When I started taking care of my family’s new lawn, I had two choices. I thought about choosing the less expensive chemical fertilizers, especially since they were made by companies whose names I recognized. Then I saw the organic lawn fertilizers – some were also called natural lawn fertilizers.
There are plenty of good reasons to choose organic lawn fertilizers but the best is that chemical fertilizers actually ruin your soil after being used for a long time. Most of them are very rich in salt which is not healthy for your soil. Of course, I didn’t know that at the time so with a new mortgage weighing on my mind I chose the cheaper option.
Thankfully, I did some research before I applied fertilizer for the second time of the year and realized that organic lawn fertilizer was a much better option. Of course, choosing organic lawn fertilizers doesn’t mean you don’t have any other decisions you need to make. Let’s look at some tips to help you.
Reading Organic Lawn Fertilizer Labels
Regardless of the type of fertilizer you choose, you need to carefully read the label. Among the information you’ll find there are three numbers: 24-12-10. These numbers stand for the percentages of three key ingredients – nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium – present in the fertilizer. Nitrogen is critical for that healthy green color we all love to see surrounding our home. Phosphorus helps the roots of the grass grow which is important for strong grass. Finally, potassium can help your lawn become more resistant to disease.
Make sure you also read the label so you can choose a fertilizer that is right for your type of grass, so you can purchase enough fertilizer for your lawn, and so you can purchase any equipment you might need to apply the organic lawn fertilizer, such as a spreader.
Applying Organic Lawn Fertilizers
You should also read the label so you’ll be able to apply the fertilizer to your lawn appropriately. If you’re using a granular type of fertilizer, you’ll use a spreader to evenly spread the material around your lawn. If you’re using a liquid fertilizer, you’ll use your garden hose or similar equipment to spray the lawn. Try to spread it over the grass as evenly as possible. After you apply granular fertilizer to your lawn, you’ll need to water it to help the fertilizer be absorbed into the soil.
I always recommend applying fertilizer to your lawn twice a year – once in spring and once in autumn. If you fertilize more than twice a year, you could end up overfertilizing which is a bad idea even if you’re using organic lawn fertilizers. Plus, you’ll already be mowing your lawn twice a week instead of once, so you don’t want to give yourself more work than is necessary.
And that brings me to the real advantage of using organic lawn fertilizers – your grass will grow like crazy. As I mentioned above, you will need to cut your grass more often but your lawn will be richer, greener, and more healthy than you could ever accomplish without those extra doses of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.