When it comes to improving your lawn health, getting the right nutrients applied is a great starting point. There are three main fertiliser options:
- Fully Organic
- Synthetic/Chemical
- Organic Based
1. Fully organic fertilisers use 100% natural ingredients and are arguably one of the more sustainable options but they do have some downsides. That’s because fully organic fertilisers need to be applied at very high rates and very frequently in order to make a noticeable difference in the health of your lawn—and that means they’re incredibly expensive compared with other types. What’s more, their benefits can take a long time to appear. They have a place but are not the best option for lawns.
2. Synthetic/chemical fertilisers have been around for a long time, as they have enabled mass production in agriculture and are extensively used in professional sports turf. They will give you a green lawn fast but here’s why they are not always best suited for domestic lawns.
Synthetic fertilisers are the least sustainable option. They use the most energy to manufacture; they don’t condition your soil; and they’re more likely to cause pollution with nutrients leaching into the soil or waterways—or even into the atmosphere itself.
You’ve probably seen “3-in-1 lawn products” at your local garden centre: containing synthetic fast-release fertiliser, moss control, and weed control. But do you really need to always treat moss and weeds at the same time? The answer is no. What happens if you over-apply? You could easily burn areas of your lawn, killing the grass and damaging the soil microbes that help keep it healthy.
Some controlled release synthetic fertilisers use micro-plastics to keep them from releasing too much of their nutrients at once. Unfortunately, those plastics will stay in your soil for a long time, polluting it and doing nothing good for the environment.
3. Organic based fertilisers are Lawn Tiger’s choice for applying on our customer’s lawns. Because they naturally slowly release the nutrients, they encourage gentle growth on your lawn with a very low risk of fertiliser burn on grass. Organic based fertilisers will promote a healthy, dense and lush green lawn that requires less maintenance and uses less water than one treated with only synthetic fertilisers.
The organic content in the fertiliser will condition the soil and feed the essential bacteria and fungi in the soil. Those microbes will make nutrients more available for absorption by the grass plant, which means you don’t have to use as much fertiliser in order to get great results. Another way to put it, the improved soil biology makes the fertiliser more effective. A win, win!
Lastly, organic fertilisers are safer option for humans, pets, wildlife, and the surrounding areas they’re applied in. They contain no polluting micro-plastics. They also have a lower environmental impact, as they use waste from other industries (like food and animal manure) as their starting point. This means less energy is needed to make them.
Are there any downsides to use organic based fertilisers?
- They are often more expensive (less are made and are slower to make)
- They need to be applied at a slightly higher rate
- They can give off a temporary smell (form the organic content)
Our view
We believe there are so many benefits for using organic based fertilisers over synthetic. You get excellent results with a lower impact to the environment, they support sustainability more and will boost the soil health too. To find out how your lawn could benefit from our organic based Annual Treatment Plan call 01293 974358, email [email protected] or use our easy instant online quote tool.
