5 Best Organic Lawn Fertilizers – Make It Eco-Friendly Way

By
Nora Held
Nora Held
Research Writer
Apart from being our main writer, Nora also works for a number of gardening-related sites and magazines, sharing her experience as an owner of a small farm in North Carolina read more
reviewed
Reviewed By
Bruce Williams
Bruce Williams
Expert Consultant
Bruce owns a small farm and loves to grill since his early childhood. He’s a professional cook, but hiking and enjoying the great outdoors is his no less favorite part of read more
Last updated: September 07, 2023
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If you want to look out onto your yard and see a beautiful, lush, green lawn, it’s vital to look after it. The best organic lawn fertilizer can help. Organic fertilizers enrich the soil with nutrients and don’t contain any harmful chemicals, so they’re totally safe and highly effective.

We reviewed 30 of the best organic lawn fertilizers on the market and found that the Advanced 16-4-8 Balanced NPK- Lawn Food Natural Liquid Fertilizer is the best. Offering a huge coverage area per gallon and the best blend of vital macronutrients, this lawn fertilizer gives your lawn all it needs and is totally safe for kids and pets too. We’ve also included four more organic fertilizers on our list, each a winner in its own way.

Our research team has spent hours researching and analyzing the best organic lawn fertilizers, and we considered several key features when preparing this guide. First, we looked at the coverage area of each fertilizer, which shows us how much lawn each product can handle. We also looked at the type of fertilizer being used, be it a dry mix or a liquid, which absorbs and takes effect more quickly. We also thought about the nutrients contained in each product and how effective it is at feeding and revitalizing your lawn. The table below shows our findings, followed by detailed reviews of each fertilizer. Then, at the end of the page, you’ll find an in-depth buying guide and Q&A section.

Quick Summary

Top 5 Organic Lawn Fertilizers

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Consumer Engagement
Chosen by 2646 people in the past 30 days
9.8
Customer Feedback
Customer Feedback
9.6
Brand Reputation
Based onweb analytics
9.6
Features & Benefits
Product Review
9.4
9.8
Features
  • Coverage area: 12.800 sq ft/ bag
  • Type: liquid
  • Nutrients: nitrogen, soluble potash, phosphate, blended with seaweed and fish
  • Weight: 8.35 lbs/ 1 gal

More features: commercial size

Starting off our list, our Editor’s Choice organic lawn fertilizer is the Advanced 16-4-8 Balanced NPK- Lawn Food Natural Liquid Fertilizer. Arguably the best organic fertilizer for lawns, this product is the only liquid fertilizer on our list. The advantages of a liquid fertilizer are that you can apply it much more easily, simply making use of a hose sprayer or sprinkler to spread it around, or even using a simple spray bottle.

The Advanced 16-4-8 Balanced NPK- Lawn Food Natural Liquid Fertilizer also has the advantage of being applicable at any time, even right before planting seeds, due to its speedy absorption rate and high efficiency. You don’t have to wait too long for this fertilizer to be absorbed into the soil and start providing powerful nutrients to your plants, so it’s very convenient and great as an instant solution to dry patches and poor quality soil.

Made entirely in the USA and blended with seaweed and fish nutrients, Advanced 16-4-8 Balanced NPK- Lawn Food Natural Liquid Fertilizer contains the perfect 4 – 1 – 2 (or 16 – 4 – 8) ratio of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash to give your grass all it needs to grow lush, green, and strong. It’s ideal for all types of grass and even though it has quite a high price, it offers strong value for money with a very wide coverage area.

    What makes it special?
  • Liquid mix is easy to apply
  • Fast acting
  • Works on all grass types
  • Lots of nutrients
  • Great coverage area
    What cons did we find?
  • High price
Also Product Ranking:
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Consumer Engagement
Chosen by 7681 people in the past 30 days
9.6
Customer Feedback
Customer Feedback
9.2
Brand Reputation
Based onweb analytics
9.5
Features & Benefits
Product Review
9.5
9.6
2
Customer’s Choice

Safer Brand Ringer Lawn Restore

Features
  • Coverage area: 5000 sq ft/ bag
  • Type: dry mix
  • Nutrients: nitrogen, soluble potash, plant-based nutrients
  • Weight: 25 lbs/ bag

More features: 2 bags kit, no manures/no odor

Our best organic lawn fertilizer reviews continue with the Safer Brand Ringer Lawn Restore. This is one of the most expensive entries on this list, so you’ll need to be prepared to hand over a sizeable amount of cash to enjoy the benefits of this product, but it’s definitely worth the asking price. You get a lot of fertilizer for your money too, with each bag weighing in at 25 lbs.

