Why is Fertilizer Necessary? Is Organic Really Better?

Fertilizer has a host of nutrients that will enable your lawn and garden to reach its full potential, which really everyone wants. 

The shocking thing is that fewer than half of home gardners in the United States use any kind of fertilizer in their yards, according to a Gallup Gardening Survey. 

Why is Fertilizer Even Necessary?

Basically, if you’re not using some kind of fertilizer to nourish your lawn and garden, then your grass and plants aren’t getting the nutrients they need to thrive.

Even if you’re fortunate enough to live on a property or area of the country with fantastic soil, your plants will naturally pull nutrients from the soil to grow. This process depletes the soil and underscores the need for any homeowner serious about lawn care and gardening to invest in a good fertilizer. 

The more plants that you have in your garden and the more depleted your soil, moreover, the more that you’ll benefit from fertilizer. Xeriscape can come by and measure your soil’s PH and perform a soil analysis to detect the levels of critical nutrients. 

When you get the right fertilizer for your lawn – the “right” fertilizer is one that helps overcome particular deficiencies with your soil – you’ll have more beautiful flowers and much healthier produce.

Nitrogen, Potassium, and Phosphorous 

Nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous are particularly important nutrients found in all fertilizers. Nitrogen allows plants to grow more robustly by giving plants the proteins needed for plants to create new tissue in the growing process. 

Your plants will be constantly assimilating carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen from the ambient air and water, but nitrogen is something that plants don’t always get in adequate amounts. That’s why plants gorge on nitrogen when the nutrient is around. 

What about potassium and phosphorous? Potassium serves a number of different functions for your plants, including: helping your plants fight off diseases, improving your plants metabolism, and improving your plants’ ability to create carbohydrates. 

Phosphorous is also critical for plant growth since it gives your plants the nutritional tools to grow strong roots, flowers, buds, and new seeds. Plant’s need a PH level of around 6.7 to effectively absorb phosphorous. Set up an appointment with Xeriscape to make sure your soil’s PH is good.

Micronutrients Calcium and Magnesium 

After getting in to this trio of all-star fertilizer nutrients, you should know that nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous are known as fertilizing macronutrients (really important!) but fertilizers also contain secondary micronutrients.

Secondary nutrients include calcium (used for fighting diseases and cell membranes) and magnesium. You might want to consider using an organic, at-home fertilizer like eggshells because these lower your soil’s PH and provide calcium to your plants. 

Magnesium is actually hugely important and almost considered a macronutrient since plants need this nutrient for chlorophyll and turning sunlight into energy. Plants couldn’t really grow without magnesium! 

Organic and Synthetic Fertilizers 

Organic and synthetic fertilizers contain many of the same nutrients, but the source of each is different and each enters the soil to nourish plants at different rates. Organic fertilizers enter plants more slowly, so now is the time to apply organic fertilizers. 

Compost, manure, and mulch are organic fertilizers that might work for your yard. Home garden experts recommend applying organic fertilizers like those made from plant and animal byproducts (e.g., bone and plant meal) in the fall so that the soil can assimilate those nutrients over many months – in time for spring’s blooms! 

If you determine with Xeriscape that your garden could benefit from a quicker-acting solution, then a synthetic fertilizer might be more desirable.

Synthetic (man-made) fertilizers are often cheaper than organic alternatives, and synthetic fertilizers let you get the exact combination of nutrients that will enable your lawn and garden to thrive! Schedule an appointment with Xeriscape today and have your soil tested. Contact us for more information.

Tagged: Landscape Maintenance, Lawn Maintenance