It’s widely known that organic food, free of pesticides and other toxins, is far healthier for our bodies than the normal stuff.
Well, the same goes for your lawn.
Using natural, organic products on your lawn can result in a stronger, healthier and greener lawn.
Why is this the case?
Your lawn is only as healthy as the soil that it sprouts from. Soil contains millions upon millions of microbes which feed on organic matter found on or below the soil surface such as grass clippings, leaves or manure. Feeding on organic matter allows these microbes to release nutrients which are absorbed by the grass roots. Nitrogen, for example, which is absorbed in the highest levels by grass, is one of the elements released by the microbes.
The more organic matter there is to feed on, the more the microbes multiply. The more they multiply, the more nutrients they make available for your lawn and the stronger it grows.
As part of your normal lawn care routine, it helps to put fertilizer on the grass. There are two types of fertilizer you’ll find at your local garden store: synthetic (sometimes known as “chemical”) or organic.
Synthetic fertilizers act faster than organic fertilizers and their results are generally more predictable and reliable.
However, they contain pesticides, which are unnecessarily harmful to both humans and the environment. They can also cause long-term imbalances in soil fertility and its ph balance, thereby affecting grass growth and the microbes that live in the soil.
Chemical fertilizers can also result in your lawn developing an unnatural dependence on them, requiring multiple applications during the year instead of promoting natural growth.
While organic fertilizers are slower acting and have inconsistent texture, they are far better for your lawn in general and safer for the health of your family. Here is a list of advantages of using organic fertilizers on your lawn:
- They provide many nutrients to microbes in the soil that aren’t often provided by synthetic fertilizers, thus improving the lawn’s quality and texture.
- They also improve both the water retention and the downward movement of water through the soil.
- Organic matter helps the soil’s ability to retain nutrients better than chemical fertilizers.
- Natural fertilizers prevent soil compaction, allowing air to flow under the surface of the lawn resulting in better movement of nutrients within the soil.
- They are better at helping prevent certain lawn diseases, partly by promoting growth of healthy microbes.
- Microbes that feed on organic matter help break down harmful chemicals within the soil and on the lawn. In contrast, the use of artificial fertilizer could result in chemical residue left behind long after use.
- Although organic fertilizers act slower, this can actually have a very advantageous effect if you’re willing to be patient. The lawn will absorb the nutrients slowly and in smaller amounts, resulting in healthier and stronger lawn growth.
- Organic fertilizer, despite working slowly, works for longer, whereas synthetic fertilizer can be washed away with excess water or rain.
Replacing your usual synthetic fertilizer with organic fertilizer might be one of the best decisions you can make as part of your lawn care routine. It promotes natural and healthy lawn growth for the long-term that synthetic fertilizers can’t match. It’s also healthier and safer for you and the environment as a whole.