Will you believe that many people still never buy a single bottle of fertilizer for their lawn yet have a beautiful one? It may seem hard to believe, but it’s true, and I know many of them. You must be thinking about what they use to keep their lawn green and growing, right? Simply, they use homemade lawn fertilizers and get outstanding aftermath.
Personally, I love the idea so much. Indeed, it is quite like cooking food for your dear lawn. But once there was a time I had a lot of doubt about how good those homemade fertilizers were for the lawn. Gradually, I have learned about a lot of them and found out exactly which ones work the best.
That’s why I am here today. As many of you don’t know what common ingredients we can use as lawn fertilizers, I want to share my knowledge on them. So, stick to this content till the end, and I am sure you will learn something useful for your lawn.
Best Homemade Lawn Fertilizers You Can Use
Though I can suggest you more than ten different homemade lawn fertilizers, I am not sure how all of them will work on your lawn as some of them have serious risk factors. Also, you know that there are different types of lawn grass, and all those homemade fertilizers may not work well with them. So, I am just sharing the ones that don’t have devastating side effects. Hopefully, the information below will save the money you had to spend on fertilizers.
1. Fertilizer Made from Coffee Ground
What if I say that our lawn too enjoys morning coffee? Will you believe it? Well, it’s true, and ground coffee waste works as very effective homemade lawn fertilizers. Coffee grounds initially make a great summation to the compost hill. So, you can simply choose to brew the compost into the tea or use it as a healthy amendment to the soil.
The initial process of making this fertilizer is very easy. You only need to mix a half-pound of coffee grounds with approximately five gallons of water. You have to keep it aside for a few hours or overnight before using it.
Coffee grounds comprise carbon and nitrogen along with other compounds. And all these feed organisms in the soil. Moreover, it works as an inhibitor of some disease-causing microbes as well.
How to Use
Using this effective homemade lawn fertilizer is easy. The process is the same as you apply store-bought fertilizer on your lawn. After separating the brewed liquid, you just have to keep it in a bottle. Next, just use the sprayer to spread it all over your lawn. Then what about the waste? You can simply scatter the coffee grounds by hand on the lawn. After that, you have to rake them into the soil.
Warning
Too much ground coffee compost in your soil can bring danger too. Depending on the type of lawn soil, sometimes coffee grounds are acidic for your soil. Notably, it has not shown any lower soil pH till now.
2. Compost Tea Fertilizer
Many lawn owners do not know that compost tea can be used as a great fertilizer on the lawn. It helps propagate beneficial microbes on plants and soil and protects turf from any diseases. Moreover, the homemade compost enhances soil water retention as well.
If you intend to make compost tea in your home, then you should note its risk to pathogens. And especially the time when you will be adding manure to the compost. Surprisingly, one gallon of compost tea can enwrap nearly 1,000 square feet.
First, you need to fill a five-gallon bucket with four gallons of chlorine-free water. You should aerate the water with the help of an aquarium pump. In addition, this pump has to be connected with plastic tubing to air stones fixed in water.
Afterward, you have to fill a pantyhose or fine-mesh bag with a cup of compost tea per gallon of water. To infiltrate the water, simply tie the bag, place it into the bucket and press it a few times. And remember to brew the coffee for at least 24 to 36 hours. Experts recommend stirring the water and retooling the bubblers multiple times a day.
Experts admit that there is no connection between compost tea and food-borne illness. Rather the best way to besiege pathogen exposure is to use compost tea in inedible plants. Therefore, it is safe to apply commercial compost tea on your lawn as well.
How to Use
As you are done with the brew, you have to apply it, mixing it with the regular fertilizer. Ortho-Dial-N-Spray or a pump sprayer will help you in this case. It is advised to re-apply the tea compost every two or four weeks. It would be better if you applied it in the early morning for the growing season.
Warning
The way of compositing tea can be problematic in some cases. The process often ends with pathogens from animal feces subsisting, such as Escherichia coli, Listeria and Salmonella. Also, commercial compost tea lacks regulation over often. That’s why compost tea can be harmful, especially if it is not made properly.
3. Epsom Salt Fertilizer
Epsom Salt fertilizer is similar to a spa treatment for a green, healthy lawn, and it is one of the most popular homemade lawn fertilizers. If the turf is magnesium indigent, then Epsom salt is the right solution to benefit the lawn. Besides, using this homemade lawn fertilizer is easy and cost-efficient.
The soil on the lawn sometimes can be low in sulfur. That’s why the grass may not have enough growth. To solve this problem, you can apply ammonium sulfate. Plus, you only need to melt two tablespoons of Epsom salt per gallon of water to formulate this fertilizer.
Epsom salt or magnesium sulfate is simply occurring consisting of magnesium and sulfur. Likewise, it helps to increase chlorophyll production, and the seeds germinate. In general, Epsom salt is not merely enough for a carpeted lawn.
