with ideas of how to help on their own and more self-sufficience in general.
- Financial responsibility.  Since they earn their money now, they are very conscious of how they spend it.  Our older son really likes to take his time and make sure he's making the right purchase.  Our younger one is a bit more decisive but takes the decision just as seriously.  We feel like it's a good balance for both of them.
- Respect and appreciation.  Since they now have a little glimpse of what it takes to run a household and keep a family going, it seems to have given them some new perspective.  They have shown better manners and I've also noticed more respectful attitudes in general.

## Conclusion

There's my quick rundown of how chores have changed my kids.  My family is in a better place now for having picked up this habit, and I would highly encourage you to try it out with your family as well.

My wife and I have used various reward systems throughout the years with varying degrees of success.  Starting when our kids were fairly young, we used it as a mechanism to encourage them to earn the rewards that they get in life.

Now that they're a little older (3rd and 5th grade), we've stepped up the concept with a full-blown chore chart and weekly allowance.

I have been completely blown away by how motivated they've been and how well it has worked, and I wanted to share our experiences.



How Chores Changed my Kids

Working through sleep issues with our kids feels like something that has been a lifelong battle.  It starts immediately after birth and, for us, has continued up through ages eight and ten for our boys.


Addressing sleep issues as a family has taught me the importance of patience, consistency and communication and I hope that you can benefit from the struggles I have gone through on the topic.



## The Cause:  A Destabilizing Event

We sold our home a little over two years ago.  We were looking for a new home in a very specific area (roughly a square mile) and this was causing us some problems.  An opportunity to sell our previous home came to us before we had a chance to find our current home.  This caused some problems.


We ended up finding a short-term rental that, in the grand scheme of things, worked out really well for us.  The net result for our kids, though, was that we moved two times in two months.


I believe this is what first started the sleep issues that our oldest son experienced.  A lack of stability in our living situation was causing him anxiety that manifested itself as anxiety during bedtime.

## The Issue:  Hypersensitivity and Anxiety at Bedtime

The problem we starting having with our older son began when we had finally moved into our current home.  It started simply, with him saying nothing more than "I can't sleep".


He was normally a good sleeper so my wife and I tried laying with him in bed for a while to let him fall asleep.  He did fall asleep this way plenty of nights, but he became hyper-aware and sensitive to any motion at all.  When we would get up to leave the room, he would spring awake and say "I just can't sleep" (even if he had been snoring for 20 minutes before you tried to leave).


This was clearly not working.  We needed to come up with something better.

## Lesson One:  Consistency and a Solid Plan

The first thing we learned was that there was a ton of information out there online about how to deal with the issue, but none of it seemed to work for us as well as it did for others.


Eventually we came upon something that described three basic steps that could be used to help with these kinds of sleep symptoms.  Those steps were:

- No more laying in bed with our son.  We could sit on a chair in the room or nearby in the hallway.
- We would check on him periodically, increasing the duration between each check as we went.
- He would agree to stay in his bed and try his best to fall asleep.


## Lesson Two:  Communication is Critical

Throughout the process we made sure that we explained what was happening and why.  We made sure that our son was on board with the plan and looked at it from a positive perspective — that this is something that would help him because having trouble sleeping was definitely not fun.


Making him feel involved seemed to help quite a bit.  I think it gave him some built-in accountability and ownership, even if he was too young to recognize it for what it was.


## Lesson Three:  Patience Pays Off

This is something that helped tremendously, but it was also one of the hardest parts.  Bedtime issues are frustrating for everybody involved, but it's important to stay positive and try to keep things as low-pressure as possible.


Anything short of that just adds anxiety into an already bad situation.


## End Results:  Slow but Steady Progress

In the end our son was able to overcome his sleep issues.  Looking back to what I consider the root cause, I think he just had to get fully comfortable in his new setting to be able to relax at bedtime.

But I truly believe that, by getting everybody on the same page and sticking to a routine, we helped accelerate that process.

