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coniferfreak

Does Milorganite really smell like POO?

Luv My Conifers
15 years ago

I have been told this... and if it REALLY stinks, maybe I want to re-consider putting my new Basjoo bananas right next to our pool (which is also an area that we eat next to). ? What do you all think? I have never used it yet -- can't even find it locally, but I am still searching for the stuff!

Comments (22)

  • jeffreydv
    15 years ago

    I just bought some at Home Depot and it definitely has an odor to it. I don't think you have to worry about your pool area as I have the open bag in my garage and it doesn't smell in there.

  • staceybeth
    15 years ago

    Its smells like poop because it is poop!! LOL.. really it is.. however it is has been put through alot of stuff so that it is safe for us to handle (with gloves on of course). It does smell when it first is on your plants but after a few days the smell dissappears. IT works like magic on all my tropicals including my two baby Basjoos!!!they are growing like wild.

  • fishoifc
    15 years ago

    putting down the milogranite tomorrow do you guys know if it will attract dogs my area has loose dogs everywere and my plants are very small right now

  • staceybeth
    15 years ago

    I have 2 dogs and the milorganite is fine. At first they sniff it and then when the smell goes away, they dont even know its there.

  • the_virginian
    15 years ago

    Dogs will investigate it and you are correct, after a few days the smell is gone and so is their interest. I cover it up with mulch in my backyard where the dogs run and they don't know it is even there.

  • Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
    15 years ago

    My wife's parent's dog likes to eat it! He'll root around and take bites of the soil it's in. They say he has reallly bad breath after that.

  • lee466
    15 years ago

    To me it smells like seaweed more then Poo. It was hard for me to find, I searched on the home depot, and lowes website, and the closest place that I could find it was 95 miles away, at a home depot, but that 95 miles was worth it. It really works great, and the growth on my Musa Basjoo has doubled, and so far this year it has grew 6'. I don't care what it smells like, only if it works is the main thing. I also cover it up with mulch, and the odor doesn't stay long.

    I don't think my dogs like it, they don't come near it. I own 2 dogs, then my neighbors comes over, so thats 1 more, and my neighbors dog is bad to pee on every plant in sight, but none within 10 of my bananas, with milorganite.

    I worry more about deer around my bananas more than dogs, I've a herd of deer here, and one night I lost a 8' tall tree because of the deer, not a banana plant, it was a Cleveland select pear tree, so if they can take that down, they can take my bananas down.

    Lee

  • the_virginian
    15 years ago

    Lee: Milorganite will have another great side effect for you regarding deer....they hate it and avoid an area where it has been put down. It has worked as a great deer repellant for me. There was a study done at SUNY that showed it kept deer away from almost anything where Milorganite was applied.

  • sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
    15 years ago

    I just got some to try. It definitely has a stink to it. Not really like 'poo' but surely something nasty. I buried it next to some in edible type bananas and ee's. Not sure if I want to try this on edible things but I think I will experiment with it on the in-edible stuff this summer.

  • nucci60
    15 years ago

    I live on the northeast Mass.coast, and it doesn't seem to be available here or in southern New Hampshire.

  • wildboar
    15 years ago

    I just put a bunch down on the entire yard today. It smells like the mud you'd find on a riverbank or at the bottom of the river. I have 3 mini dachshunds and a lab. The wienerdogs ran out into the yard and started rolling around in it. The lab was trying to eat it. I thought maybe it would have some effect on keeping rabbits away (hoping so because the dachshunds go insane when they see one, seeing as they are bred to hunt them). Later in the afternoon I look out in the backyard and see a rabbit lounging in it. He made an extra effort just to get into the yard and was in no big hurry to get up and scamper off when I went out there. I guess they have a different nose than deer.

  • Bamatufa
    15 years ago

    I bought some today also after reading this forum. The smell is not bad and my dogs went after it. It has a unique aroma but I do not consider it a bad smell. I hope it works !

  • bradleyo_gw
    15 years ago

    I finally tried some myself this week after hearing the Virginian rave about it for years. To be precise, it has the smell of diluted sewage treatment plant (I'm in sales and use to call on a few of these facilities). I guess this comes as no surprise, consider the source.

  • bradleyo_gw
    15 years ago

    After 4 days the smell is starting to get to me. I had watered it in in most parts of my lawn and we just got a hard rain this afternoon. My yard totally reeks, so bad that I hope the neighbors don't complain. I hope it goes away soon, but most importantly I hope it works.

  • Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
    15 years ago

    Take some Milorganite, add water and let sit in sun for 3 days. Then tell me how it smells -- LOL! Seriously, I use it too, but don't let it get wet when you store it!

  • Luv My Conifers
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thanks for all the replies. Maybe I won't use it right next to my pool then, where it will get wet often... that's IF I can even find it. I still have not found it anywhere here in eastern PA. I really wish I could though, because the new basjoo's I've had for a couple months now are not much bigger than when I bought them, and I am even giving them Miracle Gro.

  • the_virginian
    15 years ago

    Coniferfreak: The solution to use Milorganite is simple for bananas around your pool. First dig a few small holes that go to the root zone. Add a generous amount of Milorganite, then cover the hole with soil, add some mulch and you will never have a problem with smell or the Milorganite getting into the pool. Look for it in the lawn fertilizer section. It has a green, white and orange logo.

  • mikeinmo
    15 years ago

    Very good tip, Virginian. Wish I would have read that a couple weeks ago. I put the stuff in my already potted plants on the patio and mixed it in the soil. My patio smelled for over a week. Next time, I will dig holes like you suggest. Live and learn.........
    Mike

  • Luv My Conifers
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Yes, very good tip Virginian! I finally was able to find some Milorganite at Home Depot. Yaayy!! I will now be able to give that a try. Hopefully it will spur some growth on my Basjoos. They are only about 8 inches and have probably only grown about 3 inches since I got them a couple months ago! They are still in pots, but everything is now ready for me to put them into their permanent home in the ground.

  • jkundert
    15 years ago

    Hey, one benefit I'm not sure anyone's stated yet is that _it keeps deer away_! Might not be a big deal for some of you, but my veggies and baby trees get lots and lots of milorganite, as much to keep hungry deer away as for fertilizing (which it does great, btw).

    Just thought this might be useful for some of you.

  • the_virginian
    15 years ago

    This is true and I forgot about that. It works for several weeks to a couple of months.