Best Overall
The Andersons Innova 7-1-2 Organic Fertilizer
Best Bang For The Buck
Jonathan Green Organic Lawn Food
Best For P & K Deficiency
Scotts Natural Lawn Food
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Along with mowing and lachrymation , apply organic lawn plant food is an important part of creating a plushy , healthy lawn . But while keep your Gunter Wilhelm Grass the proper stature and ensuring it get enough to pledge are relatively simple , choosing the right rude lawn fertilizer is much more complicated . factor like soil acidulousness , supergrass type , and time of year necessitate being somewhat selective about thelawn careproducts you choose .
To help you in your efforts , we reached out to a lawn forethought expert for advice and researched dozens of good plant food before choosing the various and nonburningThe Andersons Innova 7 - 1 - 2 Organic Fertilizeras our top pick . Still , depending on the season or specific species of pasture you have , another pick might be more appropriate . Read on for our review of some of the best organic lawn plant food and helpful confidential information for selecting the right one .
Before You Buy Organic Lawn Fertilizer
Choosing the right constitutional grass plant food require an sympathy of the lawn ’s current stipulation . Is it generally healthy and simply needs regular feeding ? Or does it display a nutrient deficiency of some variety ? The type of smoke will also determine which fertilizer to use . For example , fertiliser for St. Augustine grasswill turn in unlike degree of nutrient than those for Bermuda supergrass .
Before buying and practice fertilizer , it ’s smart to perform a soil psychometric test to identify your land ’s pH and nutrient content . These results will aid you determine which organic natural fertiliser to apply as part of your personalDIY lawn - care program .
Organic Lawn Fertilizers Comparison Chart
Our Top Picks
Each constitutive lawn treatment on our tilt of top woof is made from tone ingredients and put up essential nutrient for growingnew grassor helping an existing lawn thrive .
The Andersons Innova constitutive plant food is a slow - outlet normal that earned our top spot for its versatile 7 - 1 - 2 NPK proportion and amino acids that provide protracted feeding without burning . It supplies a eminent portion of extremely digestible carbon to brook beneficial territory germ for a good for you growing environment . The OMRI ( Organic Materials Review Institute)-listed fertilizer stop no biosolids , manure , composted waste product , or brute parts , making it an particularly eco - friendly choice . We also appreciate how little dust is produced during coating , minimizing respiratory irritation that have cough and sneeze .
But more than our own comfort , we love this recipe for what it does for our lawn . Even with inadvertent overapplication , it does n’t cause sod burn mark and is safe to use adjacent to raw waterway and around nestling and pets . Though this is an excellent all - around fertilizer for lawn Gunter Grass , it only come up in 40 - pound bags that incubate up to 5,600 satisfying infantry each , which might be excessive for some .
Get The Andersons constitutive lawn plant food atAmazon .
Best Bang for the Buck
Jonathan Green ’s constituent lawn fear fertilizer food is a granular fertiliser made with a complex of works and animal protein , including plumage meal , soybean meal , molasses , and straw middling . The 10 - 0 - 1 NPK slow - release expression deliver a rise of nitrogen plus iron to grow glum light-green Gunter Wilhelm Grass for up to 10 hebdomad .
One of the things we wish best about this budget - friendly pick is its safety profile . Unlike synthetical fertilizers , this ware poses no risk of burning the Mary Jane , even if overapplied . kid and pets can dally on it immediately , and it can be used for both cold- and fond - season grasses and applied during outpouring , summer , or come . The Jonathan Green fertilizer comes in two size : a 17 - pound sign traveling bag for up to 5,000 square feet of insurance coverage and a 51 - Lebanese pound handbag that feed up to 15,000 square human foot of lawn .
Get the Jonathan Green constitutional lawn fertilizer atAmazon , Walmart , orJohnathan Green .
Best for P & K Deficiency
New and struggling lawn sometimes necessitate a bit more phosphorus and K to supercharge root development and ensure drouth tolerance , and with its 11 - 2 - 2 NPK capacity , the Scotts rude lawn food declare oneself both . Made from lifelike source like bone meal , blood meal , and meat repast , the formula is excellent for assert lawns across time of year and is worthy for all grass type , includingzoysia grass .
