Try Soluble Seaweed Powder in a foliar sprayer. I just started using this along with my regular organic lawn feedings and it works great. It turned my lawn really dark green, within a few days.

Also, provides more than 70 minerals, growth hormones, cytokinin, auxins, vitamins, and enzymes.

Where can I purchase seaweed powder?

Some garden centers, Hydroponic stores and online. I buy the Solubale Seaweed because it cost less than the liquid and is much lighter, for shipping costs.

So what actually greens up the lawn? N, K or P?

So what actually greens up the lawn? N, K or P?

Primarily N and iron, although a lack of any nutrient or micronutrient can result in a really off-color lawn.

The soluble seaweed powder contains just about every micronutrient known (and probably many we don't know about), so it would take care of all that.

That leaves N and iron to worry about.

You can get a darker lawn than Milorganite?!?!
LOL

Something else to consider, and this is spinning off the subtle point Mallory made, is the genetic color of the turf in question. Some KBG's are just darker than others. If you have ever seen your particular cultivar darker than it is currently, you need to apply additional food sources or you may even have an imbalance in your soil. Apply ACT if you suspect an imbalance.

Seaweed extract does not work any faster than any other organic amendment. You're right it does contain a lot of additional micronutrients, but the microbes don't speed through it's digestion anymore so than other amendments. If you noticed a quick greening; either there was more than just seaweed in what you applied, or another natural nitrogen source was made available to the plant.

"So what actually greens up the lawn? N, K or P?"

The proper response to that question would have been chlorophyl. We're doing things organically, let's think organically. "What feeds our soil food web?" would have been a more appropriate question and the answer to that is "protein".

You want a darker lawn; add more protein. You want a darker lawn today; there's a forum for Scott's products just a click away. Organic lawn care is not instant fix-it. How many years were spent screwing it up? To repair it in even half the time should be considered "instantly".

Greenjeans

Greenjeans il

Seaweed enhances photosynthesis via increasing a plants chlorophyll levels. As you stated Chlorophyll is what gives plants their green color. By upping the level of chlorophyll the plant is able to efficiently harness the suns energy. Along with this seaweed contains a complex range of biological stimulants, nutrients, and carbohydrates. To date more than 60 different types of nutrients in seaweed have been confirmed. However seaweed in itself is not a plant food, rather it is classified as a "bio-stimulant."

Skoot is suggesting seaweed to enhance photosynthesis, and that's fine being that "stimulant" only means it elevates to maximum function. However, I can't see adding turfbuilder when you're already feeding the lawn the way it should be fed. With turfbuilder, you're no longer relying on the plant to function on its own but rather forcing it to perform. And, to say you want to add chemical fertilizer to get it darker, well read GreenJeans' reply again. The grass you have can only get just so dark unless you paint it. There are other organic/natural things you can apply, but then you run into the question of whether the plant/soil need them. That can become a problem too, but I simply cannot understand both "organic" and "problem" sharing the same sentence.

As you stated Chlorophyll is what gives plants their green color.

Leading to the statement, "I upped my chlorophyll. Up yours."

Sorry, it had to be said. I'm testy--I had a tooth abscess on me Wednesday, thought I needed a root canal, and had to have one of my perfectly maintained, whitened, cleaned, orthodontic-complete teeth pulled.

Then I got a bone infection. A bit of testiness is, perhaps, warranted.

True, the seaweed would enhance the function of the plant and breaks down organically itself, giving the soil a teeny bit of extra food.

I use the occasional shot of humic acid to do the same. It does result in a richer, greener lawn and certainly does no harm (but little help) to the soil.

Even so, I'm replacing this lawn because I'm at the limit of its genetic color. It can't get any darker, and that limit is a midrange green.

Not good enough.