A beautiful lawn is more than just a sign of a well-maintained home. This necessary part of your home can help increase your home’s value and give you a sense of accomplishment and pride. If you are always striving for a thick, vibrant lawn, then an inorganic fertilizer or liquid lawn care application should be your next lawn care step. If your grass is looking dull, stunted, or thin, then your soil may have a nutrient deficiency. Grass issues can be the cause of a deeper problem existing within the soil.
To help get to the root of lawn issues such as dull, pale, or stunted grass, consider researching the physical effects of nutrient deficiencies in your soil and consider adding a liquid fertilizer as a part of your regular lawn care maintenance. There are so many varieties and blends of liquid lawn care fertilizers out there. The lawn care experts at Simple Lawn Solutions are here to help you understand everything you need to know about inorganic fertilizers and their nutrient makeup for healthy, happy soil.
What Is Inorganic Fertilizer?
Inorganic fertilizers, also called mineral or synthetic fertilizers, are manufactured lawn care products made from non-living materials, unlike organic fertilizers. While organic fertilizers come from plants or animal materials, inorganic fertilizers are synthetic and made with the necessary micronutrients and macronutrients that contribute to healthy soil and, subsequently, luscious green grass. Inorganic fertilizers also contain synthetic chemicals that help the soil with nutrient absorption and uptake.
Here are some examples of common inorganic fertilizers that are available in both granular and liquid lawn care forms:
- Ammonium Nitrate
- Potassium Chloride
- Ammonium Sulfate
Unlike organic fertilizers, inorganic fertilizers are readily and widely available for residential lawn care use. No matter what type of fertilizer you use, there are specific nutrients that are necessary for a balanced, healthy soil that you can use to reinvigorate your soil with liquid lawn care fertilizers. For a variety of lawn issues, the answer could lie underneath the grass, at the soil level. See why these macronutrients are a necessary contributor to the health of your grass.
Macronutrients 101
You don't have to be an expert in lawn care to provide your soil with the right nutrients it needs for healthy, growing grass. Soil nutrients can naturally deplete over time. You can restore the health of your soil by using specifically formulated lawn care products. Three primary nutrients contribute to soil's overall health: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
If your lawn is looking worse for the wear, consider adding a liquid fertilizer, inorganic fertilizer, or some other form of liquid lawn care. Macronutrients are necessary for soil health and provide the plant with the proper elements to undergo photosynthesis and regulate their water status. Without photosynthesis, the grass is not capable of growing strong and staying healthy. Regardless of organic or inorganic fertilizers, it's essential to understand the importance of well-balanced, nutrient-rich soil.
Finding the Right Inorganic Fertilizer
There are so many different types of lawn fertilizers, including inorganic fertilizers, all with a varying blend of macronutrients, that can help you cure various lawn care issues. To find the best inorganic fertilizer for you, we will first break down how each macronutrient contributes to soil and grass health. With a better understanding of the underlying soil-deficiency physical signs, you can find a balance of nutrients within the soil.
Keep an eye out for these signs of deteriorating soil health:
- Patchy grass
- Yellow blades or leaves
- Little to no growth
- Brown spots
- Thinning grass
The amount of nutrients in a given fertilizer blend corresponds to the N-P-K nutrient ratio within the fertilizer blend, whether it is a granular or liquid fertilizer. The balance of these three nutrients makes soil not only habitable but optimal for plant and grass growth. Before applying any liquid lawn care fertilizer, test your soil to ensure you are not over-applying any nutrients.
Need for Nitrogen
Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for grass growth and root development, aiding in generating new leaves or growth. Lack of nitrogen severely reduces your lawn's photosynthetic capability, needed to grow healthy, resilient grass. If you are unsure what is causing your lawn issues, use this guide to help spot nitrogen-deficient soil so you can combat this problem with the right inorganic fertilizer blend.
Suppose your lawn shows signs of stunted or slow growth, yellowing blades, or low density. In that case, it is time to consider a liquid fertilizer, like our 28-0-0 Lawn Food blend, which contains a high nitrogen content. The more nitrogen that your fertilizer contains, the less fertilizer you'll need to use to alleviate symptoms of low nitrogen. If there is an absence of nitrogen in your liquid lawn care, the rest of your lawn maintenance could be negligent and non-effective.
Phosphorus-Rich Lawn Food
Phosphorus is the key to healthy root development, and essential for proper water and nutrient uptake. This macronutrient is critical for new lawns and vigorous root growth. Check out these phosphorus-rich inorganic fertilizer blends to treat your lawn’s nutrient deficiency. Too much phosphorus in your soil content can lead to stunted grass growth, so be mindful of how much phosphorus is necessary to maintain balance in your lawn.
Treating a Potassium Deficiency
Potassium is critical for healthy soil. This nutrient plays an indirect role in photosynthesis by opening stomata in the leaves, necessary to take in the main ingredient of photosynthesis, carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Potassium also helps regulate water movement within the plant. If you're looking to treat a potassium-deficient soil, check out these lawn food liquid fertilizers:
No matter what type of nutrient imbalance is causing your lawn issues, our versatile lawn food formulas enhance soil health and overall grass growth. Don't wait until it's too late - check out how you can feed your grass for optimal lawn vigor.
