Lawn fertilizers are like food to lawns, without them you cannot even think of growing grass on your lawn. It is also true that your house does not get the real glory until and unless it has a great lawn to flaunt. This is the reason most people spend so much time and effort in maintaining a great looking lawn. They try to develop a real charming lawn in front of their house, but unfortunately fail in growing the grass properly and some just manage to grow them sparsely but it doesn't have the capability to receive praise from visitors and guests. The main reason for this is they don't know about lawn fertilizers and their types and uses.
Lawns depend upon about sixteen chemical elements most of which are present in the natural environment. But several other elements which are not present in the environment have to be added to the lawns. Hence the need for lawn fertilizers. There are fertilizers which contain nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. There are a lot of people who talk much about NPK ratio (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium ratio) and think that is all a beautiful lawn requires and so they go ahead and buy a fertilizer which has one of these elements or has all three. However, this does not become enough to ensure a prizewinning lawn.
Nitrogen is the most important element for the proper growth of grass which will be green with more density, thick shoots and capable of fighting off bugs and pests. Potassium will enhance the resistance capacity of the grass from disease, drought and weather. Phosphorus is used so that the root growth of the lawn grass will be proper. Various lawns fertilizers are available which have different portions of these three elements and hence will help you get a great looking lawn.
Before deciding on which lawn fertilizer will suit your grass check the soil type, grass type, climate and season. Most lawn fertilizers reflect a three digit number like 30-10-10 which shows the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium respectively. With the help of a simple pH test you can find the nutrients present or absent in your soil and their percentage.
There are four main types of lawn fertilizers - Granular, Liquid, Synthetic and Organic. Granular fertilizers are the most popular as they are easy to use. They are dry and hence can be spread easily. They provide fertilization over two to six months. These fertilizers cost less but grass burn can occur if proper watering is not done. Liquid fertilizers are of course in liquid form and with the help of spray bottles and by mixing proper portions of water in them, they can be used. Liquid fertilizers are expensive but results can be seen fast.
Synthetic fertilizers can release immediate nutrients into the soil as they are made from chemicals. But you will need to apply them more often. If not used in proper way they can burn the grass. Organic or natural lawn fertilizers are made from living organisms and their byproducts but they do have a bad smell.
When choosing lawn fertilizers, you have to consider the many things listed above. So judge what is lacking in your soil and go for the proper fertilizer but lots of care is a must if you want your grass to be green and healthy.