Safer Brand Ringer Lawn Restore offers an immense coverage area of up to 5,000 square feet per bag and really aims to revitalize your lawn and replenish the soil with lots of nutrients. In short, this is a product that gets the job done. It’s filled with nourishing plant-based nutrients, free of any poultry litter or animal matter. This means that it doesn’t have any nasty odors and not a single ounce of the product is wasted or comprised of material that won’t actually improve your soil quality.

Every pack is like an elixir for your yard, turning dry, brown patches of grass into thick, lush, green lawn. Safer Brand Ringer Lawn Restore is also very fast-acting, able to make your grass greener in just a few days, despite being a dry mix. There’s no risk of burning or applying too much when it comes to this product either, as it has been perfectly blended to provide total safety for your yard and family.

    What are its best features?
  • Filled with excellent nutrients
  • Can make grass greener in just a few days
  • Very effective
  • Large coverage area of 5,000 sq ft per bag
  • No nasty odors
    What could be improved?
  • Quite expensive
  • A little heavy
Also Product Ranking:
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Consumer Engagement
Chosen by 6858 people in the past 30 days
9.4
Customer Feedback
Customer Feedback
9.2
Brand Reputation
Based onweb analytics
9.0
Features & Benefits
Product Review
9.2
9.4
Features
  • Coverage area: 43.560 sq ft
  • Type: dry mix
  • Nutrients: nitrogen, phosphate, soluble potash, copper, sulfur, iron, manganese, magnesium, zinc, humic acid, sea kelp
  • Weight: 13.6 lbs

More features: Packaged in a resealable, foil-lined bag with an easy open tear strip

One of the only all-in-one dry mix organic lawn fertilizers on the market, Super Juice All in One Soluble Supplement Lawn Fertilizer is also one of the top rated products in the organic fertilizer market. Countless homeowners have been amazed by the effectiveness and efficiency of this product. It’s not the cheapest around, but in terms of value for money, it’s simply incredible.

Just one bag of Super Juice All in One Soluble Supplement Lawn Fertilizer is able to offer an entire acre (43,560 square feet) of coverage. Plus, you’re able to adjust the formula to suit your situation. You can apply it in a full 14 – 2 – 4 ratio to get the full acre of coverage or use it at half strength (7 – 1 – 2) to get twice as much coverage! That means a single bag of Super Juice All in One Soluble Supplement Lawn Fertilizer can be used on two whole acres of lawn.

There are no toxins, waste products, or chemicals within this lawn fertilizer, and it comes in a convenient, resealable bag for practicality and easy storage. Inside each bag, you’ll find a product exceptionally rich in nutrients. Super Juice All in One Soluble Supplement Lawn Fertilizer contains an incredible array of nutrients including nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, copper, iron, magnesium, zinc, and more.

    Why are we impressed?
  • The biggest coverage area around
  • Easy to apply
  • Can be blended at half concentration to cover two whole acres
  • Comes in a convenient bag
  • Lots of different nutrients inside
    What negatives must you be aware of?
  • High price
?
Consumer Engagement
Chosen by 7156 people in the past 30 days
9.3
Customer Feedback
Customer Feedback
9.1
Brand Reputation
Based onweb analytics
9.2
Features & Benefits
Product Review
9.1
9.3
Features
  • Coverage area: 5000 sq ft
  • Type: dry mix
  • Nutrients: feather meal poultry manure and sulfate of potash
  • Weight: 30 lbs

More features: 2.5 times more slow release nitrogen

Many organic lawn fertilizers make use of plant-based materials and nutrients, but Espoma EOFW30 Organic Fall Fertilizer is filled with animal-based materials like poultry manure. This means it has a discernible odor that you will probably notice as soon as you open the bag, but it is very effective at enriching the soil and providing your lawn with effective, powerful nutrients. Grass quickly starts to grow a lot stronger, taller, and greener when Espoma EOFW30 Organic Fall Fertilizer has been applied.