Salt Content
No matter what type of organic or inorganic fertilizers and nutrient blend you purchase, you will want to be cautious of salt content. Too much salt can be detrimental to your lawn's health and prohibit nutrient penetration, especially if your grass is already in a dried state. Compared to granular fertilizer, liquid fertilizer has a lower salt content, which only adds to our stated benefits of using liquid lawn care products.
Some grass types are naturally more salt-tolerant. Learn more about how you can tell which type of grass you have and how to care for that species properly.
Slow Release vs. Quick-Release
Along with these main macronutrients, fertilizer blends contain micronutrients and other ingredients that help the soil absorb and uptake these nutrients. Fertilizers release these nutrients at varying speeds, depending on the formulation. It's essential to understand the difference between slow release and quick release fertilizers:
- Slow-release fertilizers work best for a slow, sustained nutrient supply.
- Quick-release fertilizers are more water-soluble.
- Slow-release fertilizers require less frequent applications.
- Quick-release fertilizers provide faster, more noticeable results.
With slow-release and quick-release fertilizers, one is not better than the other, they're just made with different lawn care needs in mind. Whether you seek long-term care or quick results, the option of a slow-release or quick-release fertilizer will help to decide which type of inorganic fertilizer is best for you and your lawn. Let’s learn about the benefits of liquid lawn care, starting with fertilizer.
The Benefits of Liquid Fertilizer
When it comes to finding the right liquid fertilizer for your lawn care needs, Simple Lawn Solutions carries various fertilizer blends beneficial for all types of liquid lawn care maintenance. We have high-quality products necessary to revive your imbalance or deficient soil for optimal results from inorganic to organic fertilizers, slow-release, and quick-release. The liquid fertilizer and formulation of our liquid lawn care products provide a lawn food blend that houses well-mixed nutrients for an even application.
The nature of liquid lawn care products allows them to be quickly absorbed by the grass, roots, and soil, providing fast results. Whether you are looking to treat a lawn issue or looking to maintain a healthy lawn, our collection of lawn food will get you one step closer to having the best lawn on the block.
Aeration Before Application
Before applying liquid fertilizer, you can take steps to prepare your soil for maximum nutrient absorption. Lawn aeration is the process of creating small breathing holes in your lawn that allows the necessary elements and ingredients to have a clear path to grassroots and soil. Aeration allows air, water, and the nutrients from fertilizer to absorb more quickly and effectively into the soil.
Simple Lawn Solutions offers lawn aeration products in liquid lawn care form, so there is no need for lawn tools. If your lawn is excessively dry and you are noticing soil compaction or crusting, try our Liquid Aerating Soil Loosener to help combat these grass issues. This technique will allow for better moisture flow and mobility, working for water to thoroughly moisturize the soil at a deeper level.
For best results, aerate your lawn one to two days before liquid fertilizer application. Grass should be mowed at an appropriate height and be well watered. By adding lawn care techniques like lawn aeration into your annual maintenance, your lawn care will benefit from the long-term results of root-level nourishment and enrichment. With aeration, your lawn will be best prepared to receive all of the nutrients from your liquid fertilizer of choice.
Applying Liquid Fertilizer
Liquid fertilizer is much easier to use than a granular fertilizer in that it does not require any spreading equipment, which is typically pricey and heavy. To apply liquid fertilizer, attach the liquid fertilizer bottle to the end of your water hose. When the water is on, you can simultaneously dispense the liquid fertilizer. When applying liquid fertilizer, go from right to leave, keeping a steady, uniform motion.
After a liquid fertilizer application, it's best to wait at least one day until watering your grass again. Waiting to water your lawn gives the water and soil enough time to properly absorb the nutrients and uptake those nutrients into the grassroots. Before application, take a look at the weather forecast for your local area and give yourself ample time to apply the fertilizer before any upcoming rainfall.
Liquid lawn care products are ideal for both starter and in-season applications. When it comes to inorganic fertilizer and more, there are so many reasons to try our favorite lawn care hack: using liquid lawn care products. With Simple Lawn Solutions, our products aim to lessen the need for excessive lawn care tools and simplify your grass maintenance by using liquid lawn care fertilizers. With liquid fertilizers, aerators, and boosters, you can achieve healthy soil.
Maintaining Healthy Soil
There are so many lawn care steps that can contribute to healthy soil, but that doesn't mean you will need to devote hours to your lawn every week. Once your lawn is in a healthy, thriving state, there are specific steps you can take to maintain a healthy lawn and soil, whether that be seasonally or annually. Consider these lawn care habits to maintain a healthy lawn:
- Pull weeds, at first sight, to prevent spreading and seeding.
- Keep grass height around two and a half inches in the summer months.
- Maintain soil hydration with scheduled watering sessions
Paying close attention to your grass's physical health can help you catch any grass issues that may speak to a nutrient imbalance. Once you have eradicated any lawn issues, it's best to establish a routine liquid lawn care schedule to maintain your lawn's healthy state. Taking the necessary steps to establish healthy soil can protect your yard from disease, drought, and worst of all, dead grass.