I can definitely tell you that our nights are now much more low-stress because bedtime isn't a major ordeal every night.

## Things that Helped Along the Way

One of the biggest things we did was bring a comfortable chair into his room.  This made it easier to spend the time in there that was necessary during the process.


A nightlight was also key in our situation.  We didn't go with anything too bright or distracting, just enough to make our son feel comfortable.


Finally, we put a digital clock in his room so he could easily check to see what time it was.  In our case, this helped to calm him down a bit because he could see what time it was and know exactly when we would be checking on him.

## Conclusion

That was, overall, how we helped work through our son's sleep issues.  While the entire process did take a while, it wasn't long (maybe a week or so) before we started seeing noticeable differences that made a huge impact on our quality of life.

Working through sleep issues with our kids feels like something that has been a lifelong battle.  It starts immediately after birth and, for us, has continued up through ages eight and ten for our boys.


Addressing sleep issues as a family has taught me the importance of patience, consistency and communication and I hope that you can benefit from the struggles I have gone through on the topic.



How We Worked Through Kids Sleep Issues

Making an air gap for my water softener drain was simple and straightforward, and I'm glad I realized that I needed one when I did.  I'll walk you through the process so you can save yourself some hassle and avoid a potential health hazard.



## What is an air gap?

**An air gap is a physical break in a drainage system that prevents contaminated water from being able to travel back into a sanitary water source.**  Typically seen with appliances that drain into a floor drain, an air gap is established by installing a rigid piece of piping on the end of an appliance's drain tube.  This piping can be shaped in a way that will leave air space between the drain tube and the floor drain.

## Why is an air gap necessary?

The main job of an air gap is to keep dirty water from contaminating clean water.  This can happen in many ways.  Forces like gravity and suction can cause water to essentially flow backwards in a system.

A great example is in the water softener/floor drain scenario.  Imagine if an event occurs that causes a backup somewhere and leads to sewer water coming up from your floor drain.  While this is unlikely, the air gap ensures that the sewer water would not be able to force its way into your clean water system.  Nobody wants to shower with water from a sewer, right?

## One other Big Benefit

The other ***huge*** benefit for me was that the rigid piping of the air gap allowed me to control where the water was going when it came out of my water softener.

### First Signs of Trouble

I had started to see some water stains on my basement floor, and was starting to see a little bit of moisture built up around my water heater in the morning.  I assumed the water heater tank was going bad.

Then one night I was up late enough to hear my water softener running and decided to check it out.  When I got downstairs, water was pouring everywhere.  The flexible drain hose coming from my water softener that pumped out all of the used water during recharge cycles was just kind of sitting on the floor, not really secured to anything.

There were puddles in the areas where I had seen water stains on the floor.  *And there was water all around my water heater.*  The water heater itself wasn't leaking at all.  Water was shooting out from this uncontrolled drain hose and going everywhere.



Making an air gap for my water softener drain was simple and straightforward, and I'm glad I realized that I needed one when I did.  I'll walk you through the process so you can save yourself some hassle and avoid a potential health hazard.



Making a Quick and Cheap Air Gap for Your Water Softener

I've been spending a lot of time this year trying to get my lawn back into decent shape.  Along the way I came across an herbicide called Tenacity (chemical name *mesotrione*).  In this article, I want to walk you through the process and share the good and the bad about using Tenacity herbicide.



## What is Tenacity?

Tenacity is a selective herbicide that can be used in either pre-emergent or post-emergent applications.  It kills unwanted weeds by disrupting the process of photosynthesis, causing the plans to lose their color and die off.  Let me break that down for you.

Selective herbicide means that this is the type of herbicide that will only kill certain weeds and grasses.  In other words, this is a product that can be sprayed on weeds in your lawn ***without killing the grass***.  You'll need to check the label to be sure that this will be true in your area but it has worked well for me in this regard thus far.

Next, pre-emergent and post-emergent describe *when* the chemical actually kills unwanted weeds and grasses.  

