Fertilizer Fundamentals: What To Watch Out For In Your Fertilizer?

If you’re new to landscaping, visit a garden center to compare fertilizers. What does Bag 3 mean? Can your grass tell liquid fertilizer from granular?

Best fertilizer should be easy to find. We’ll discuss fertilizer basics so you’re prepared. The end of this advice will make it easy to picnic at the garden store.

What’s Fertilizer?

Any chemical or natural product given to soil to boost fertility and feed plants is a fertilizer.

Why Do You Fertilize?

Grass must be healthy. Your grass needs soil nutrients. If your soil lacks nutrients, your grass won’t grow. Good turf needs fertilizer.

Fertilizing your grass boosts its beauty, health, and resistance to insects, weeds, and viruses.

What Are The Main Types Of Fertilizers?

Granular or liquid fertilizers will be used most. Every fertilizer affects lawns differently, but all affect grass equally. Your lawn is blind.

Granular Fertilizer

Dry granular fertilizer comes in granules. Granular fertilizer is slow-release. So it gently releases nutrients into the grass.

Pros:

• A slow-release fertilizer increases grass health over time.
• Slow-release fertilizers last months or weeks on grass.
• Granular fertilizers usually last longer than liquid.
• Granular fertilizers are cheaper than liquid ones, especially if bought in bulk.

Cons:

• Granular fertilizers take more work than liquid ones.
• Granular fertilizers don‘t provide enough nutrients to a lifeless lawn.
• This is a poor lawn-seed starter fertilizer.

Sometimes it’s hard to spread granular fertilizer evenly. Granular fertilizers with lots of dust, broken bits, and different-sized pellets may not distribute nutrients well. Extension recommends using uniform-sized pellets and little dust or broken granules in fertilizers.

Liquid Fertilizer

Liquid lime fertilizer starts as a concentrated solution that can be diluted in water or a dry, water-soluble product dissolved in water. Quick-release liquid fertilizers can provide nutrients immediately.

Pros:

Granular fertilizer contains dust and broken granules; liquid does not. All drops have the same nutritional ratio.

• Once fertilized, turf can absorb nutrients.
• Liquid fertilizer applications are easier than granular ones.
• Liquid fertilizer helps revive dying lawns.
• Slow-release granular fertilizer is less effective than liquid.
• Liquid fertilizer provides nutrients quickly and is a suitable starter fertilizer.

Cons:

• All nutrients are available to grass after fertilization, so it absorbs them faster than slow-release fertilizers. Liquid fertilizer is often needed within a few weeks.
• Granular fertilizer has a longer shelf life than liquid.
• Liquid fertilizer may boost cool-season grass growth if applied early in the spring. Too much growth too fast can inhibit root growth. This makes grass prone to stress, pests, and virus.
• Compared to granular fertilizer, liquid can be more expensive.

Compare Organic and Inorganic Fertilizer

You’ll discover that not all plant food is organic as you shop. Besides pricing, what differentiates these two products?

Organic Fertilizer

Animal or plant matter is used to make organic fertilizer. Organic fertilizers are compost, fish oil, and blood meal.

Pros:

• Organic fertilizers are gradually released, which is healthy for grass.
• Organic fertilizers boost soil organic matter and structure.
• With compost Tea, you may manufacture organic fertilizer.
• Inorganic fertilizers scorch grass more than organic.
• Organic fertilizers are less prone to runoff or leaking.

Cons:

• Organic fertilizers are degraded by soil organisms. Organic fertilizers won’t work as well in cold, sluggish soil.
• Often, the nutrient content is unknown.
• Essential plant nutrients are generally in little concentrations.
• May include weed seed.
• E pathogens may be present. It could include Salmonella or E. coli if not composted.