The producer recommends feed in up to four times through the growing time of year at 6- to 8 - week intervals , and you should lead off pick up results within those first few week . Since the 29.1 - lbf. bag only covers 4,000 square feet , you ’ll probably need a few packages to make it through the twelvemonth .
Get the Scotts organic lawn fertilizer atAmazon , The Home Depot , orScotts .
Photo: Amazon
Best for N Deficiency
Urban Farm Fertilizers 13-1-2 Liquid Lawn Fertilizer
This A-one - concentrated liquid lawn plant food from Urban Farm Fertilizers boasts 13 pct nitrogen plus iron to assist the grass grow and turn deep green at the rootage of spring . This innovative option give out beyond traditional weft by incorporating a blend of aquicultural - class nutrients , mycorrhizae , humic dot , bacterium , enzymes , and minerals . Its 13 - 1- NPK content encourage rapid greening and maturation for nutritive - deficient lawn .
The ingredients in this combination organic fertilizer come from bat guano , sea kelp , worm casings , and more , create a concentrated formula that take in up 256 gallons of fertiliser to feed up to 60,000 straight feet . However , the producer does recommend you utilize it two to three time each month , so you may terminate up needing more than one bottle to make it through the season . For good termination , put on in the evening using a boom nebuliser or hosepipe . Dilution instruction for each pick are on the back of the feeding bottle .
Get the Urban Farm Fertilizers organic lawn fertiliser atAmazon , Walmart , orThe Urban Farm .
Photo: Amazon Photo: amazon.com
Best with No Phosphorus
Espoma Organic Lawn Food Spring Lawn Booster
Thislawn fertilizer for springuses a moderate dose of slow - release nitrogen and a boost of calcium for recondite greening and healthy development with circumscribed nutritive program . It has an NPK ratio of 8 - 0 - 0 , 3 pct calcium , and 1 percent sulfur , and is made from feather repast , pasteurised poultry manure , and gypsum . usable in 30 - pound bags , it can feed up to 5,000 straight foot of lawn .
We love this pick for its power to provide a free burning supply of nitrogen over fourth dimension . This allows it to promote the growth of thick , greener grass and reduces the frequency of mow ask . It also wo n’t stimulate turf tan and is safe for people and pets . you may apply it to newly seed and sod areas in other spring to get a good crop of fleeceable weed growing .
Get the Espoma outflow organic lawn fertilizer atAmazonorWalmart .
Photo: Amazon
Best for Dark-Green Lawn
Milorganite 6-4-0 Slow-Release Nitrogen Fertilizer
In the early 1900s , the City of Milwaukee began recover its sewer water on a massive scale and using it to make for - profit production . The name Milorganite comes from Milwaukee organic Nitrogen ( nite ) , and the brand ’s 6 - 4 - 0 slow - release nitrogen granular has had a consistent touch in the sheds of many household and professional landscapers throughout the many decades since its universe . Made from nutritive - rich heat - dry microbes that have stomach the organic matter in wastewater , the resulting product is 85 percentage constitutive affair . It encourages deep etymon evolution and can make healthy green goddess growth for up to 10 weeks after app .
In accession to nitrogen and phosphorus , this fertilizer check 2.5 percentage smoothing iron to encourage vibrantly green Gunter Grass . As one of the most versatile picks on our list , it also makes a greatgarden fertilizersafe for flowers , vegetables , shrubs , and trees . As much as we love this pick and the narration behind it , a 36 - British pound bag only feeds 2,500 square foot , so you ’ll credibly desire to corrupt more than one purse .
Get the Milorganite constituent lawn fertilizer atAmazon , Ace Hardware , The Home Depot , Walmart , orTarget .
Photo: Amazon
Best for Fall
Espoma Organic Lawn Food Fall Winterizer
look for a agency to ready a lawn for a harsh winter and promote respectable spring emergence ? This 8 - 0 - 5 fertilizer from Espoma is project to be used between September and November . It has special atomic number 19 that helps lawns recover from summertime focus while enhancing wintertime hardiness .
This dull - release rule is made from a blend of high - character natural and constituent constituent , ensuring eubstance and timber in every applications programme . It ’s nonburning , secure overfertilization is n’t an progeny , and it ’s desirable for all lawn case , include those that have recently been seed or sod . It is , however , best to practice this product to a dry lawn that has recently been mow . A 30 - Irish pound bag will feed up to 5,000 foot .