For pre-emergent application of Tenacity, it is absorbed *through soil contact* as young plants start to grow.  The end result is the same — the plants will lose their color and die — but the way it gets into the plant is different.

For post-emergent applications of Tenacity, you're effectively spraying the chemical onto the leaves of the plant, and this is primarily how it is absorbed.  For this reason, it is recommended to use an ionic surfactant (this is just a fancy name for another soap-like chemical that allows the Tenacity to stick to the leaves better than if it is used on its own).  Some of the chemical will be absorbed into the plan through the soil but that is not the primary means of absorption in post-emergent applications.

## How do you apply Tenacity?

Tenacity is applied through a pump or backpack sprayer by mixing the product (a small amount - typically one to two teaspoons) with water.  Spray indicator dye can also be added into the mixture as well to help ensure that you don't overspray some areas and underspray in others.

As mentioned above, if using Tenacity in a post-emergent fashion, it is suggested that you add some ionic surfactant into this mix as well for better adhesion and effectiveness.

A reapplication of Tenacity is suggested two to three weeks after the initial application.  For most of the grasses and weeds I've been targeting (foxtail, crabgrass) I haven't really had to do follow-up applications but perhaps could have gotten better results if it had.

## Does Tenacity actually work?

I was skeptical after I applied my first round of Tenacity.  I was using it as a post-emergent killer of some stuff that had popped up in early spring.  Large patches of crabgrass, foxtail everywhere and plenty of other stuff that I can't even name.

I have used other more common post-emergent herbicide sprays in the past (products from Bayer, Round-Up, etc.) and generally saw quick results with them.  You could tell the plant was affected by the next day in a lot of cases.

That's now how Tenacity worked for me.

It takes about five days before you'll even notice a change in the appearance of the weeds that you sprayed.  Once five days hits you'll begin to notice that the plant will lose its color (a process called bleaching) slowly over the course of the next several days.

It won't be until one to two weeks later that you'll notice the weeds actually dying off and disappearing.

Generally, once they start to die the process feels like it goes by quickly but you'll be waiting much longer for your yard to clear with this product than you would with one of the more standard, off-the-shelf options.

Having said that, Tenacity doesn't have the same harsh chemical presence that those other products have.

Recently a neighbor of mine a few houses down was using Ortho Weed-B-Gon on his lawn.  I could smell it clear as day — the chemicals used in those products have very distinct smells.  That is definitely not the case with Tenacity.  You won't really notice an odor from Tenacity itself.  If you add in some of the other stuff (marking dyes and surfactants) then you'll experience a slight odor but nothing compared to those other products.

That is not to say that it is necessarily safer or better.  I am definitely not a scientist or chemical engineer.  But just based on how I felt being around the product I would say I was much more comfortable working with Tenacity than I have been working with other selective herbicides in the past.

I've been spending a lot of time this year trying to get my lawn back into decent shape.  Along the way I came across an herbicide called Tenacity (chemical name *mesotrione*).  In this article, I want to walk you through the process and share the good and the bad about using Tenacity herbicide.



My Experiences with Tenacity Herbicide


I installed and tested two in-ground dog fences recently. The bad news is that I had to try out two different brands to find something that worked. That's actually the good news, too, because now I have the experience and knowledge with both brands to help you make a decision.



## How it All Started

We got a dog about a year and a half ago. He's been a great addition to our family, but part of getting a dog was the understanding that we wanted to install an in-ground pet fence as part of the deal. Nobody in our neighborhood (well, maybe one or two families out of more than thirty) has an actual physical fence and so we didn't want to mess up the nice open feel that we have going on now.

We also knew that most of the neighbors in the neighborhood had in-ground fences. This is actually where the real story begins. And if you were paying attention to the image at the beginning of this article, then you might already know how the story turns out.

