Contrary to popular belief, all fertilizers are not the same. There are hundreds of varieties. I cannot explain them all on this website so I’ll keep it very simple to explain. There are 2 types of fertilizers: Chemical & Organic. With basically 3 types of mixtures, their advantages and disadvantages:

1. Fast release- Chemical fertilizers are used intensively & excessively by all chemical lawn care companies.  They’re popular because they can really green up a lawn fast to give their customers “instant gratification” They feed the grass for only a few weeks, and if the lawn is not fertilized again, the lawn quickly discolors! If applied too heavily, they will “burn” the lawn!.  They also “leach out” faster which pollutes our streams & Lakes.  They create fast “shoot  growth” at the expense of “Root growth” (See thatch build-up)  so the lawn may be very green, but is also very weak (See Lawn Diseases) This type of fertilizer does nothing to improve the soil, just contaminates it with chlorides “Salts”  See picture below.  (Also see “How organics work” and “Improving poor soils”).

2. Fast & slow release combination-Chemical fertilizers, are used by both the chemical lawn care companies and homeowners. They also give fast green-up,  and will feed the lawn longer over a period of 4-8 weeks. There is a lesser chance to “Burn the lawn” and leach out.  Slow Release fertilizers: Found mostly with Organic fertilizers, they green-up a lawn  slowly but steadily over  4-8 weeks, and cannot burn the lawn. They do not “leach” out. They also feed & improve the soil, creating a healthy strong root system
which creates a stronger,  healthier lawn!.

All fertilizers contain 3 elements: Nitrogen which greens up your lawn. Phosphorous which keeps your grass strong. Pot ash which strengthens your grasses roots.  Most lawns only need 6%-8%  nitrogen and 4 lbs per year. Chemical lawn care companies apply 23%-46% nitrogen at 8-10 lbs per year to really green-up their customers lawns!

All this nitrogen is very excessive and very wasteful.!  Only 35% ever reaches your grass. The remainder leaches out into our lakes & streams.

Chemical fertilizers are still the most popular way of improving lawns because they can rapidly improve the lawn for the short term.  I see everyday, lawns ruined by using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. I gave up in  1985 treating lawns with chemicals as I realized that by using organic fertilizers I gave my customers far more beautiful, stronger and healthier lawns by using organic fertilizers, not to mention it was safer.  Most homeowners do not know this, as the big chemical companies with their deep pockets can reach (Advertise) more people. They also spread more negative and false information about organics.

Every year, millions of tons of synthetic fertilizers continue to pollute our lakes & streams!