We only want the best for the perfect green space. We compare organic and mineral fertilizers and choose the best lawn fertilizer.
Lawn fertilizers must meet the demanding needs of the lawn and at the same time should be both user and environmentally friendly. Not only nutrient content and composition are important here. The speed and duration of the release as well as the release conditions also play a crucial role. The proportion and type of organic material contained influence the fertilization effect and the long-term effect of fertilization on the soil. In this article you can find out to what extent different lawn fertilizers meet the requirements.
Lawn fertilizers are available in mineral, organic, organo-mineral and certified organic forms. They each meet the requirements to a different extent, which is difficult for many lawn owners to keep track of.
Organic lawn fertilizers tested
To make it easier for you to choose the right lawn fertilizer, we would like to discuss the pros and cons of different types of fertilizer for you below. We'll start with organic lawn fertilizers.
Organic Lawn Fertilizers: Origin
Organic lawn fertilizers are made from organic raw materials, usually from waste. Various substances that occur in food and luxury food production are suitable for fertilizer production due to their nutrient composition and content. Plant-based recyclables (such as vinasse, hulls, flour from soybean oilcake) can be used, as can animal waste (such as horn, blood, bones, or feces).
Organic Lawn Fertilizers: Properties
Organic lawn fertilizers have in common that they have a delayed effect. Therefore, they must be fertilized with foresight. Nutrients contained in the fertilizer are stripped of their organic “packaging” by soil organisms, making them available to plants. They then provide nutrients when for the lawngrowing weather prevails, i.e. in the case of sufficient moisture and warmth. This prevents loss of nutrients due to leaching or outgassing. Due to the content of organic matter, they promote soil life, the soil structure and the humus content. This is the most natural way to fertilize.
Depending on the raw materials used, the nutrient content differs. Many animal wastes are rich in phosphate and nitrogen but poor in potassium, while those from feces and plant matter are not in this deficit. The total nutrient content also differs, as does the content of organic matter. In lawn fertilizers, the raw materials are combined in such a way that the needs of the lawn are met. However, always make sure that the content of the main nutrient potassium is sufficiently high. This is urgently needed by the lawn both to regulate the water balance in summer and to increase frost tolerance in winter. Special fall lawn fertilizers are lower in nitrogen and higher in potassium.
The form of processing determines the speed of release and the comfort of application: Finely ground fertilizers are converted quickly, but they create dust, get caught on clothing and have an unpleasant smell. However, if the material is only coarsely crushed, the fertilizing effect sets in later. The ground material is therefore often pressed in the form of pellets. These swell on contact with water, disintegrate and are soon available to plants.
Summary: Organic Lawn Fertilizers Tested
- Organic lawn fertilizers have a delayed effect, depend on the weather and are hardly washed out
- Organic lawn fertilizers promote soil quality: water and nutrients can be stored and made available better, root growth is promoted, resistance to diseases is strengthened and soil compaction is reduced
- Lawn fertilizers contain more nitrogen and less potassium than autumn lawn fertilizers in order to optimally meet the needs of the plants at that time of year
- Coarsely ground fertilizers are converted more slowly than finely ground ones. Pelleted fertilizers do not produce dust and are easy to apply
Advantages and disadvantages of organic lawn fertilizers
BackFor a better overview, you will find a table below with all the advantages and disadvantages of organic lawn fertilizers.
| Advantages | Cons |
|---|---|
| Production is based on recycling and saves resources and energy | Animal raw materials often have an unpleasant smell |
| Stimulating soil life leads to more effective nutrient utilization | Delayed effect requires user to fertilize in advance, about a month before need |
| Soil life and organic content improve soil quality | Nutrient content lower than with mineral fertilizers, larger amounts have to be distributed overall |
| Over-fertilization and leaching are avoided through natural conversion, uniform lawn growth is promoted | Price per fertilized area is often higher |
| Natural long-term effect reduces the need for fertilizer and ensures even lawn growth | Weather-dependent release can lead to nutrient deficiencies in cool springs and low leaching in warm autumns |
| Soil chemistry and soil life stay in balance | |
| Contain the important trace nutrients | |
| Avoiding costly soil improvement measures: aerating, scarifying and sanding are less necessary in the long run |
As you can see, the advantages of organic fertilizers outweigh the negative ones. The higher price is usually justified, after all, not only the plants but also the soil are cared for. The leaching noted as a disadvantage occurs much more frequently and to a greater extent with mineral lawn fertilizers. You can find more information about the properties and uses of organic lawn fertilizers in our special article.
Mineral lawn fertilizers tested
Now that we have de alt with organic lawn fertilisers, here is an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of mineral lawn fertilisers.
Mineral Lawn Fertilizer: Origin
Mineral lawn fertilizers are made from fossil raw materials or - in the case of nitrogen - synthesized from atmospheric nitrogen. Both processes require a lot of energy and are not sustainable: Instead of recycling the nutrient-rich waste produced by the fertilized plant, new nutrients are extracted from deposits or produced artificially.
Mineral Lawn Fertilizers: Properties
Mineral lawn fertilizers have in common that they take effect quickly and regardless of the weather. Since the nutrients are in their mineral s alt form, they can be absorbed by plants immediately after being dissolved in water. Mineral lawn fertilizers do not contain any organic substance. This excludes a positive influence on the soil quality. However, mineral nitrogen input stimulates the activity of nitrogen-converting soil bacteria. With purely mineral fertilization, this leads to the degradation of valuable humus and thus even lowers the soil quality. Because the natural conversion process is bypassed and no organic material ends up in the soil, the soil ultimately becomes depleted of beneficial earthworms, fungi, insects and bacteria.
