Best lawn fertilizer: organic & mineral in comparison

We only want the best for the perfect green space. We compare organic and mineral fertilizers and choose the best lawn fertilizer.

Lawn fertilizers have to 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 decisive role. The proportion and type of organic material contained have an influence on the fertilization effect as well as 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, organic-mineral and organic-certified form. They meet the requirements to a different extent, which many lawn owners can hardly keep track of.

Organic lawn fertilizers put to the test

To make it easier for you to choose the right lawn fertilizer, we would like to discuss the pros and cons of various types of fertilizer for you below. We will start with organic lawn fertilizers.

Organic lawn fertilizers: origin

Organic lawn fertilizers are made from organic raw materials, usually waste. Various substances that occur in food and luxury food production are suitable for the production of fertilizers due to their nutrient composition and content. Vegetable recycling materials (such as vinasse, peel, flour from soy oil cake) can be used just as much as animal waste (e.g. 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 freed from their organic "packaging" by soil organisms so that they are available to the plants. They then provide nutrients when the weather is vigorous for the lawn, i.e. when there is sufficient moisture and warmth. This prevents the 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. It is the most natural way of fertilizing.

However, the nutrient contents differ depending on the raw materials used. Much animal waste is rich in phosphate and nitrogen but poor in potassium, while that from faeces and vegetable matter does not have this deficit. The total nutrient levels differ as well as the organic matter content. 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 main nutritional element 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 autumn lawn fertilizers have a lower nitrogen and a higher potassium content.

The form of processing determines the speed of the release and the comfort of application: Fine Ground fertilizers are quickly converted, but dust, get stuck in clothes and have an unpleasant smell strong. However, if the material is only roughly shredded, the fertilizing effect sets in later. The ground material is therefore often pressed in the form of pellets. These swell when they come into contact with water, disintegrate and are soon available to plants.

Summary: Organic lawn fertilizers in the test

• Organic lawn fertilizers have a delayed effect, are weather-dependent and are rarely washed out
• Organic lawn fertilizers promote soil quality: water and nutrients can be better stored and made available root growth is promoted, resistance to diseases is strengthened and soil compaction decreased
• Lawn fertilizers contain more nitrogen and less potassium than autumn lawn fertilizers in order to be able to optimally meet the needs of the plants at the given time of the year
• Coarsely ground fertilizers are converted more slowly than finely ground fertilizers. Pelleted fertilizers do not generate dust and are easy to apply

Advantages and disadvantages of organic lawn fertilizers

For a better overview, you will find a table below with all the advantages and disadvantages of organic lawn fertilizers.

advantages	disadvantage
Production is based on recycling and saves resources and energy	Animal raw materials often have an unpleasant odor
Stimulating the soil life leads to effective nutrient utilization	Delayed effect requires predictive fertilization by the user, about a month before it is needed
Soil life and organic content ensure improved soil quality	Nutrient content lower than with mineral fertilizers, overall larger amounts have to be distributed
Over-fertilization and leaching are avoided through natural implementation, and even lawn growth is promoted	The price per fertilized area is often higher
Natural long-term effect reduces the amount of fertilizer used and ensures even lawn growth	Weather-dependent release can lead to nutrient deficiencies in cool springs and to minor leaching in warm autumns
Soil chemistry and soil life remain in balance
Contain the important trace elements
Avoidance of time-consuming measures to improve the soil: aeration, scarifying and sanding are less necessary in the long term

As you can see, the benefits of organic fertilizers outweigh the overall benefits. 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. More information about the properties and use organic lawn fertilizer can be found in our special article.

Mineral lawn fertilizers in the test

Now that we have dealt with organic lawn fertilizers, the following is an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of mineral lawn fertilizers.

Mineral lawn fertilizers: 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 those resulting from the fertilized plant, To recycle nutrient-rich waste, new nutrients are extracted from storage facilities or artificially manufactured.

Mineral lawn fertilizers: properties

Mineral lawn fertilizers have in common that they work quickly and regardless of the weather. Since the nutrients are in their mineral salt form, they can be absorbed by plants immediately after being dissolved in water. Mineral lawn fertilizers do not contain any organic substances. This means that a positive influence on the soil quality is excluded. 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 quality of the soil. Because the natural conversion process is bypassed and no organic material gets into the soil, the soil is ultimately depleted of useful earthworms, fungi, insects and bacteria.

