NJ Lawns Community

Hey everyone, been gardening in Hackensack for about 15 years now and I'm hitting my limit with the chemical fertilizers. Every time I spread that stuff, my neighbors give me the side-eye when they walk by. Is there any organic option that actually works AND doesn't make my whole backyard smell like a barn? I've tried the Milorganite stuff but honestly it still has a pretty earthy smell. Looking for something my wife won't complain about when I'm applying it in late spring.

Milorganite honestly isn't bad once it dries out - the smell fades after a day or two. But if you want something with less odor, check out the espoma organic lawn food line. I get mine at the Garden State Garden Center in Rutherford. The Harvey's brand actually has a pretty neutral smell compared to most organics. Apply it in early morning when dew is still on the grass and water it in within 24 hours - that really cuts down on the smell factor.

The key thing with organic fertilizers is understanding what's actually causing the smell. Most of that ammonia odor comes from nitrogen sources that haven't fully broken down yet. I'd recommend a blend that's more stabilized - something with blood meal and bone meal tends to smell less than sewage sludge based products. Also timing matters big time in NJ - wait until temps are consistently above 60 degrees before your first application. Your soil biology is basically dormant right now anyway so the stuff can't break down properly. Try the Ortho Organics lawn food, available at most local garden centers and it's basically odorless once watered in.

@SoilScientist makes a good point about soil temp. Do you think the Espoma organic would work okay for tall fescue? My lawn is about 60% fescue and 30% KBG with some clover mixed in. Been doing the Cornell soil test recommendations but always open to adjusting based on what others in the area are seeing work. I actually started adding compost tea monthly and that's made a huge difference without any smell issues. Just brewed my own last weekend.

Compost tea is great but let's be honest - it takes time to make and apply regularly. Not everyone has that setup. For the original question though - I switched to Neptune's Harvest fish/seaweed blend a few years back and honestly doesn't smell bad at all. A little fishy but nothing like ammonia. Only downside is it can attract cats/dogs temporarily so maybe not ideal if you have dogs that dig. Got mine at the Hackensack Agway back in March.

Just a word of caution on the fish products - while the smell itself isn't bad, in Bergen county you're going to get raccoons and opossums all over that within a night. Had homeowners tell me their pet wildlife issues tripled after using fish-based organics. If you want virtually zero odor and aren't worried about feeding the soil biology long-term, look into the Scotts Natural Lawn Food. It's synthetically coated to reduce smell but still counts as organic for certification purposes. Works great on KBG especially during our hot humid summers.