Do you want a green, luscious lawn that becomes the envy of your neighborhood? A great lawn doesn’t just happen, no matter how good the soil is or how careful you are about mowing it. A great lawn needs a little help, and that’s where a good fertilizer comes in.
There are two types of fertilizer to choose from. Granular fertilizer often comes in little pellets that have to be spread across your lawn, and then thoroughly watered in. Liquid fertilizer is usually blended with water before being sprayed on the lawn. Sometimes the liquid fertilizer is made even easier by attaching a concentrated bottle to your water hose and then watering your lawn lightly and evenly.
But there are pros and cons to using liquid fertilizer. Consider your lawn and what you need before you make the leap to purchasing the liquid type:
- Do you have a large yard? Consider that liquid fertilizer will have to be applied more often than the granular type. If you have a big lawn, that means more work for you. If you don’t have the time for upkeep, go with granular instead.
- What is your budget? Liquid fertilizer is easier, but you do pay for the convenience. The cost of liquid fertilizer can be quite expensive, depending upon the type you purchase and how much you need.
- Do you want it simple? Liquid fertilizer is amazingly simple to apply. All it takes is a long garden hose, a source of water, and the time to walk along your lawn while you spray to your heart’s content. Granular is much harder to spread.
- Liquid fertilizer gets to the roots of your lawn, and the effects can be seen almost immediately. You might begin on one side and by the time you get to the other, your work is evident in brighter green and a healthier appearance.
Some fertilizers can be rather harsh, so make certain to dilute them appropriately when using them on your lawn. Test a small area first and watch for brown spots. If you find them, dilute the fertilizer even more or opt for another brand. If you don’t see brown spots and the area you tested looks great, you’re good to go!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for your fertilizer post. It is nice to read through at a basic level so that readers can really understand.
I would be interested in hearing your opinion about different fertilizers for different types of grasses. Do you have any opinion on that?
Steve S.
I have a tractor and liquid sprayer attachment. Can I dilute granulated fertilizer in water and spray it on my 6ac lawn?
Thanks
Daniel
Hello Daniel,
Thank you for your question.
Granulated fertilizer is best used in granule form for grass, as it provides nutrition to the grass for longer. However, the grass needs to be watered in order to make the nutrition available to the plants, so I don’t see why you couldn’t, but I don’t have a ratio of fertilizer to water for you to use. You might consider going to your local nursery and asking about fertilizer application and if a certain type of granular fertilizer is better for this type of application than another.