Get the Espoma come down organic lawn fertiliser atAmazonorWalmart .
Photo: Amazon
Best Organic Liquid
GS Plant Foods Organic Liquid Kelp Seaweed Fertilizer
This constituent kelp plant food from GS Plant Foods is dependent on one poor boy ingredient : Ascophyllum nodosum extract . gasconade as one of nature ’s miracle plant foods , the seaweed fortifies plant of all types , make it suited for everything from lawns to flower beds , vegetable gardens , and houseplant . So long as its strong smell does n’t trouble you , you may even use it to extend the life of cut flower .
The mathematical product occur in a 1 - congius bottle and is design to be diluted with weewee at a ratio of 1 oz. of fertilizer to 1 gallon of water . The NPK ratio is 0.3 - 0 - 0.6 , so nutrient levels are low , allowing this product to be meld with other type of fertilizers if desired . It also take trace measure of sulphur , Mg , calcium , sodium , boron , iron , manganese , copper , zinc , and other carbohydrates and should be applied when temperature are low to encourage nutrient consumption .
Get the GS Plant Foods organic lawn fertiliser atAmazonor GS Plant Foods .
Photo: Amazon
Or, DIY Your Own Organic Lawn Fertilizer
While there are plenitude of commercially produced constituent lawn fertilizers on the market , it ’s also possible to make ahomemade fertilizer for lawnsthat delivers excellent results . A good fertilizer for grass should be about 50 pct organic affair and flora - free-base material , such as composted manure , garden press cutting , decomposed leaves , sphagnum peat moss , sawdust , Ellen Price Wood chips , or even seaweed . The other half of the fertilizer portmanteau should contain tedious - discharge seed of N such as descent repast , Pisces meal , cottonseed repast , feather meal , kelp repast , or soybean meal .
Once you have assemble the necessary material for the homemade lawn fertiliser premix , start blending them in adequate parts in a bucketful or big container . Make indisputable to mix them thoroughly so it ’s well-fixed to go for everything equally on your lawn .
Jump to Our Top Picks
Our Verdict
We loveThe Andersons Innova 7 - 1 - 2 Organic Fertilizerfor its versatility and quality constitutional rule . Other popular lawn fertilizer , such asScotts Turf Builder , Pennington UltraGreen Weed & Feed , andSpectracide Weed & Feed , are effective but do not meet our sustainability guidelines . We can not commend them in our lean of the good constituent lawn fertilizers due to their potentially harmful ingredient and minus shock on the environment .
How We Chose the Best Organic Lawn Fertilizers
We created this guide by tie on our extensive experience encompass home and garden products and comprehensive product research . We consider dozens of fertilizer options , primarily focus on the following considerations before make our recommendations :
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Organic Lawn Fertilizer
When choose between the best organic lawn fertilizers on our list , consider case , rest of software , and the desire effect .
Type
constitutive fertilizer ingredients fall into three type : beast - based , industrial plant - base , and mineral - base . However , most product contain a combining of these types to deliver the best possible equilibrium of major and minor food . Some products may only propose a single ingredient or a blend of component from a individual type .
fauna - basedfertilizers include blood meal , bone meal , feather meal , Pisces meal , and various manure . These products easy discover down over time , supply lawns and garden industrial plant with time of year - longsighted benefit .
plant life - basedfertilizer ingredient include Medicago sativa repast , cottonseed meal , kelp meal , soybean repast , and compost . stain microbes convince these materials into industrial plant food much more apace than animal products . They provide an quick impact , often within day or weeks after program .
Photo: Amazon
Mineral - basedfertilizer ingredients like sulfur , dolomitic limestone , gypsum , greensand , and sway phosphate are naturally occurring concentrated kind of flora - nutrient ingredient . They boost suggestion nutrient levels and eliminate insufficiency in the soil .
Liquid vs. Granular
constituent fertilizers , both smooth and granular , work with the by nature occurring microbes in the grease . When the fertilizer is practice to the soil , bacterium and fungi consume the natural constituent and release the nutrients at a measured rate and in a kind that is pronto available to plants .
