For something that almost seems to be a weed, grass sure is picky about where it will grow.
Too much sunlight, not enough light, right soil content, how often and how much to water and now fertilizer?
There are so many choices it can make it hard to choose for your lawn, granular or liquid fertilizer?
Both granular and liquid fertilizer are safe and environmentally friendly when applied properly with the right timing.
There are more advantages and generally, liquid fertilizer is easier to apply than granular fertilizers. Below is a complete guide of the pros and cons of both granular and liquid fertilizers.
What’s the Difference?
Before determining which fertilizer might be better, you need to understand what a fertilizer is, and the difference between the two.
In its simplest form, a fertilizer is a “plant food”.
There are three main nutrients in fertilizer:
- nitrogen
- phosphorus
- potassium
These constitute the N-P-K analysis where we get to see the different ratios of nutrients.
Nitrogen is the nutrient that is going to make your lawn fuller and greener. For lawns, we usually want a higher N value than the other nutrients.
Phosphorus is responsible for building healthy roots (and blooms in flowering plants).
Finally, potassium (the K in N-P-K) is responsible for fighting diseases and keeping the cells of the grass healthy.
Now on to the differences in fertilizers.
Here are the top four differences between granular fertilizer and liquid fertilizer (to see how these differences will help us determine which is better for your lawn):
| Granular Fertilizer | Liquid Fertilizer | |
|---|---|---|
| Rate of Absorption | Slow-release fertilizer that needs to be applied less frequently | Quick-release fertilizer that needs to be applied more frequently |
| Salt Content | Higher salt content that can cause root burn | Lower and diluted salt content to avoid root burn |
| Cost | Cheaper than liquid fertilizers, especially when bought in bulk | More expensive than granular fertilizers. |
| How to Apply | Broadcast or drop spreader | Attach container to garden hose |
Granular vs Liquid Fertilizer
Granular Fertilizer
This past decade or so granular fertilizer has turned into more of a hybrid.
Some granular fertilizer types come with a fertilizer coating in a liquid form so the fertilizer nutrients still have an immediate release.
This article will illustrate the difference between granular fertilizer and liquid fertilizer to emphasize the point of difference, I will compare the difference between regular granular fertilizer and not the hybrid form.
Benefits
While the term “slow-release” isn’t typically associated with beneficial items, when talking about packaging lawn products, it is not something you want.
But if that is the case, why is “slow-release” added to lawn fertilizer bag?
Using granular fertilizer for your lawn has several benefits:
- Gradual Release Formula-This isn’t always a con with granular fertilizer. By using granular fertilizer, you won’t have to apply to your lawn comparatively as often as with a liquid fertilizer.
- More Economical – Granular fertilizers typically cost less than liquid fertilizers, especially for bulk amounts. You won’t have to pay for granulated fertilizer as often in part because you’re applying it less often.
- Good storage – Granular fertilizers are great for storage. Keep them sealed and dry away from heat and direct sunlight and they will last until you run out!
Disadvantages
There are a few disadvantages to using granular fertilizer:
- High salt content: Granular fertilizers contain a lot of salt, so if you use too much of it in one spot, it may dry out the roots thus hurting their nutrient uptake abilities – a condition known as root burn.
- Not a mixture: Each individual granule is either made of nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium – they’re often colour coded to identify what the primary nutrient is. However, unless you want to be sorting things by colour and spacing each individual granule out evenly, not every spot will receive the same amount of each nutrient.
- Bulk: Granular fertilizers are typically much cheaper compared to liquid fertilizers, however, the bags can be heavy and not easy to lift and carry or store as easily.
- Slow release: This can be a good benefit of granular fertilizers; however, if your lawn is desperately in need of fertilization, it may be too late before it does any good.
How To Apply It
The easiest way to fertilize a lawn with granular fertilizer is to use a broadcast or drop spreader:
- The broadcast spreader scatters fertilizer in every direction while you move the machine forward – the faster you walk, the faster granules will flow. This is good for large areas of your lawn.