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<p className="">Check out my two full product reviews of the PetSafe and eXtreme Dog Fence in-ground pet fences.</p>
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## The First Attempt

I ordered a very highly-rated in-ground fence from PetSafe on Amazon. People were generally very happy with it, and a few of our friends and neighbors had PetSafe models in their own homes (one of our local installers seems to use them exclusively).

It all started on a late summer day. It was about two days before my boys started school for the year. I took a day off of work to get the job done. Based on all the information I could find, the job would probably take a few hours.

### Preparation

I rented a cable installing machine from my local Home Depot and came home to get started. My first step was to lay out the wire and basically do a dry run. I figured it would be better to get everything in place and test it out before I start burying wire.

<Image align="left" className="w-50" src="/images/posts/petsafe-vs-extreme-dog-fence.jpg" alt="PetSave vs. eXtreme Dog Fence">PetSafe has better packaging, but is the product worth it?</Image>

I got everything laid out and temporarily held in place with landscape staples (which I only started using about halfway through the job — originally I had been bending the flags that come with the kid to hold the wire down and it ended up being a terrible idea).

### Testing

Once it was all in place the next step was to take the collar and walk around the permieter of the yard to test it out.

I started walking around and everything was going great. Cross the line, hear the beep, walk back into the yard, hear it stop. I walked about three-quarters of the permiter of my yard and it was going great.

<Image align="right" className="w-50" src="/images/posts/petsafe-vs-extreme-dog-fence-wire.jpg" alt="PetSafe vs. eXtreme Dog Fence Wire">The eXtreme Dog Fence wire seems sturdier but is harder to work with</Image>

Then, I got to the side of my yard where the neighbor also had an in-ground fence. I kept swinging the collar back and forth to test it.

Silence. Nothing.

I was... frustrated.

This portion of the job had already taken me over an hour. And now I had wire strung all over my yard that I couldn't bury yet but also didn't want to move and replace if I didn't have to.

<Image asin="B00ETAIE0A" products={products} align="center" className="w-50" src="/images/posts/petsafe-unboxing.jpg" alt="PetSafe In-Ground Fence Unboxing">Unboxing the PetSafe In-Ground Fence</Image>



I installed and tested two in-ground dog fences recently. The bad news is that I had to try out two different brands to find something that worked. That's actually the good news, too, because now I have the experience and knowledge with both brands to help you make a decision.



PetSafe vs eXtreme Dog Fence Comparison

Buying a home for the first time is a major milestone in any person's life.  It's filled with highs and lows, and all sort of new experiences that you've never had before.  To help you prepare just a bit, I've created this list of tools that were absolutely essential for me as a first-time homeowner.



## 1. Cordless Drill / Impact Driver

## 2. A Good Level

## 3. Stud Finder

## 4. Screwdrivers

## 5. Adjustable Wrenches

## 6. Plumber's Pliers

## 7. Socket Set

## 8. A Backup Socket Set

## 9. Circuler Saw

## 10. Extra Batteries

Buying a home for the first time is a major milestone in any person's life.  It's filled with highs and lows, and all sort of new experiences that you've never had before.  To help you prepare just a bit, I've created this list of tools that were absolutely essential for me as a first-time homeowner.



10 Critical Tools for New Homeowners

We bought our current house a little over two years ago.  When we first bought it, the yard was not great but not terrible.  Over the next couple years the yard would fall into pretty bad shape.  At times, we even thought we were going to have to re-sod the entire thing.  That all changed about three months after I started using Milorganite.



## What is Milorganite?

Milorganite is an organic fertilizer product that is made using waste water from the Milwaukee (WI) area water system.  Many people call it "poop from Wisconsin", but that's not entirely true.

The long and short of it is that waste water breeds a lot of bacteria that feed off of the waste.

Milorganite is made by extracting those bacteria and baking the result at extremely high temperatures to 
form a granular product that is safe, easy to use and good for the environment.

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<p className="">I've been using this product for over a year with great success.  Check out my in-depth Milorganite product review below!</p>
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## How is Milorganite different from typical fertilizers like Scott's?

