Organic fertilizers are known for showing results much more slowly than their synthetic counterparts, but Safer Brand Lawn Restore is one of the few natural options that works in just days. Instead of targeting your lawn’s top growth, this product goes right to the roots and nourishes your grass from the bottom up so you can start to see enhanced color and vitality fast.
Unfortunately, Safer Brand recently released a new version of this popular lawn fertilizer that users report is messier to apply and has a much more pungent odor than the previous formula.
Fans of liquid fertilizers will be happy to know of an effective organic option that combines the fast absorption and easy application of a liquid without harsh chemicals. Just Scentsational Trident’s Pride is a crowd-pleaser for its rich formulation based on natural fish products that nourish the soil with amino acids, microbes, enzymes and vitamins. Just be prepared for a slightly fishy smell, customers warn.
What to Consider When Buying Organic Fertilizer
One element of natural lawns is the use of organic fertilizers, which add vital nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) macronutrients to the soil via natural rather than synthetic ingredients. Some of the most common compositions include alfalfa, cottonseed or corn gluten meal; rock phosphate; cow or poultry manure; compost; earthworm castings; bone or feather meal; or even seaweed or kelp.
Organic fertilizers offer multiple benefits but also a few drawbacks:
Pros
- Reduced chemical exposure for yourself, your family and your pets.
- No need to stay off your lawn for a time after treatment.
- Won’t burn your lawn if you apply too much
- Improves the quality of your soil over time and revitalizes your lawn’s ecosystem
- No leaching of chemicals from the soil into the groundwater
Cons
- Requires more time and effort to see results
- May see more weeds
- Your lawn may be more susceptible to grub outbreaks
“When choosing the right fertilizer, it’s always important to complete a soil test on your lawn,” says Kronk. “Soil test kits are inexpensive and provide tailored results about the nutrient needs of your lawn. With the results, you can easily buy the appropriate fertilizer.”
There are multiple types of organic fertilizers on the market, but according to Kronk, most homeowners need to familiarize themselves with only two kinds when shopping at the local garden center. “Granular fertilizers are small granules you can disperse throughout your lawn using a broadcast spreader, drop spreader or hand spreader. Liquid fertilizers are often connected to a hose and can be sprayed across your lawn.”
Manure, compost and meals are used more heavily in large-scale gardening and agriculture. Dr. Kauffman points out that non-composted and untreated manures aren’t recommended for use as fertilizers, as they can carry and spread diseases like E. Coli. Once manure has been composted, though, it’s an excellent choice for farms and large fields.
“Organic materials can be composted and applied as a fertilizer, which breaks down with microbial activity in the soil and releases their nutrients over time,” says Dr. Kauffman. “Bone meal, blood meal and feather meal are made by processing byproducts of animals used for food or other purposes and applying them to soils for nutrient delivery.”
Why You Should Trust Us
In addition to writing about gardening and DIY home improvement for Family Handyman, I also live on a small working farm, where I keep chickens and garden. To give more insight into organic fertilizer, we contacted two experts. Alex Kronk founded the Lawn Review, a website dedicated to helping non-gardeners care for their lawn themselves with the best tools possible. Dr. John Kauffman is TruGreen’s Mid-Atlantic Region technical manager, responsible for agronomic/horticulture program development and new product testing.
How We Found the Best Organic Fertilizers
To find the best organic fertilizers, we asked expert professionals and gardening enthusiasts for their opinions and recommendations. After combing through the offerings of retailers that can deliver organic fertilizers to just about everywhere, we then researched each brand’s quality and composition. We also consulted reviews from real customers to see how these products performed with extended use.
FAQ
What is the best organic fertilizer for grass?
The best organic lawn fertilizer on the market is Espona’s organic lawn booster. It’s produced to give your lawn additional nutrients (like feather meal, pasteurized poultry manure and gypsum) minus the presence of harmful chemicals. While Espona’s organic lawn fertilizer is pricier, the benefits outweigh the cost.
Is organic lawn fertilizer worth it?
There are many reasons why switching to an organic lawn fertilizer is worth it. It reduces chemical exposure for yourself, your family and your pets, and it won’t burn your lawn if you accidentally apply too much. It also improves the quality of your soil over time and revitalizes your lawn’s ecosystem, and you’re in no danger of chemicals leaching from your soil into the groundwater. Of course, there are downsides, like the fact that it may take more time and effort to see results, and if grubs are a problem, your garden may become more susceptible to outbreaks. However, the overall pros of using organic fertilizer definitely outweigh the cons.
