Is your lawn is looking dull and boring? Does it need a “pick me up”? Have you already spent hours reading labels on the bags of lawn fertilizer trying to decide whether to use a synthetic fertilizer or an organic lawn fertilizer? If you answered, “Yes” to any of these questions, then help is here. While synthetic fertilizers and natural lawn fertilizer may both make your lawn greener, their similarities are a few as their differences are many. A synthetic fertilizer, or an inorganic fertilizer, is composed of chemicals and minerals which have been mined from the earth in open-pit mines. These mines frequently result in large areas of stripped land where very few things can grow. If you plan on using synthetic fertilizer there are a number of things you need to be aware of:

1. Algal blooms - this occurs when rain washes the synthetic fertilizers into nearby rivers, lakes and streams and results in low oxygen levels in the water causing loss of plant and animal life.
2. Synthetic fertilizers have been linked to health problems—especially in children as they are smaller and more likely to play on the grass.
3. Synthetic fertilizers usually contain a chemical known as 2,4D which has been associated with cancer in people and can make animals sick.
4. Left over synthetic fertilizer should not be used on trees, shrubs, or flowers as too much nitrogen on these plants will increase growth and decrease fruit and flowers; it will also encourage insects that damage the plants.
5. Synthetic fertilizers can be out of balance with the needs of your lawn and can do more harm than good.
6. The cost of making synthetic fertilizer is dictated by quantity and price of natural gas—which is in limited supply.

An organic lawn fertilizer, on the other hand, enriches your plants with the needed nutrients that come from plant matter or animal waste. There are a variety of natural lawns fertilizers available at your local home supply store and area garden stores, or you may make your own organic lawn fertilizer by composting. Composting is the ultimate green lawn fertilizer; it is done by combining leaves, grass clippings, and food scraps, as well as animal by-products such as manure, blood meal (dried slaughter house waste), bone meal, feather meal and fish products which are especially high in nitrogen phosphorus, calcium, and micro-nutrients. There are a number of reasons why using organic lawn fertilizer is best for everyone.

1. Natural lawn fertilizer is the ideal way to reduce, re-use, and recycle.
2. No side effects for people or animals.
3. Using natural lawn fertilizer results in a thicker, greener lawn.
4. There is no fear of chemically burning your yard or harming the environment.
5. Lawn fertilizer made of compost takes longer to break down so it remains in the soil longer.
6. The materials needed to make organic lawn fertilizer are readily available, no strip mining necessary!

If your lawn needs a makeover, head to your local garden store to get some natural lawn fertilizer. However, don’t be afraid to start your own compost pile. Talk to your local agricultural extension department about what items work best in your area and you will soon be on your way to a beautiful lawn using that is all natural!