Unlike most other fertilizers that you'd find at your typical home store, the nutrtients in Milorganite are released over a much longer period of time.  What this means is that it is ***hands down one of the easiest fertilizers to apply*** and that ***you will not have to worry about damaging your lawn***.

It is also organic, unlike most of those competing products.  Milorganite also contains iron, which can help your lawn achieve a deep green color.

## When should I use Milorganite?

The package tells you to use some holidays as a guide here in the US.  Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and Thanksgiving are suggested as the ideal times to apply Milorganite.  Another general guideline is to apply it about every six weeks.

I have personally applied it about once every five weeks and achieved great results.  Again, because Milorganite is a truly slow-release product it is very difficult to damage your lawn by applying too much.  The one downside that I have noticed is vigorous growth, but this was a good problem for me to have (compared to the opposite) this year.

## Does Milorganite work well?

I have been getting fantastic results this year using Milorganite.

Last year, I hired a service to fertilize my lawn for the first time in my life.  I donated by spreader, gave away my excess supply of Scott's Turf Builder, and was ready to sit back and relax and enjoy amazing results with none of the work.

But the company I hired sucked.

My lawn looked terrible.  Even worse than when I had tried to maintain it myself the previous year.  Dead patches everywhere, weeds taking over, poor water usage and compacted soil.  You name it.

So this year I decided to get back on the DIY plan and do it myself.

I was incredibly discouraged seeing my lawn in early spring.  The large dead patches that formed in the heat of the previous summer were still dead and bare.  Water seemed to pool up and run off of the soil in way more areas than normal.  It was not in good shape.  My wife and I even discussed the prospect of having to reseed or re-sod the lawn entirely.

But I had heard great things about Milorganite and I wanted to give it a try.

I was talking to a neighbor at the time who used a lawn service for fertilization but referred to Milorganite as his "secret weapon".  He told me that he would apply it in between treatments that his service was providing.  His lawn looked amazing and so this gave me great hope that Milorganite would work well for me.

I stuck with *just* Milorganite for the first couple months.  Then, when hotter weather set in and weeds started becoming a problem added two applications of Scott's Weed and Feed (about a month apart as recommended).  All things considered Weed and Feed is a fine product too, and it did seem to do a good job of quickly clearing out weeds like dandelions.

The mix of the two products did seem to work really well for me, and it is an approach that I would suggest to others who are trying to do their own lawn maintenance.

## My Personal Experiences

Again, I have achieved fantastic results and I am extremely pleased with Milorganite.  As someone who is not always the best at maintaining a lawn, I am feeling truly optimistic about mine for the first time in a long time.

There are several key improvements that I have seen in my lawn thanks to Milorganite.  They are:

- **Thicker, greener grass.**  Obviously this is what everybody is going for.  It's why people spend large amounts of money to have their property professionally maintained.  My eleven-year-old son, who knows how hard I've been working on our lawn this year, walked out of our house the other day and said "Wow, this is the best our lawn has ever looked!"  It was music to my ears and also perhaps one of the most direct reviews of Milorganite you'll ever hear.
- **Improved water utilization.**  We have an in-ground sprinkler system with a "smart" control panel.  One of the nice features is that I can see reports on my phone that show historical water usage.  Since using Milorganite, my lawn has thickened up to a point where it really seems to utilize the water better.  We are watering less this year and seeing healthier looking grass that retains moisture for much longer than before.
- **Improved soil quality.**  As I mentioned above, our soil had major compaction issues before.  Water would literally run off of the surface, or pool up without really penetrating very quickly in many, many areas of the yard.  Although it's not technically listed as one of the benefits, Milorganite seems to have helped with this issue in our yard as well.

We bought our current house a little over two years ago.  When we first bought it, the yard was not great but not terrible.  Over the next couple years the yard would fall into pretty bad shape.  At times, we even thought we were going to have to re-sod the entire thing.  That all changed about three months after I started using Milorganite.



