What Are The Best Natural Fertilizers For Your Lawn?

Lawn care is a big job, and we've covered some of the bad habits you may have when caring for your own yard. While you already know fertilizing is important, have you considered using a natural fertilizer? Sometimes referred to as organic, natural fertilizers are loved for their environmental friendliness, customizability for regions and lawn types, and ease of maintenance, as noted by Soils Alive. 

According to Today's Home Owner, chemical or synthetic fertilizers, on the other hand, fail to condition soil for long-term health, can create dangerous chemical buildup, and are often made from fossil fuels, an unsustainable resource, making a great case for the use of natural fertilizers. But what types of organic fertilizers are best for your lawn? In this guide, we'll review some of the best natural fertilizers and their impact on lawn health to help you make the right decision for yourself when making the switch to organic. 

Scotts Natural Lawn Food is a much-beloved organic fertilizer that tops many "best of" lists and has nearly 700 five-star reviews on Amazon. It contains nitrogen, phosphate, soluble potash, calcium, and sulfur, all of which are derived from organic sources such as feather, meat, and bone meal. This helps your lawn to grow green and lush and won't cause chemical burning, which is a risk of artificial fertilizer. 

In addition to being safer for your lawn, it's also safer for pets and kids, with no downtime in between applications and being able to enjoy time on your lawn. You can apply this any time of the year but will likely see the best results upon reapplication every six to eight weeks, according to the product's label. You can also apply it to damaged lawns, a grown lawn, or even fresh seeds and sod. The combination of nutrients and ease of application make this natural lawn fertilizer an easy favorite. 

If you're interested in customizing your fertilizer mix based on your lawn type and location, buying single-ingredient organic fertilizers is a great choice. This will allow you to pick and choose nutrients and ingredients for your lawn's specific needs, which can vary greatly. 

One natural source of plant nutrients comes from bone meal, a powder that is made from ground animal bones. If you've ever had a cold and perked up after a nice hot bowl of bone broth, it's a similar phenomenon –- animal bones contain a myriad of nutrients, such as calcium and phosphate, according to The Spruce, that can boost your lawn's health. Gardening Know How also recommends the use of blood meal as a natural fertilizer thanks to its high concentration of organic nitrogen, but advises that you not use too much for the risk of chemically burning your lawn.