The Benefits of Natural Fertilizers

If you’re like most homeowners, you would like to achieve a beautiful, healthy lawn without having to worry about the health of your kids or pets — or the environment for that matter. But for those who have been using synthetic fertilizers, they have had to do just that, and for good reason. While synthetic fertilizers can definitely increase your soil’s plant-growing ability, there is a growing awareness of the hazards these man-made fertilizers pose.

For example, a study was conducted over the course of five years by the University of Wisconsin Biotechnology Center that demonstrates the broad effects a mix of chemical pesticides and fertilizers can have on human and animal health. The research reveals that a common combination of chemical fertilizer and pesticide altered the immune, endocrine and nervous systems in mice, and negatively influenced children’s and fetus’s developing neurological, immune and endocrine systems. According to the study, these influences “portend change in ability to learn and in patterns of aggression.” Fertilizers containing synthetic urea–a very popular ingredient in chemical fertilizers– have also been shown to contaminate groundwater and contribute to acid rain and ozone depletion.

The good news is that a growing number of lawn and garden experts say it is possible to get a great-looking lawn without relying on potentially dangerous synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Sticking to natural and organic fertilizers and weed and pest controls can do the job just as well, and sometimes at a lower cost.

Natural fertilizers are strictly derived from naturally-occurring materials like animal and plant by-products. These ingredients are beneficial to the grass and to the soil, unlike their synthetic counterparts. They improve the soil’s overall structure by increasing water retention (precious here in drought-stricken Texas), air infiltration and soil fertility. You can also rest easy knowing that natural fertilizers will not threaten your children’s or pet’s health and groundwater will not be contaminated.

More benefits to going natural:

• Slow release of nutrients feeds soil microbes (needed to nourish your lawn)
• Restores nutrient balance in soil
• Won’t “burn” your lawn like synthetic applications
• Has been proven to green up your lawn just as well as chemical products

Make the switch to natural fertilizer so you don’t have to worry about harming your or your loved ones’ health. When you purchase fertilizer, read the label closely and check for any synthetic ingredients, and be sure to add organic compost every spring to replenish the soil’s nutrients and to ward off weeds and pests.

In the market for a robust, good-looking lawn? At The Grass Outlet, we take pains to grow sod that’s perfectly suited to whatever part of the state you’re in. You can purchase pallets from our online store and have it delivered to your door in just days. Contact us or use our Grasstimator tool, a sod calculator to get started.