Differences in mineral lawn fertilizers can be seen in the duration of their release, the risk of leaching and over-fertilization, the composition and the quality. Simple mineral lawn fertilizers and those with long-term effects are available. The long-term effect is often achieved by a kind of coating of the fertilizer salts and increases the price. However, it reduces the amount of fertilizer used, as a larger amount of fertilizer can be applied, which lasts for several months. The release takes place depending on the soil moisture, with some products also on moisture and temperature, as specialized bacteria are involved. Associated with this is the tendency to wash out: If mineral lawn fertilizers are only released depending on the humidity, a Heavy rain showers flush considerable amounts out of the casing down where plants can no longer reach them can. Incorrect fertilization can also lead to frost damage in damp winters 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 read more about this in this article Slow release lawn fertilizer Experienced.

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 decisive in order to meet the needs of the plants.

Big differences can also be seen in the quality: Cheap mineral fertilizers in particular can benefit from the Use of inferior rock phosphates polluted with heavy metals such as cadmium, chromium and even uranium be. Although there are limit values ​​for these heavy metals, small amounts can also be absorbed by plant roots. They can also get back into the food cycle through composting.

Tip: The EU mainly imports high quality rock phosphates, for example from Morocco and China. These are not heavily loaded with heavy metals. However, many countries with less financial resources have to make do with the inferior rock phosphate. In addition, the supplies of phosphate-containing minerals are limited and are likely to become scarce in a few decades. The estimates differ and are heavily dependent on future consumption and the possibilities of exploiting deposits that are difficult to access.

Summary: Mineral lawn fertilizers in the test

• 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 the quality of the lawn
• 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. In the case of a weather-dependent release, the risk of leaching and over-fertilization is lowest
• Mineral lawn fertilizers are available for the warm growing season and for autumn fertilization, which differ in their nitrogen and potassium content
• Mineral lawn fertilizers have different levels of heavy metals such as cadmium, chromium and even uranium. Unpolluted 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 a table below with the advantages and disadvantages of mineral lawn fertilizers.

advantages	disadvantage
Fast acting speed can be used to treat acute nutrient deficiencies	Artificial form of nutrient supply can unbalance not only soil life, but also soil chemistry: changes in the pH value can result
Price can be lower, but then the quality is often inferior	Contamination of mineral phosphate fertilizers with heavy metals
High nutrient contents ensure that small amounts can be used, which further improves the price per area	Need-based fertilization is only possible with well-versed knowledge of plant needs and soil chemistry and should better be left to experts
The release of long-term fertilizers can be planned well and is also safe when used properly	Incorrect use can result in incorrect fertilization and environmental pollution through leaching
Without the input of organic material, the soil is depleted in humus in the long term and loses its 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 assessed critically: Acute nutrient deficiencies can also be avoided with regular lawn fertilization. The price is only lower in the short term than with organic fertilizers, if one includes the loss of soil quality. This ensures that the lawn has to be watered and cared for more laboriously. Scarifying or even aeration may also be necessary more frequently and wild herbs are favored and must be controlled. Some of them may even resort to one Lawn fertilizer with weed killer, which we have taken a closer look at 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 fertilizer offered. Organic-mineral lawn fertilizers make it possible to protect the soil quality and soil life while at the same time providing good nutrient availability. Organic lawn fertilizers do the same, but they only contain those 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. By combining organic and mineral components, there are many disadvantages of the respective categories eliminated: We therefore consider combined organic lawn fertilizers to be the best way to keep a lawn healthy and well-cared for keep. Since a corresponding product was previously not available for sale, we have our Plantura Organic lawn fertilizer and the Plantura Organic autumn lawn fertilizer developed. Both maintain the lawn and soil equally. Because only animal-free and natural raw materials were used, their smell is not unpleasant.

More information on various Lawn fertilizers get here. If you have any other questions on the subject Fertilize the lawn you will find what you are looking for in our overview article.