Why Should you consider going natural?

Why should you consider going natural?
Naturl Fertilizers supply the important plant nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (N-P-K) whichhelp lawns and plants create rich color and deep roots.

In addition, N-P-K promote vigorous growth, which
improves disease and stress resistance.
Naturally managed lawns cycle nutrients efficiently,
which helps prevent a buildup of thatch-an accumulation
at the soil surface of dead, but undecomposed,
stems and leaves. Importantly, grass clippings do not
contribute to thatch-in fact, cycling grass clippings can
annually provide a lawn with as much as two pounds of
additional nitrogen per thousand square feet; a nice
boost of free nutrients. 1

The most important goal of any soil fertility program
is the stimulation of the natural cycles that release
nutrients for plant uptake. Ninety percent of the needed
nitrogen for plant growth is converted from atmospheric
nitrogen (78% nitrogen) by bacteria into nitrates
through the natural cycle of nitrification. Natural fertilizers
and water applied in the right combination
along with the return of grass clippings provide the
nutrients needed to support proliferation of these bacteria.
The nourished bacteria ..rapidly process the nutrients
making them available'for healthy lawn growth.
Natural fertilizers tend to release nutrients more slowly
than chemical fertilizers.

In addition, they don't
contain the high concentrations of nitrogen that are
contained in most chemical fertilizers. High nitrogen
concentrations in the soil can damage the biological
community and are proven to contribute to water
pollution by leaching out of the soil into the ground
and surface water2. By supplying low levels of
nitrogen and other nutrients directly to the lawn and
indirectly through feeding the soil biological community,
the grass is fed continuously without causing
water pollution3.

Some conventional, manufactured-chemical fertilizers
supply nitrogen in the form of chemical salts. This form
of manufactured-chemical nitrogen dissolves quickly to
provide a rapid nitrogen release. Often, a quick nitrogen
release can encourage weed growth. Lawn grasses respond
to a nitrogen 'spike' by producing excessive top growth
in lieu of laying in stores of carbohydrates. Lawns with
poor carbohydrate reserves often go dormant during
drought or other stressful times3.

Literature cited:
1. Frank Rossi, Ph.D. 1995. Green Thumb Project.
University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison,
Wisconsin.
2. William R. Jackson, Ph.D. 1993. Organic Soil
Conditioning (pp. 401-425). Jackson Research
Center, Evergreen, Colorado.
3. Warren Schultz, 1989. The Chemical-Free Lawn
(pp. 67-83). Rodale Press, Emmaus, Pennsylvania.