Differences in mineral lawn fertilizers can be seen in the release time, the risk of leaching and over-fertilization, the composition and the quality. Simple mineral lawn fertilizers and those with a long-term effect are available. The long-term effect is often achieved by a kind of coating of the fertilizer s alts and increases the price. However, it reduces the amount of fertilizer required, since a larger amount of fertilizer can be applied, which is effective over several months. The release depends on the soil moisture, with some products also on moisture and temperature, since specialized bacteria are involved. This is linked to the tendency to wash out: If mineral lawn fertilizers are only released depending on the moisture, a heavy rain shower can wash considerable quantities out of the casing down where plants can no longer reach them. In wet winters, incorrect fertilization can also lead to frost damage if nutrients are released despite the cold and inhibited plant growth. If the nutrients are also released depending on the temperature, leaching and incorrect fertilization are less likely. You can learn more about slow release lawn fertilizers in this article.
Even with mineral lawn fertilizers, a distinction can be made between fertilizers for the warm vegetation period and autumn lawn fertilizers. In this case, too, the nitrogen and potassium content are crucial in order to respond to the needs of the plants.
Big differences can also be seen in the quality: cheap mineral fertilizers in particular can be improved by using inferior rock phosphatesbe contaminated with heavy metals such as cadmium, chromium and even uranium. Although there are limit values for these heavy metals, even small amounts can be absorbed by plant roots. They can also get back into food cycles via composting.
Tip: The EU primarily imports high-quality rock phosphates, for example from Morocco and China. These are not heavily contaminated with heavy metals. However, many countries with less financial resources have to make do with the inferior rock phosphate. In addition, the reserves of phosphate-containing minerals are limited and are expected to become scarce in a few decades. The estimates vary and depend heavily on future consumption and the ability to exploit deposits that are difficult to access.
Summary: Mineral lawn fertilizers tested
- Soil and soil life do not receive any care with mineral lawn fertilizers and can become impoverished in the long term. This has a negative effect on turf quality
- Mineral lawn fertilizers quickly provide plant-available nutrients. This happens - depending on the type of fertilizer - completely independent of moisture and weather, moisture-related or weather-dependent. Weather-dependent release has the lowest risk of leaching and over-fertilization
- Mineral lawn fertilizers are available for the warm vegetation period and for autumn fertilization, which differ in nitrogen and potassium content
- Mineral lawn fertilizers are contaminated to varying degrees with heavy metals such as cadmium, chromium and even uranium. Unloaded phosphates are more expensive and tend to be found in higher quality products
Advantages and disadvantages of mineral lawn fertilizers
For a quick overview, you will find below a table with the advantages and disadvantages of mineral lawn fertilizers.
| Advantages | Cons |
|---|---|
| Fast rate of action can be used to treat acute nutrient deficiencies | Artificial form of nutrient supply can not only upset the soil life, but also the soil chemistry: Changes in the pH value can be the result |
| Price can be lower, but then the quality is often inferior | Contamination of mineral phosphate fertilizers with heavy metals |
| HighNutrient levels mean that small quantities can be used, which further improves the price per area | Needs-based fertilization is only possible with well-versed knowledge of plant needs and soil chemistry and should better be left to experts |
| Release of long-term fertilizers can be planned well and are safe if used correctly | Incorrect use can result in incorrect fertilization and environmental pollution through leaching |
| Without the input of organic material, the soil becomes depleted of humus in the long term and loses quality, i.e. water retention capacity, nutrient storage, root penetration and aeration decrease |
As you can see, the disadvantages of mineral fertilization outweigh the disadvantages. The advantages mentioned must also be evaluated critically: Acute nutrient deficiencies can also be avoided with regular lawn fertilization. The price is only lower than organic fertilizers in the short term when you include the loss of soil quality. This ensures that the lawn has to be watered and cared for more laboriously. Scarifying or even aerating can also become necessary more frequently and wild herbs are favored and must be combated. Some may even use a lawn fertilizer with weed killer, which we have examined more closely for you in this article.
Conclusion: The best lawn fertilizer in comparison
Both organic and mineral lawn fertilizers have their disadvantages. In addition, however, organic-mineral lawn fertilizers and organic lawn fertilizers are also offered. Organic-mineral lawn fertilizers enable soil quality and soil life to be protected while at the same time providing good nutrient availability. Organic lawn fertilizers do the same, but they only contain mineral components that can also be used in organic farming. They also contain a much higher organic content. This means that attention is paid to the sustainable use of valuable raw materials. The combination of organic and mineral components eliminates many of the disadvantages of each category: We therefore consider combined organic lawn fertilizers to be the best way to keep a lawn he althy and well-groomed. Since a corresponding product was not previously available for sale, we have developed our Plantura organic lawn fertilizer and the Plantura organic autumn lawn fertilizer. Both take care of the lawn and soil in the same way. Because onlyanimal-free and natural raw materials were used, their smell is not unpleasant.
You can find more information about different lawn fertilizers here. If you have any other questions about lawn fertilization, you will find them in our overview article.