It ships in 30 lbs bags which are quite heavy and can be difficult to store or carry around, but the prices are fair and affordable, giving you a lot of fertilizer per bag. Plus, a single bag of Espoma EOFW30 Organic Fall Fertilizer can be used across around 5,000 square feet of lawn, so this dry mix offers a whole lot of value. It also offers 2.5x more slow release nitrogen than leading alternatives, ensuring that your lawn stays healthy and nourished for many months, so you won’t need to worry about reapplying fertilizer again and again.

Totally safe for kids and pets, Espoma EOFW30 Organic Fall Fertilizer is the perfect product to choose if you’re worried about the dangers of chemical fertilizers and the risks they might pose to your friendly. Espoma EOFW30 Organic Fall Fertilizer is filled with nothing but natural products and won’t poison ecosystems or pose any kind of threat to your furry friends or little ones.

    What makes it special?
  • Safe for all the family
  • Large coverage area
  • Great value for money
  • Lots of fertilizer per bag
  • Rich in slow release nitrogen
    What cons did we find?
  • Heavy bags hard to move around
  • Strong smell of manure
Also Product Ranking:
?
Consumer Engagement
Chosen by 3245 people in the past 30 days
9.1
Customer Feedback
Customer Feedback
8.9
Brand Reputation
Based onweb analytics
8.6
Features & Benefits
Product Review
8.8
9.1
Features
  • Coverage area: 2500 sq ft
  • Type: dry mix
  • Nutrients: nitrogen, iron, phosphate, calcium
  • Weight: 36 lbs

More features: Reduces the need for watering, cuts down mowing time, used on golf courses for decades

Last but not least, we come to Milorganite 0636 Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer. Many of the organic lawn fertilizers out there can be quite high priced. Covering all of your lawn can feel like quite a big investment, but Milorganite 0636 Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer is our Budget Pick for this list. It’s one of the most affordable organic lawn fertilizers out there, with a very low price per bag.

Each bag comes with 36 lbs of slow release, dry mix fertilizer. This fertilizer takes some time to take effect, so you’ll need to apply it early and wait a while to see the results you crave, but if you give it time, Milorganite 0636 Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer can provide very lush lawns and abundant gardens.

Milorganite is a trusted and respectable brand, with its fertilizers being used on leading golf courses around the nation for many years. This product gives your lawn all it needs, meaning you don’t have to worry too much about watering or even mowing too often. It contains a lot of iron too which helps grass appear greener and more lush. The coverage area with this organic lawn fertilizer is a little low at just 2,500 square feet per bag, but if you only have a small lawn, one bag will still be more than enough.

    What are our favorite features?
  • Great value for money
  • Super low prices
  • Lots of fertilizer in every bag
  • Long lasting, slow release formula
  • Reduces the need for watering and mowing
  • A trusted brand
    What could be better?
  • Heavy bags
  • Quite small coverage area

Things to Consider

You’ve seen some of the best organic lawn fertilizers on the market, but how do you decide which one is right for you? Each fertilizer has its qualities and can appeal to different people. The guide below will help you determine which fertilizer you should choose, as well as providing some details about why you should be using organic fertilizer on your lawn.

Why and when you need to start using organic lawn fertilizer?

First of all, you’ll need a special fertilizer for lawn – for example, fertilizers for fruit trees or fertilizers for orchids won’t do. Learn how to apply your fertilizer in our review of the best commercial fertilizer spreaders. So why would you even want to use organic fertilizer and when is the right time to apply it? Here’s all you need to know:

  • How It Works – Organic fertilizer is rich in organic matter and rich nutrients. It works by boosting the rate of nutrient exchange in your soil, feeding the billions of micro-organisms that live beneath the surface and providing a healthier and more fertile environment for lush, green grass to grow.
  • Healthy Soil – When the soil is rich and healthy, it retains moisture better and draws in more earthworms too, which help to provide aeration and drainage and feed your plants too.
  • Long Lasting – Many chemical fertilizers simply get absorbed into the soil and washed away rather quickly. Organic fertilizers tend to last a lot longer as the organic matter takes a while to gradually break down. They release nutrients slowly, feeding your plants over a long-term period. This means you won’t even have to mow the lawn as often.
  • Totally Safe – Since organic lawn fertilizers are made with nothing but organic matter, they don’t contain any toxins or chemicals. This means they’re fully safe for when your kids or pets are playing on the lawn, and they won’t damage the environment or any wildlife either.
  • When To Use – The moment you need to think about using organic lawn fertilizer is when you notice dry, brown, or weak grassy areas where the lawn clearly needs a helping hand. You may also want to use fertilizer after very dry spells of weather or after heavy rain that may have washed nutrients away.

 

How to pick the best organic lawn fertilizer?

There are a lot of different organic lawn fertilizers out there and many different brands to choose from. Each product has its own unique advantages and drawbacks, and finding the right one for your lawn can feel like a challenge at first. To make the process easier, you can break your search down by considering the various key aspects of each product. You need to pay attention to coverage area, type of fertilizer, the nutrients contained within, the weight of the product, and its price. Read on for further details.

Coverage area

One of the first things to think about when shopping for organic lawn fertilizer is how much lawn you actually have and what kind of coverage area you need from the fertilizer. It’s no use buying a bag or bottle of fertilizer and then realizing you don’t have enough for your lawn, so this is a key issue.

Some organic lawn fertilizers boast huge coverage areas per bag. Super Juice All in One Soluble Supplement Lawn Fertilizer, for example, offers coverage of an entire acre (or 43,560 square feet) of lawn per bag. This makes it a great choice for those with large lawns and extensive properties.

Type

5 Best Organic Lawn Fertilizers - Make It Eco-Friendly WayIn general, organic lawn fertilizers can be divided into two main types: liquid and dry mix. An example of a liquid organic lawn fertilizer is Advanced 16-4-8 Balanced NPK- Lawn Food Natural Liquid Fertilizer, while an example of a dry mix organic lawn fertilizer would be Espoma EOFW30 Organic Fall Fertilizer.

The type you choose depends on how much you’re willing to pay and how quickly you want the fertilizer to take effect. A liquid fertilizer Trusted Source The Benefits of Using Liquid Fertilizer on Your Lawn - LawnStar Liquid lawn fertilizers have spiked in popularity. We dive into what liquid fertilizer is, its benefits, and how to decide if it’s the right option for you. getlawnstar.com will be absorbed into the soil more easily and rapidly, taking effect sooner than a dry mix. Liquid fertilizers are also a little easier to apply, as dry mixes need to be scattered around evenly but liquids can simply be poured out onto the lawn.

Nutrients

The whole point of an organic lawn fertilizer is to provide much needed nutrients to the soil. The best organic lawn fertilizer products work to enrich the soil, providing a healthier ecosystem for micro-organisms and certain insects to help your lawn grow faster, stronger, and greener. However, it’s vital to ensure that the fertilizer you use contains the right nutrients.

Nitrogen, phosphate, and potash are the three core ingredients found in most high quality lawn fertilizers like Advanced 16-4-8 Balanced NPK- Lawn Food Natural Liquid Fertilizer. Others contain different nutrients that can be beneficial for your lawn and soil too. Some fertilizers make use of plant-based nutrients, while others, like Espoma EOFW30 Organic Fall Fertilizer, include animal-based nutrients.

Weight

When shopping for the best organic lawn fertilizer, you also need to consider the weight of the bags or bottles you’re buying. A lighter bag will be easier to carry around and store, as well as being easier to empty out.

It’s also interesting to compare weight and coverage area. Products with a low overall weight and a large coverage area, like the Super Juice All in One Soluble Supplement Lawn Fertilizer, offer a lot of value.

Prices

The cost of organic lawn fertilizers can vary quite greatly. There are some very cheap options out there, like our Budget Pick: Milorganite 0636 Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer. There are also more expensive variants, typically offering larger coverage areas or a wide range of nutrients in the mixture. The best organic lawn fertilizer brands charge higher prices and will usually offer stronger performance, but you don’t always have to buy the most expensive option.