- The drop spreader drops fertilizer in a straight line under the wheels. Fertilizer will fall out at a consistent rate, so it’s important to keep that speed so that you don’t create a pile in one spot and not enough in another. Drop spreaders are ideal for an area that requires more precision like along a sidewalk or driveway.
Following the application of fertilizer, water your lawn thoroughly.
By conducting a good watering, the granule fertilizer will be washed from the leaf blades and into the soil, where it will be available for root uptake.
Is It Pet Safe?
As always, read the label for specific details from the manufacturer about how long to wait before your pets can go into an area of your lawn that has been subjected to treatment, as there is substantial variability depending on what a particular product contains as active ingredients.
As a good guideline, you should wait 24 hours before allowing pets back in an area where lawn care products were applied.
Liquid Fertilizer
Benefits
- Convenient Application: When it comes to applying the liquid fertilizer, it’s super easy to take care of your lawn without the hassle of dragging heavy bags of fertilizer. Simply hook the bottle to the hose and water your grass. It doesn’t get any more straightforward than that!
- Buy Only What You Need: No need buying large bags of heavy fertilizer. While shopping for your liquid fertilizer, look at the packaging to see how much space it covers. Now you can buy a container that fits your lawn size.
- Convenient Modification: Maybe your lawn needs more nitrogen, well, that is easy! Just add more into the container before spraying your lawn. These last-minute changes will give your lawn what it needs to grow thick.
- Even Distribution: The nutrients are already blended in the liquid and, again, mixed in the water to cover your lawn uniformly. No area will receive more of one nutrient than the other. Plus, since it is a liquid fertilizer, it has” immediate” contact tea each area of your lawn and no spot is left out.
- Less Salt Content: Not only is there less salt content, reducing the possibility of root burn, but as with the water diluted much of the salt content is much weaker in liquid fertilizer than granule fertilizer.
Disadvantages
There are a lot of advantages to using liquid fertilizer, but there are a few disadvantages to go along with them.
- Higher Cost: Liquid fertilizer is more expensive per application than granular fertilizer; additionally, you will need to apply it more frequently.
- Volatilization: Liquid fertilizer will lose product through evaporation if it is stored for extended periods of time, which will increase your costs. You should also aerate the area where you stored the fertilizer.
How To Apply It
The biggest benefit of using liquid fertilizer on your lawn is how easy it is to apply:
- Fix the bottle to the spray end of the garden hose and then follow the instructions as directed in the bottle to open the bottle to have the nutrients mix with the water.
- Begin at the farthest part of your lawn and back spray while walking backwards. This will prevent you from walking over the fertilizer.
This should be conducted every 6-8 weeks.
The first fertilization takes place in early spring, the next during late spring, followed by late summer and late fall.
The last fertilization should not occur until you are prepared for the frost. If fertilizer is applied and it is in cooler temperatures, the liquid nutrients can become damaged and crystallize.
You have already watered your lawn while fertilizing. Do not water your lawn again until the lawn has completely dried.
What to Avoid: If you water the lawn too soon following the fertilization it will contaminate the nutrients and dilute the application causing the fertilizer not to be effective.
Is It Pet Safe?
There are many liquid fertilizers that claim to be pet safe and don’t require a waiting period to allow pets back on the lawn.
If a liquid fertilizer doesn’t claim to be pet safe, you can typically allow pets back out after the grass appears visibly dry, which is typically within 3 to 4 hours.
Verdict
In general, liquid fertilizers are superior to lawns.
Liquid fertilizers are generally thought of as better for plant growth, better for pet safety, and easier for people to fertilize their lawns.
The principal disadvantage of liquid fertilizers compared to granular fertilizers is the price. However, when looking at producing $/1000 square feet, after you have purchased a broadcast or drop spreader, the price of liquid fertilizers is typically lower.