When it comes to caring for your lush, green lawn, you have two options–the synthetic method or the organic method. The former will make your yard beautiful, but the latter will make it both beautiful and healthy. Would you feed your pet with synthetic meat products? No? No more should you feed your lawn with artificial, environmentally unfriendly food. This is where organic fertilizers come in.
When you use organic fertilizer for lawn care, you can be sure that you are caring for your yard in the healthiest, most natural way possible. But what makes up an organic fertilizer? Why is it good? How do you use it? Below, we answer these questions so you can make the best choice for your landscape.
Organic Fertilizers
So, what is an organic fertilizer? Well, first of all, fertilizers are like food for your lawn. Synthetic fertilizers, the most common ones found on your garden center shelves, are fast-acting chemicals designed to boost plant growth, but they can cause side effects, such as wasted nutrients, burnt roots, and salt build-up.
On the other hand, organic fertilizers are slower-acting and consist of plant or animal-based ingredients, like animal manure and composted plants. These fertilizers provide a slow, consistent feeding for your lawn–just as nature intended.
Organic fertilizers are often worked into the soil so that the grass gets nutrients straight from the earth, not from a spray or other inconsistent feeding source. Some common organic fertilizers include bone meal, poultry manure, and earthworm castings, but countless others exist. You can think of these as “health foods” for your lawn.
Benefits of Using an Organic Fertilizer for Lawn Care
What are the benefits of using these organic fertilizers? For one, they are made from sustainable, natural ingredients, so your lawn is not being fed with manufactured chemicals that could damage the environment.
Secondly, because they are worked into the soil and are biologically active, the grass gets a more gentle feeding over time rather than a potentially harsh boost all at once.
Additionally, organic fertilizers improve soil structure, which means more nutrients, more air, and increased water retention.
Organic lawn feed will also not wash away in the rain or when watering, unlike synthetic options.
Overall, organic fertilizers are more beneficial for the long-term health of your lawn.
How to Use an Organic Fertilizer
Now that you know what organic fertilizers are and why they’re beneficial, you’re probably wondering how to use them. In most cases, you use them just as you would synthetic fertilizers–which is to say, follow the instruction on the bag or bottle. Sometimes, however, you might want to mix your own organic fertilizer to meet your lawn’s specific needs.
For organic fertilizers like animal manure, you simply need to work it into the soil. For composts, you can either work it into the earth or use it as a topdressing.
Before you embark on using organic fertilizers for your lawn, we recommend seeking expert advice or leaving the process to the pros. Using the wrong kind or too much fertilizer, even of the organic types, could ruin your soil or grass, and if you are looking for a consistently healthy lawn, lawn care specialists will be able to help.
Complete Organic Lawn Care in Pennsylvania
Have we whetted your appetite for using organic fertilizers on your lawn? If you’re in Pennsylvania and you’re looking for a team of experts to care for your yard organically, reach out to us today to get a free estimate!