5 Best Organic Lawn Fertilizers - Make It Eco-Friendly Way

The key with organic lawn fertilizer prices is to find a product that works with your budget and also offers the right amount of coverage and decent nutrients for your lawn. All of the products in our list offer great results, but have varying prices. If you need a whole lot of coverage, you might have to invest in a more expensive alternative, but if you only have a small lawn, one of the cheaper options should suffice.

How and when to use organic lawn fertilizers?

The way in which you use your organic lawn fertilizers will depend on the type you buy. If you buy a liquid lawn fertilizer, you can simply spray it around on the lawn or even make use of a hose sprayer or pump sprayer to apply it evenly. This is one of the advantages of liquid fertilizers; they’re very easy to apply and sometimes you don’t even need to do anything except set up a sprinkler.

If you buy a dry mix lawn fertilizer like Safer Brand Ringer Lawn Restore, meanwhile, you can simply scatter it around across the lawn. The best way to apply these fertilizers is to spread them around evenly. You usually don’t need to dig down into the ground or anything like that, although this can help certain nutrients like phosphorous to break down and be absorbed more easily.

The best time to use organic lawn fertilizers is a few months before planting your seeds. Many people apply fertilizer in the fall or early winter, prior to planting new seeds in the spring. Since organic lawn fertilizers need time to break down and take effect, this is a good moment to use them and let their nutrients have time to be released and seep out into the soil. This is the case for dry fertilizers, but liquid variants don’t need to be applied so early as they act much faster.

FAQ

What is so special about organic lawn fertilizers?

The big difference between organic fertilizer and regular chemical fertilizer is that the organic variant doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals or toxins. It’s nothing but pure plant nutrients, meaning it’s totally safe for your family, your kids, and your pets. Since it’s so safe, you don’t need to worry about damaging your lawn by using too much or having to deal with any spillages or clean-ups. It’s also much kinder to the environment and ecosystem of your lawn, massively boosting the health and fertility of the soil. It creates the perfect conditions for your lawn to grow. In short, organic fertilizer is the ultimate option for keeping your lawn healthy and happy.

How do I know that the fertilizer works?

Quite simply, you’ll know if the fertilizer is working by the fact that grass and plants begin to grow. If life is appearing in the area where you apply the fertilizer, it’s a sure sign that the fertilizer is doing its job effectively. It enriches the soil, provides vital nutrients for countless microorganisms, and helps you lawn stay green and lush. If areas appear brown, barren, dry, and lacking in life, that’s a sign that any fertilizer in the area isn’t very effective. It’s important to remember, however, that dry mix organic fertilizers can take some time to be absorbed into the soil and start having an effect.

Can I apply fertilizer already on the seeds?

It’s not recommended to apply fertilizers directly to lawn seeds. This is true of organic fertilizers too. Even though they’re free of chemicals, they can still pose a risk to a fragile little seed. Applying fertilizer direct to the seed can cause burning and prevent the seed from ever sprouting. Instead, the best thing to do is to apply fertilizer shortly before planting your seeds. This gives the fertilizer time to start breaking down and nourishing the soil, providing the perfect foundation for the seeds to start growing when they’re planted.

Our verdict

Overall our top rated organic lawn fertilizer is the Advanced 16-4-8 Balanced NPK- Lawn Food Natural Liquid Fertilizer. Blended just right to provide optimal results when applied to your lawn, this liquid fertilizer is easy to apply and convenient to use.

The next best organic lawn fertilizer is the Safer Brand Ringer Lawn Restore. Free of any nasty odors and made up of nothing but pure plant materials, this fertilizer can really enhance the look and health of your lawn in a matter of days.

Our third favorite organic lawn fertilizer is the Super Juice All in One Soluble Supplement Lawn Fertilizer. If you have a lot of lawn, this is the perfect product for you as a single bag can be used to treat more than two acres of land.

References

1.
The Benefits of Using Liquid Fertilizer on Your Lawn - LawnStar
Liquid lawn fertilizers have spiked in popularity. We dive into what liquid fertilizer is, its benefits, and how to decide if it’s the right option for you.
9,8
Total Score
Advanced 16-4-8 Balanced NPK- Lawn Food Natural Liquid Fertilizer - Editor’s Choice
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