- Liquid fertilizer for lawns: effect and application
- Comparison of liquid fertilizers for lawns
- Alternatives to liquidLawn Fertilizers
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Many gardeners like to use liquid lawn fertilizer. We show why this is less suitable for lawn fertilization despite its simple application.
The lawn is the focal point of many gardens and is seen as evidence of the more or less green thumb of its owner. Because keeping a lawn dense, green and weed-free is a real art. It should be easier with liquid lawn fertilizers, which we take a close look at in this article.
Liquid fertilizers for lawns have been available for some time and promise little work and quick effects. We explain the effect and variants of liquid fertilizers for lawns and point out important advantages and disadvantages as well as alternatives.
Liquid fertilizer for lawns: effect and application
Few people know that plants can take up their nutrients both through their roots and through all plant organs above ground. When it comes into contact with water, the waxy cuticle swells and microscopically visible pores develop. Through these, the nutrient solution reaches the membranes of the uppermost cell layer and is absorbed by them. Liquid fertilizers enable fertilization in two ways: on the one hand, they bring nutrient ions into the soil in an aqueous solution, on the other hand, they act as foliar fertiliser. In both cases, uptake is faster than would be possible with any other fertilization method. Since all fertilized nutrients are available within a very short time, only the smallest amounts can be fertilized if over-fertilization is not to occur. This can happen in particular if increased solar radiation leads to the evaporation of the water content of the fertilizer solution immediately after foliar fertilization. You can read more about over-fertilizing lawns here. Nutrients that are not readily taken up by plants are also very easily leached unused into deeper soil layers.
Comparison of liquid fertilizers for lawns
The classic, mineral liquid fertilizers contain all the nutrients of a solid lawn fertilizerDissolved in liquid and come up trumps with a particularly rapid, low-dust and even distribution. Seasonal peaks in demand should be satisfied with fast, strong fertilization. Unfortunately, the application of highly concentrated nitrogen leads to a sudden growth spurt, which occurs due to soft, fungus- and drought-prone stalks. The effect wears off a few days to weeks after application and fertilization must be repeated.
Other liquid lawn fertilizers are advertised as "long-term" and are effective for up to 50 days. This is possible because nitrogen is contained in the form of urea (urea). This can be converted into plant-available ammonium by microorganisms in the soil. However, due to the activity of other organisms that have the enzyme urease, urea is converted into gaseous ammonia. This causes a loss of the fertilized nitrogen to the environment. In addition, the fertilization of urea leads to an increase in the pH value. Such a value in turn favors the reconversion of plant-available ammonium into ammonia. We therefore advise against the use of liquid fertilizers containing urea, as their effect cannot be assessed by most private garden owners.
Tip: Only the use of so-called urease inhibitors in the fertilizer formulation prevents the outgassing of ammonia. However, their presence is not mentioned by the fertilizer manufacturers.
Also biologically based liquid lawn fertilizers are available. As purely vegetable and low-phosphate fertilizers, they should ensure a rapid supply of nutrients without polluting the garden soils, which are often very high in phosphate. The organic matter it contains results in a viscous consistency and a pungent smell, because it is a matter of plant manure.
Finally, there are liquid fertilizers that advertise plant hormones and amino acids instead of the nutrients they contain. They usually contain seaweed extracts, which have been used as a gentle source of nutrients for centuries. The plant hormones it contains are intended to stimulate the growth of shoots and roots. However, since there is no exact information on the hormone concentration that is decisive for the effect on the manufacturer's website, the user must check the effectiveness himself.
Tip: Liquid fertilizers should not be confused with liquid weed killers, which are often also accompanied by the additive"Liquid Fertilizer" are advertised.
Disadvantages of mineral liquid fertilizer for lawns
Unfortunately, there are many disadvantages with mineral liquid fertilizers, which we would like to explain to you below.
- Compared to solid fertilizers, the duration of action is very limited.
- The application leads to jerky growth, the stalks are often not resistant to disease, heat or cold.
- The high nutrient concentrations can easily lead to over-fertilization if the wrong dosage is used.
- The form of nitrogen, urea, is difficult to assess for laypersons and easily leads to a loss of nitrogen to the environment and a loss of benefit for the paying customer.
- The chemical formulation ensures that the nutrients contained are kept in the solution as much as possible. This also means that they cannot attach themselves to soil particles. The next heavier shower can wash them into deeper soil layers, where they are inaccessible to the rather short lawn roots. After all, they can end up in the groundwater and thus eutrophicate natural sites.
- The frequently small package size is due to better applicability, but leads to very high prices per square meter fertilized.
- Like solid mineral lawn fertilisers, the liquid fertilizers do not introduce any organic matter and thus lead to a loss of soil quality with repeated use. In addition, application can disrupt soil chemistry and unintentionally affect pH.
Disadvantages of organic liquid fertilizer for lawns
Even if organic fertilizers are generally preferable to mineral ones, organic liquid fertilization of lawns rarely makes sense. It also applies to them that the nutrient concentration is in an unfavorable ratio to the price. Due to the liquid form, the content of organic solids is extremely low. In this way, high levels of nitrogen can actually be washed out, as is also the case with liquid manure and manure in agriculture. The trace nutrients contained and the often low phosphorus content are to be rated positively. Because there are usually enough phosphates in garden soil, they are just not available to plants. However, active soil life and appropriate soil care can make them available again.
Alternatives to liquidLawn Fertilizers
Fast and effective lawn fertilization is what many lawn owners want. As so often in nature, however, patience should be a virtue when it comes to lawns: sudden growth, sudden floods of nutrients and changes in soil chemistry are hardly in the sense of a permanent lawn culture. Only the acute and very severe lack of nutrients in a lawn would provide a reason for using a liquid fertilizer. In our overview article on the topic of fertilizing lawns, important deficiency symptoms of lawn areas are described.
Efficient soils with good nutrient storage capacity, strong water retention capacity and good aeration are much more valuable. With the right care, such a soil can ensure that your lawn stays dark green even in winter, sprout in spring without initial fertilization and only needs to be fertilized two to three times a year. In order to achieve such a state, the input of solid organic matter is essential. It can be used to build up humus, nourishes he althy soil life and supplies nutrients in an even, flowing and environmentally friendly manner. So-called organic lawn fertilizers are sometimes even suitable for reintroducing strains of useful microorganisms on extremely poor soil. The organic lawn fertilizers also include our primarily organic Plantura organic lawn fertilizer and our organic Plantura organic autumn lawn fertilizer.
We have summarized general information about lawn fertilizers for you here.