How Milorganite Transformed My Yard

Tenacity Turf Herbicide - 8 ounces (Packaging may vary)

One of the more interesting herbicides on the market, Tenacity will help rid your yard of many species of broadleaf weeds as well as other undesirable weeds and grasses.  Inexpensive, readily avialable and easy to apply, Tenacity will help you achieve a perfect looking yard that you can enjoy with friends and family.

Christopher Knight Home Tafton Tufted Fabric Club Chair, Grey

Underground Electric Dog Fence Premium - Standard Dog Fence System for Easy Setup and Superior Longevity and Continued Reliable Pet Safety - 1 Dog | 500 Feet Standard Dog Fence Wire

The eXtreme Dog Fence In-Ground fence is a solid and reliable option.  It it one of few in-ground pet fences sold to the general public that offers professional-grade features which will make all the difference in the success of your project.

Scotts Turf Builder EdgeGuard DLX Broadcast Spreader

One of the most popular and widely sold broadcast spreaders on today's market, the Scotts EdgeGuard DLX Broadcast Spreader is a solid option for any moderately sized back yard.  Durable and reliable, it is a model that will last many years, and you should have no problem getting your money's worth.

PetSafe Rechargeable In-Ground Pet Fence for Dogs and Cats over 5lb - from the Parent Company of INVISIBLE FENCE Brand - Waterproof Collar with Tone and Static Correction – Multiple Wire Gauge Options

Milorganite 32 lb. Slow-Release Nitrogen Fertilizer

## Common Questions about Milorganite

The following are some of the most common questions about Milorganite and its use.  The responses I'm providing here are based on information from the manufacturers (ingredients, safety, application, etc.) but, more importantly, they are backed up by my personal experiences with the product.

### Is Milorganite safe?

**Milorganite is absolutely a safe product, especially in comparison to a lot of products offered by competitors.**  The product doesn't smell great, but just being around it (opening a bag and pouring it into a spreader) you can tell that it has less of a harsh chemical smell than nearly all of the typical fertilizers you'll find at a big box retailer.

I am not a chemist by any means, and this is mainly based on my initial instincts with the product (I've used plenty of Scotts products in the past and now plenty of Milorganite as well), but I feel comfortable using this product and letting my kids and dog play in the yard the same day.

### Is Milorganite safe for dogs?

My dog has eaten enough Milorganite for me to know that, **yes, Milorganite is safe for dogs**.  This is backed up by the manufacturer as well.  They say that, while your dog may experience some discomfort if they eat too much of it, your dogs can safely consume the product without harm.

They do warn that some dogs may be attracted to it and enjoy eating it.  I think our dog falls into this camp.  You do apply it at a pretty heavy rate, so where he finds larger piles here and there he does like to munch on it.  We've never noticed any adverse side-effects from him eating it.

### Is Milorganite organic?

Being derived from living matter, **Milorganite is an organic fertilizer**.  Unlike other inorganic fertilizers, it provides slow-release nitrogen and adds organic matter into the soil, setting you up for long-lasting and long-term success.

### Is Milorganite safe for vegetables?

By following the manufacturer's instructions, **you can safely use Milorganite to get fantastic results when growing vegetables**.  The slow-release nitrogen is beneficial for plant growth overall, and the phosphorous content means that your veggies will have strong, thick roots capable of producing high yields.

Always follow instructions when applying fertilizer to plants that will be consumed.  Even the safest products should still be used properly when food is involved.

### Is Milorganite good for flowers?

**Milorganite can be used for flowers to help them grow their biggest and brightest.**  Due to the slow-release nature of the product, you'll only have to apply it every six to eight weeks.

You'll get better results with fewer applications, meaning you can spend more time enjoying your flowers and less time tending to them.

### Can you use Milogranite with other fertilizers?

**You can safely interchange Milorganite with other fertilizers within a growing season, but you should not apply both at once or double up your application**.  Granular fertilizer products all have specific application rates that vary, and it can be difficult to mix and match safely.