The divergence between liquid and juiceless constitutional fertilizer is in the rate at which the soil consumes them . Dry coarse-grained formulations , which are implement using afertilizer broadcaster , break down slowly and give lawns over weeks or months . Liquid constituent fertiliser deliver a quick boost of nutrient and ferment quicker due to their minute particle size and imbed wet .
NPK Ratio
Three elements make up the major nutrients that lawns and plants need for lush , green growth :
Nitrogen is quite volatile . The amount not used by the lawn dissipates and must be regularly refill . Phosphorus and K persist in the soil , so they are not require in such large quantities . On average , constitutional lawn fertiliser offers two to three times or more N compare to how much phosphorus and K are in the mix .
NPK ratios on fertiliser label show the amount of each constituent present in the mathematical product as a percentage of the full system of weights , always in the rules of order N - P - K. For instance , a product with a ratio of 11 - 2 - 2 contains 11 per centum N , 2 percentage P , and 2 percent K. Other ingredients and any additional nutrients will also be listed on the label .
Photo: Amazon
Desired Effect
After a dirt test ( see thetips for using organic lawn fertilizersection below ) , it ’s essential to factor out the condition of the lawn into the fertilizer selection . Phosphorus is already sufficiently present in the soil in many arena . If your soil test show grade are already high enough , you could help prevent pollution by not add more .
If the gage is robust with dense foliage and deep green color , choose a fertilizer with a moderate to high amount of nitrogen ( 10 percentage or greater ) and lilliputian to no P and potassium . As the lawn set about the dormant time of year in previous summertime and fall , apply fertilizer with a down atomic number 7 proportion and slightly more potassium .
If your lawn is jaundiced or remains boring even when all three major nutrient are properly supplied , your grass may be deficient in iron . For a deep green , choose a lawn fertiliser with supplemental Fe .
Photo: Amazon
Tips for Using Organic Lawn Fertilizer
There ’s more to an in effect constitutive lawn fertility syllabus than simply apply fertilizer on a clock docket . Do n’t languish sentence and money by blindly apply plant food . First , try out the ground , either with an over - the - comeback testing kit from a local garden centre or by sending a sample to your state’sCooperative Extension Servicefor analysis . Then , use the results to map out a plan of activity .
The first step should be to adapt the pH of the soil as indicated by test upshot . institute the proper soil pH , between 5.8 and 7.2 depending on the grass species , to ensure that the grass can efficiently pull food out of the soil . Lime raises the pH , while sulphur and Al sulfate lower it . Once the acidity is ideal , continue with the necessary fertilizer coating — and think to mulch grass clippings .
FAQs
The well organic fertiliser can help keep lawns vigorous and respectable . For more information on using fertilizers , check out the answers to these frequently asked questions .
Before purchasing a fertilizer , purchase an over - the - sideboard soil trial run outfit or send a soil sampling to your county ’s Cooperative Extension Service for analytic thinking . apply the ground exam results to channelize fertiliser pick and applications programme .
Grass will take up fertilizer throughout the growing season . The best times to go for it are when alive growth begin in spring and again in summer solstice as well as prior to winter to increase hardiness .
Photo: Amazon
in general speaking , it ’s improbable you will causefertilizer burnwith an constitutional plant food . However , applying excess product is bad for the environment and your wallet .
The disadvantages of organic fertilizer are that it may cost more yet have lower levels of nutrients . Still , constitutional fertiliser has reward like helping create healthy ground and providing nutrients at a more consistent pace .
The frequence with which you should apply organic plant food to your lawn depends on the product you ’re using and the conditions of the soil . Generally speak , however , you will need to fertilize anywhere from a few time a month to once every few months . To get the safe termination for your lawn , perform a soil test and follow the manufacturer ’s instructions .
We address to Ryan Farley , the chief executive officer ofLawnStarter , an on-line marketplace that links you up with affordable lawn tending services in your area , and he had this to say : “ I tend to recommend fecundate in the recent afternoon or even a bit before sunset to stave off the hottest part of the 24-hour interval and give your fertilizer a chance to get into your soil overnight . ”
While organic lawn fertilizer start to get to work as soon as it ’s apply , it will likely be at least a few days or even a couple of week before you start to notice its impression .
Our Best Advice for Beginner Gardeners
We ’ll assist you lay out up your first garden — whether that ’s a few pots on your patio , a elevate bed , or an in - ground plot out back — and select the right plants for your soil and part .
