The Benefits of Liquid Fertilizer

When creating a gorgeous green space—whether it be a thick lawn, beautiful flower bed, or plentiful food garden—you’ve got to have the right blend of factors for healthy plants to thrive. Cultivating the proper amounts of water, sunlight, and soil health are all essential. 

But you’ve also got to feed your plants. To sustain them throughout the growing cycle, you should look no further than organic liquid fertilizer. We’re here to break down the benefits of using liquid fertilizer so you can use it to keep your plants healthy all year long. 

What is Fertilizer?

A fertilizer is a natural or manmade substance created with chemical elements to help plants grow and thrive. While the soil naturally contains components that will help plants mature, a fertilizer will boost the soil’s nutrients to support the plants or grass you want to produce. (Often, previous crops will strip the soil of nutrients, making fertilizer an essential component of future healthy plant growth.)

In fertilizer, three components work together for the overall health of the plant: nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. The numbers on an NPK fertilizer label correspond to the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium within the mixture. 

What Makes Organic Fertilizer Different?

Not all fertilizer is created equal. When choosing a lawn or garden fertilizer, you have two options: organic and chemical (or synthetic).

And the differences between them couldn’t be starker. Organic fertilizer feeds plants by using natural, carbon-containing materials like decomposed leaves, fish, animal manure, broken shells, and food compost, offering a more controlled and gradual distribution of nutrients. On the other hand, chemical fertilizer contains rock fragments and a natural or nitrogen gas, and it delivers its nutrients all at once, creating a potential burn hazard for your plants or lawn. 

Why Should I Choose an Organic Fertilizer?

When considering safety for your family and the environment, the best fertilizer to choose is an all-natural and organic fertilizer because it helps your plants develop more fully and is the most eco-friendly option. Your grass and plants will look fantastic, but you’ll rest assured knowing that unwanted chemicals aren’t polluting the water stream and can’t get near your pets or children playing in the lawn on a beautiful spring day.

There are two types of organic fertilizer to choose from—liquid fertilizer and granular (or dry) fertilizer. While there are pros and cons to using either type of fertilizer, let’s break down the benefits of using a liquid NPK fertilizer for your home and garden needs. 

What is Liquid Fertilizer?

A liquid fertilizer acts just like it sounds—it provides your lawn and plants nutrients in a liquid solution. It can be added to both indoor and outdoor plants and flowers to help them grow. It can also be part of your seasonal lawn care and fertilizer routine for both large and small lawns. By using a lawn and garden sprayer, you can put the fertilizer on your greenery directly.

5 Benefits of Using Liquid Fertilizer

There are several reasons liquid fertilizer is the best fertilizer to use for your lawn or garden. Five of the top benefits of using a liquid form of organic fertilizer include:

1. It offers quick results because it’s absorbed easily
2. It’s simple to use
3. It offers more consistent coverage
4. It’s less likely to attract pests
5. It’s easy to mix and apply

1. Liquid Fertilizer Offers Quick Results Because It’s Absorbed Easily

The best benefit of using a liquid form of organic fertilizer is it offers near-instantaneous results. If a plant struggles with nutrient deficiencies, a liquid fertilizer provides immediate relief because it can be absorbed by plant roots so quickly, which almost always visibly boosts the plant’s health and physical appearance.

2. Liquid Fertilizer is Simple to Use

Unlike granular organic fertilizers that need to be watered immediately after application to best benefit the plant, liquid supplements don’t need to be worked into the soil. Just spray the right formula on your lawn and garden and watch your plants grow. 

3. Liquid Fertilizer Offers More Consistent Coverage

Liquid fertilizer nutrients are evenly distributed in a liquid base, but individual grains of dry fertilizer have been known to contain uneven amounts of the supplement. The even distribution of those nutrients leads to more consistent coverage for the plants in the garden. Plus, because they move more in the soil, a supplement offered in liquid form can stream to hard-to-reach plant roots.

4. Liquid Fertilizer is Less Likely to Attract Pests

Dry organic fertilizers can sometimes attract digging pests that eat up your garden beds. Liquid fertilizers don’t remain at the soil’s surface long, making them less appealing to bugs and animals.

5. Liquid Fertilizer is Easy to Mix and Apply

A liquid form of fertilizer can be applied to the soil at the base of plant roots or used as a foliar spray on your leaves for even faster absorption. (Because you can apply them directly to leaves, it’s a great solution for lettuces.) A garden sprayer, whether attached to your watering hose, hand-held, or in backpack form, can make application seamless. 

Depending on your needs, you may also choose to mix the liquid supplements to create a one-of-a-kind concoction. If you have delicate plants, you can also dilute the liquid with water to make a fertilizer perfectly suited for plants that don’t need much supplemental help. 

When to Apply Liquid Fertilizer

Liquid supplements offer a great pick-me-up for struggling plants and are an easy solution for indoor or potted greenery. Apply the formula every few weeks early in the morning or late at night, especially when it’s warm out, for best results. 

When Should You Consider Using a Granular Organic Fertilizer Instead?

While a liquid option is fantastic, there are times when applying a granular organic fertilizer is the best fertilizer option for your lawn and plants. Here are a few reasons you may want to prioritize a dry fertilizer over a liquid one:

• A dry fertilizer lasts longer—Because it’s so mobile, a liquid form of fertilizer can wash out of the soil and needs to be reapplied more often. Granular organic fertilizer needs water to be absorbed so its nutrients stick around in the soil longer. 
• A dry fertilizer is more efficient in a large lawn, garden, or farm setting—because it needs to be applied to plants or crops by a sprayer, a liquid form of NPK fertilizer is best used in houseplants or potted plants or a small garden plot. A granular fertilizer is best suited for wider distribution over a large garden, farmland plot, or a sizeable lawn.
• A dry fertilizer is more cost-effective—Granular fertilizers are often sold in bulk in large bags, while the liquid form is packaged in a small- to medium-sized bottle. Especially for large projects, the dry organic fertilizer often wins out in terms of price.

Keeping your growing spaces green and thriving is hard work. With the help of organic fertilizers—especially the liquid variety—you’ll have the lawn or garden of envy, no matter the season.