Natural Lawn Fertilizer
The potential health hazards associated with synthetic lawn care products have led many homeowners to turn to safer, organic methods. This trend reflects an increase in the use of natural lawn fertilizers rather than chemical-laden cocktails to promote healthy lawn growth. Fortunately, there are more options available today than plain, pulverized cow dung. In fact, some of the newest natural lawn fertilizers utilize some unusual but far less odorous organic materials. Does this Spark an idea?
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Description
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Unlike many conventional lawn care products, a natural lawn fertilizer is free of synthetic chemicals that could potentially destroy beneficial microbes in the lawn, which can actually deter future grass growth. Instead, natural fertilizers are formulated with organic chemical compounds derived from once-living organisms.
Function
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Natural, organic lawn fertilizers work by slowly releasing nutrients into the soil that are typically lacking in the average lawn. This is in contrast to chemical fertilizers, which release their entire nutrient content all at once immediately after application. This difference is owing to the fact that natural fertilizers rely on the natural decomposition of organic compounds to promote the slow release of carbon dioxide, which is taken up and distributed by grass roots and initiates the conversion of nitrogen into nitrates.
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Benefits
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There are several benefits to using a natural lawn fertilizer over a synthetic one. Slow nutrient release encourages water and oxygen retention, which translates to deeper root systems and a denser spread of grass. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that the use of natural, slow-release fertilizers helps to prevent nutrient run-off. In addition, natural fertilizers do not pose the same risk of root damage and surface burn spots as synthetic lawn care products do when over applied.
Common Ingredients
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One of the most common organic material found in natural lawn fertilizer is fish emulsion, a liquid obtained from fish scraps as a byproduct of the fish oil and fish-meal processing industry. Other frequently used ingredients include bat guano, corn gluten, bone meal, earthworm castings, seaweed (usually kelp), alfalfa and crab shells. According to the Organic Lawn Fertilizer Organization, fish emulsion contains several trace elements, while seaweed extract provides more than 60 nutrients.
Application
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Natural lawn fertilizers are available in a variety of forms. For instance, some are formulated into compressed sticks or spikes, which are inserted directly into the lawn at certain intervals of distance. Others come in granular form to use as a "top dressing" when applied with a spreader. Still others are applied as a liquid fertilizer.
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References
- Photo Credit grass,lawn image by Greg Pickens from Fotolia.com
