‘Lawn food’ and ‘lawn fertiliser’ are two terms that are often used synonymously, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are the same thing.
To be able to answer the question ‘are lawn food and lawn fertiliser the same thing?’, we need to get a more accurate understanding of what they actually are and what defines them.
So, without further ado, let’s get into it!
What is lawn fertiliser?
Lawn fertiliser is commonly thought of as food for plants, but that isn't the case. Fertilisers are used to enrich soil, supplying it directly with nutrients it needs to thrive. Fertiliser is an artificial blend that usually contain the three primary nutrients plants need to make food for themselves, N-P-K (that’s nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, for those of us who aren’t quite up to scratch on their periodic table abbreviations).
Fertilisers work by enriching the plant soil, and the plants use the nutrients found in said soil (combined with elements from their natural environment) to create their own food. Fertilisers can come in liquid or granule form; both forms of fertiliser contains the chemical elements needed to help plants make food for themselves.
What is lawn food?
When people hear the words ‘lawn food’ they often think of a formula that is applied to the plant to help it grow like fertiliser, but that isn’t the case.
Plants make their own food, but they need a sufficient amount of nutrients to be able to do that, which is where lawn fertiliser comes in. Fertiliser gives the plant nutrients it needs to create its own food, from combining said nutrients with sunlight, carbon dioxide, and other natural elements.
Technically, plant ‘food’ can only be made by the plant itself. Fertilisers are made to help give the plant the nutrients it needs to make food, but isn’t a food source itself.
Fertilisers are often known as ‘feeds’ because they are feeding nutrients to the plant soil, but the plant doesn’t ‘eat’ the fertiliser itself – it uses complex chemical processes to turn these nutrients (and other naturally occurring elements) into food.
So, to answer the question ‘is lawn feed the same as fertiliser?’, no, it isn’t. Even though ‘lawn feed’ is a word that’s commonly used to describe a fertiliser, it is not technically plant food, as that is something that can only be made by the plant itself. Plant food occurs naturally. Since plants make their own food, it is commercially unavailable.
Even though you are not technically “feeding” the fertiliser to your lawn, it’s a close enough process that it has become common place to use these words to describe fertiliser and the fertilisation process. Whilst fertiliser isn’t technically plant food because of all of the reasons listed above, it is commonly referred to as plant feed, and no one is likely to misunderstand you if you refer to it as such.
Lawn fertilisation is a more complex process than you might think, with different fertilisation formulas required for different times of year, and incorrect fertiliser application resulting in scorching and turf damage.
Lawn & Weed Expert provide a premium quality fertiliser that is specially formulated to give your lawn all the nutrients it needs to grow strong. If your plants are in need of some feeding, why not take a look at our first-class fertilisation services?
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If you’re unsure what lawn treatments will best benefit your lawn, why not request a FREE survey from Lawn & Weed Expert today? Our lawn care professionals will survey your lawn and let you know which of our treatments will best benefit you, and give you a no-nonsense quote letting you know how much you can expect to pay.
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Read More: Lawn Fertiliser Burn: Why It Happens & How to Prevent It