Using Milorganite with another product is much more common with fertilizers that also contain a weed killer, such as Scotts Weed and Feed.  Since Milorganite is only a fertilizer and not a weed killer, this can be a great way to get the benefits of both products.

### Can you use Milorganite with Weed and Feed?

**Yes, you can use Milorganite with Weed and Feed in the same season.**  You should not apply a mix of both at the same time or double up your application.  I have had success alternating between the two products during the weedy summer season.

This past season I used this approach in my own yard and was very happy with how everything turned out.  Weed and Feed is good at killing off the weeds, but I prefer the slow-release aspect and greening capabilities that Milorganite offers for general fertilization needs.

Weed and Feed specifies to apply at least 30 days apart.  Milorganite generally recommends a schedule of every six weeks or so.  Weed and Feed does contain a lot of the same nitrogen that Milorganite contains, so if you are using both products then Milorganite definitely becomes the side dish rather than the main course.

I applied the Weed and Feed about 45 days apart but did apply Milorganite in between the applications with no ill effects on my lawn.  Not long after, my lawn was looking as thick, green and healthy as I had ever seen it.

### Can you use Milorganite as a starter fertilizer with new grass seed?

**Milorganite makes a fantastic starter fertilizer for new grass seed.**  The slow-release formula makes it safe to use on lawns in their early phases of growth.  And the boost of nutrients (specifically nitrogen and phosphorous) will help newly seeded areas estabilsh themselves and grow in thicker and more quickly.

**When applying new grass seed, you can mix two parts of Milorganite to one part grass seed to help your seed get off to a strong start.**  Those instructions are directly from the manufacturer.  I personally haven't use it with brand new seed, but I have used it to great success on seed that was less than a month old.

### Can you use Milorganite once a month?

**I have personally had great success applying Milorganite on a monthly schedule**.  This is where the non-burning aspect of Milorganite really shines.  It is really difficult to apply too much Milorganite.

They do generally recommend applying it every six weeks, and honestly, a monthly schedule is probably not necessary long-term but if you are trying to kick-start a yard that hasn't been properly maintained then you will be happy with monthly applications.

### Does Milorganite burn grass?

The thing that makes Milorganite so easy to use is that **it does not burn grass**.  You can dump a pile of it in one spot and you'll have no problem whatsoever.

Try that with something like Scotts products and you'll have a burn spot in your yard within a day.  I've even had trouble with those products leaving burn marks just due to the product building up on my spreaders' wheels.

Most fertilizers sold at big-box retailers contain salts that are responsible for the burn effect when you apply too much of the product.

You won't worry about that with Milorganite.  It is literally one of the most fool-proof products that I've ever used.

### Does Milorganite green up grass?

I have only been using Milorganite for a season, but my grass is greener now than it has ever been.  **With iron and nitrogen, Milorganite will give you a healthy, dark-green lawn** that will impress all your neighbors and friends.

Most fertilizers don't contain iron, and when it comes to color it can be one of the most critical components.  Milorganite's non-staining iron helps to give you a dark, dark green color that is truly impressive.

### Does Milorganite kill weeds?

**The one main thing Milorganite doesn't do is kill weeds.**  When using Milorganite you will have to handle weeds separately, whether that's by manually pulling them, using a pre-emergent weed killer to prevent them in the first place or using a post-emergent product to eliminate them after they've already sprung up.

The lack of herbicide in the product isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just something to be aware of as you decide on your own personal lawn care regimen.

Milorganite Slow-Release Fertilizer has turned my yard from an embarrassment into one that friends and neighbors admire.  It is a simple yet powerful tool that will enhance your yard for years to come.

10 Critical Tools for New Homeowners

1. Cordless Drill / Impact Driver

2. A Good Level

3. Stud Finder

4. Screwdrivers

5. Adjustable Wrenches

6. Plumber's Pliers

7. Socket Set

8. A Backup Socket Set

9. Circuler Saw

10. Extra Batteries

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