Turf naturally needs phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium to come off. Small amounts of magnesium usually need to be added to make chlorophyll, which is an excellent plant nutrient. Additionally, the sulfate ion of Epsom salt does not apprehend soil pH.
How to use
I am not sure if there is any other homemade lawn fertilizer that is easier to make and use than this one. Just get the mixture of the Epsom salt and water. Pour it into a spray bottle and properly spray over the lawn soil. You don’t have to go deeper. Instead, spray it moderately for the best result.
Warning
The soil’s salinity levels often exalt naturally or for many other reasons. So, applying extra Epsom salt at that state might kill the turf anyway. This problem happens in the case of grass seed lawns as well.
4. Fertilizer with Dish Soap
Have you ever considered using dish soap on your lawn as a fertilizer? It might sound strange, but it is an ingredient for many commercial fertilizers. So, making a homemade lawn fertilizer with dish soap must be a great idea. Eventually, people got incredible results with it.
Dish soap, in general, is an optional additive in many homemade solutions. It is often added in household ammonia and Epsom salt as the original ingredient for the fertilizer you may get in the shop. However, not just the dishwasher soap, you can also use detergent or other dishwashing liquid in this case.
Detergents usually comprise synthetic chemicals that do not damage the environment. In addition, it can kill pests as well. There are also options for store-bought insecticidal soap, which are gentle on plants. Besides, it is also good to remove urine stains made by your pets.
How to Use
Initially, you cannot use dish soap or liquid soap directly on your lawn. You can make a solution of 2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap and 1 gallon of water. Then spray it all over the yard.
There is another way to use dish soap for your lawn. While making compost, especially the one with Ammonia or Epsom salt, you can add a few drops of dish soap to benefit grass.
Warning
Although it is a common home fertilizer, it can eventually turn detrimental to your lawn grass. Furthermore, it can ruin your grass entirely if you use it directly or too much. So, make sure to use it moderately.
5. Household Ammonia Fertilizer
Ammonia is typically used on lawns as ammonium nitrate. Also, it contains high-nitrogen and soil nutrients which is why it is applied in fertilizers worldwide. However, you can buy loose Ammonia from the agriculture shop to make your own fertilizer.
To make ammonia fertilizer at home, you will need one spoon of household ammonia and mix it in one gallon of water. And when you start using it, make sure to give it a nice shake so that the solution integrates properly.
Initially, Ammonia fertilizer enhances nitrogen in your grass. Using it in moderation is quite harmless. The ammonia mixture in the soil later turns into a nutrient for soil bacteria and plant roots.
How to Use
Applying ammonia solution on your lawn is easy as well. For that, you have to use a spray bottle as usual. It is better to spray the solution moderately all over the lawn. You should use the compounded solution in a small amount to the parts of the yard and pay attention to it gradually.
Warning
Ammonia fertilizer is not auspicious for water ecosystems. And the excess amount can reach up to toxic levels and kill water habitats. Plus, it is equally harmful to humans as well as lawn grasses.
Besides, you can use water-soaked with banana peel, Tea waste, eggshell powder, and many other common ingredients as homemade lawn fertilizers. But none of them works so well as the following five options. So, you can try them without any doubt.
FAQ
Q: What is the best homemade fertilizer for grass?
A: Coffee grounds, compost tea, and Epsom salt are the best homemade fertilizers for grass. These fertilizers are good for the grass’s growth and have less effective risk factors. Besides, you can use household Ammonia, detergent solution, Vinegar, and so on.
Q: Does Epsom salt green up a lawn?
A: Yes, Epsom salt can help the grass to be greener and thicker. That’s why homemade fertilizer with Epsom salt is recommended in spring so that the grass will be greener even in the winter.
Q: Is Vinegar good for lawn grass?
A: Yes, Vinegar is also a good fertilizer for your lawn grass. But it is not recommended for some of the grass types, and you cannot use the edible Vinegar in this case. For turf lawn, it works better. You can make the fertilizer using one tablespoon of horticulture vinegar and one liter of water. Then mix it and spray it on the lawn.
Q: What does sugar do to your lawn?
A: Suger water is nice homemade lawn fertilizer as it helps the roots of the grass. But most people don’t like to use it as it increases weeds and insects.
Q: How often should you fertilize your land?
A: You should fertilize your lawn about five to seven times a year. Excessive fertilizing can cause severe damage, so you should try it once in two months.
Final Thought
Did you check that I have added the risk factors of every homemade lawn fertilizer? Please don’t forget to check them out and remember when you will use the particular fertilizer. However, Among all the suggested options, I would like to recommend trying Coffee ground and Epsom salt solutions, especially if you are a beginner.
The two fertilizers are easy to formulate and apply. Besides, they have less effective safety issues, so you can use them without having any doubt. Still, if you want to know something else about it, please knock us in the comment section.
However, I am sure some of you have a better idea about homemade fertilizers for lawns. If so, please share it with us so that others can get help with your tips. Thank you for staying with us.