Substitute for fertilizer

submitted by rubberbiscuit from self.environment

I read this on a forum several years ago and stopped using fertilizer on my lawn. Now, 2 or 3 times per year in the summer months, I spread alfalfa pellets across the lawn (bought at local feed store - typically used as rabbit food). The lawn seems to do very well with it. I throw some in my garden too.

With fertilizer costs supposedly much higher, you may want to consider this as a cost savings change as well. I originally did it simply to keep chemicals out of my yard. The pellets are cheap, fertilizer was already expensive years ago.

all 12 comments
sorted by:
top
newinsightfulfun

[–][deleted] 9 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Set up a few bird feeders and you'll be harvesting guano in no time. Fertilizer just drops out the sky.

[–][deleted] 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Nice. Sounds pretty close to leaving the lawn clippings down in the lawn so that they will decompose.

[–][deleted] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Diluted urine is also an excellent source of plant nutrients. And magnesium can be provided by using epsom salts.

[–]jet199 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

Next-door's cats fertilise my garden.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 5 fun1 insightful - 4 fun2 insightful - 5 fun -  (0 children)

I tried using the strays as fertilizer but they kept digging their way out.

[–]zyxzevn 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Organic farming has some great ideas. I only know about clover though. It is all about making the soil healthy.

Biodynamic is also interesting, seems based on very old knowledge. But has some weird thing.

[–]FlippyKing 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Biodynamic and Organic started around the same time, the former being centered in Germany at the start as it is Steiner's, the latter from what I read was centered in England at first. They are similar, as they evolved Biodynamic is more strict in what they can use. The weird aspects of it are acknowledged by the farmers I know who use it, but they find it works. Steiner himself did not create a dogma but told those he spoke to to test the system he proposed and change it over time. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer was pretty much directed by Steiner to apply modern scientific techniques to the study of it all. The goal was always "does this work" and not "here's the story we can tell about what's going on to make sense of why this might work" so, not making sense is just par for the course. Action at a distance still makes no "sense".

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Yep, Alfalfa is an extremely rich and long lasting (it is uptaken gradually, unlike urine) source of organic nitrogen

[–]asterias 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

You can always use some organic waste. But since it tends to attract flies, you could dig a hole and cover it.

[–]chottohen 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Chicken shit is great if you can get it.

[–]Anman 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Go and look up the history of lawns. Unless you have kids that play on it or animals that you graze on it, then there is no point and youre part of the trick to make people think they should exist.

If you cut your lawn on a regular enough basis (if it never gets over grown), then you do not need fertiliser. If your lawn is suffering on a regular basis, then your dirt is stuffed or you have the wrong kind of grass. But Anman, that is why I use fertiliser, because my dirt is not good enough. Then you will continue to need fertiliser for the rest of the lawns life. Fix the dirt. Right dirt and right grass for your environment will never need fertiliser.

I have never fertilised grass in my life.

[–]yelgy 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

shit in your yard