The only reason I care about fertilizer is because my son is a billy goat. He walks around our backyard shoving handfuls of dirt and sand into his mouth. He fills his cheeks up with pebbles and rocks. He chews on leafs and sticks. He gnaws on sidewalk chalk like a dog with a steak bone. So I have to assume he is also eating his fair share of grass. And that grass happens to be treated with fertilizer.
Every year, we have our lawn professionally fertilized. And every year I ask my husband the same two questions. Do we have to fertilize? Are you sure this stuff is safe? I don’t ever get a real answer. Usually, because we are interrupted by my daughter yelling that her brother has “something” in his mouth. So this year after having a very long day of pulling rocks, dirt and sand out of his mouth, the fertilizer guy pulled up. I decided that before I let my goat loose in the yard again, I was going to find out exactly what the fertilizer guy was sprinkling all over my lawn.
Why do we fertilize?
There are actually quite a few reasons we fertilize. The most important reasons to fertilize are to make your lawn healthy, help your lawn look good and to keep weeds and pests to a minimum. As far as I can tell, fertilizer is a lot like vitamins for your lawn. Most soil does not have the right balance of nutrients to keep a lawn healthy. Fertilizers help the soil get what it needs to encourage growth. It provides your lawn with everything it needs and may not be getting naturally. Fertilizers are a mixture of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These are the three main nutrients that promote growth. This combination of elements keeps your grass looking green and healthy. Fertilizer also keeps your lawn free from weeds and helps contain the number of bugs in your yard. (This all make a lot of sense to me. I do have really green grass.)
Are you sure this stuff is safe!!?
Yes and No.
Yes, it is safe for your grass, yard, trees and plants if used properly. There is a very delicate balance that must be achieved when it comes to fertilizing your lawn. This is why we use a professional fertilizing company. The thought of sending my husband out into the yard with a sack of fertilizer gives me the shivers.
No it is not safe for humans, animals or bugs. Fertilizer is very hazardous and must be used with caution when applying. It is not safe for your children, neighbors, dogs, cast or any other creatures to come into contact with it until after it dries. Most fertilizer companies post signs around the perimeter of your yard warning children and animals not to enter the area. They also write down the time of application, so if it was applied while you were away, you can know the exact time it was applied. However, after it has dried it is safe.
I now know that it is safe for my little goat to eat the grass, just not until 24 hours after the fertilizer man leaves.
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