Is Granular Lawn Fertilizer Safe in a Garden?

Granular Fertilizer

• Granular refers to the form of a fertilizer. Granular fertilizers appear as small pellets, often coated in a substance such a resin. This coating allows for the slow release of the nutrients within the fertilizer. Uncoated granular fertilizers release nutrients quickly and are sold as fast-release plant food. Two kinds of granular fertilizer exist, homogeneous and blended. In homogeneous granular fertilizer, each pellet contains all the nutrients in the fertilizer. In blended granular fertilizer, different nutrients exist in different pellets and all pellets must occur in tandem for an area to receive the full benefit of the fertilizer.

Granular Fertilizer Use

• Expert resources recommend the use of granular fertilizers in a variety of situations. The Virginia Cooperative Extension notes that forages, or plants eaten by foraging livestock animals, including grasses and shrubs, benefit from the use of granular fertilizer. Washington State University recommends using granular fertilizers soaked in water for quick release on any plant grown from a bulb. Horticulturalists with Ohio State University recommend granular fertilizers for use with hosta, a common shade plant. Golf courses, meanwhile, use granular fertilizers on lawns.

Lawn Fertilizer in a Garden

• The question of whether granular lawn fertilizer is safe for garden use relates as much to the nature of the fertilizer and the plants in question as it does granular fertilizer itself. A variety of expert resources recommend granular fertilizers for use with garden plants. However, all fertilizers contains a specific N-P-K, or nitrogen-phosphorous-potassium, ratio. Different types of plants require different types of fertilizer ratios. Before using a granular lawn fertilizer on garden plants, check the ratio of the fertilizer in question and the fertilizer ratio needs of the plants in the garden.

Circumstantial Considerations

• Some granular fertilizers may contain recycle sewage materials. While many sewage materials prove beneficial organic fertilizers for garden plants, sewage material may also contain traces of dangerous metals such as cadmium. Never use a granular fertilizer with sewage material on plants intended for consumption. In some cases, granular fertilizers are safe for use with plants but not totally beneficial. Slow-release, or coated, granular fertilizers take long periods of time to release nutrients. If a plant needs immediate fertilization and nutrient absorption, refrain from the use of a slow-release and use a quick-release uncoated granular fertilizer or another fast-acting agent like a liquid or water-soluble fertilizer.