Granular fertilizer can last an entire season or longer, but liquid fertilizer generally doesn’t. MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer, committed to achieving excellence through a diverse workforce and inclusive culture that encourages all people to reach their full potential. Second, it’s sometimes difficult to see where you’ve already fertilized, especially in thick grass. Granular fertilizers are slow-acting. I often get asked whether it is possible to use liquid fertilisers instead of granular fertilisers in professional lawn care. It is absorbed directly into the soil and slowly penetrates the ground below. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. Generally, liquid fertilizer costs more than granular. Liquid vs. Granular Fertilizer. On the cheaper side, these can run about $30. Liquid fertilizers have greatly increased in popularity in recent years. The granular route is also popular in areas that receive a lot of sun, or in hot climates. Here are the pros and cons of granular fertilizer. Some people believe that liquid fertilizer is better than granular, however, in reality, both fertilizers provide and contain the required nutrients for crops and plants to survive and thrive. The Weather Can Affect Application Because it comes out as a spray, high winds can impact the effectiveness of liquid fertilizers. Jim Isleib, Michigan State University Extension - Organic fertilizers need about two to six weeks to decompose but can nourish plants from three months up to 10 years. Liquid Fertilizers Golf. This way, you always know where you’ve fertilized and where you haven’t, preventing over- or under-fertilization. So, if you find a great deal on the granular fertilizer you prefer, you can buy multiple seasons’ worth and store it in your garage or shed. Add to that the potential for more frequent fertilization, and you may end up paying more each year to keep your lawn green with liquid than granular fertilizer. “The application is very easy with liquid fertilizers. Which Is Better? Granular Fertilizer VS. The advantages of granular fertilizer are that it lasts for a long time, … Differences in Summary. The Differences Between Granular and Liquid Lawn Food. Granular fertilizer These products are applied with push spreaders, hand-held ‘whirly-bird” spreaders or, the more accurate, powered spreading equipment. Granular fertilizer is incorporated into the soil or sprinkled around the base of the plant. This means there’s no guessing how much watering is enough to get the nutrients into the soil. Connect the hose to the bottle, turn the hose, and spray your yard. Almost every time, you’ll find granular fertilizer is less expensive than liquid. However, with Liquid Lawn Fertilizers, it becomes really simple to actually use the same mixture for all of your lawn. Liquid Lawn Fertilizer vs Granular Fertilizer. This week the guys dive into the advantages and disadvantages of overhead vs. drip fertilizing your vegetable plants. The granules are small pellets coated with herbicide. As liquid fertilizers spread evenly around the plants, granular fertilizers sit around the plant in bulk, damaging the plant due to … Though there are good reasons to use granular fertilizer, there are some disadvantages to using it too. Here are the most important ones. nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK). If all goes well, this can result in more profitable crop production. Granular fertilisers release their nutrients over a period of time as the granules break down into the soil. As we slowly moved over to using it, as well as granular, it was a perfect mix, but it took some time to train our staff and adjust to this new method. Both granular and liquid fertilizers have benefits that cannot be overlooked. Dry fertilizers are generally incorporated into granules. If you have a large yard, you may need a tow-behind spreader, which can cost hundreds of dollars. For a high-quality one, you could spend $60-$150. This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. Where does the new rain go? Equipment: The cost of converting equipment to handle liquid fertilizer can be an obstacle. As such instead of picking one over the other, the best option would be to use both in tandem. Where does the first 30 minutes of rain go? But if you need immediate results, you will want a liquid. Granular fertilizers are solid granules, while liquid fertilizers are made from water soluble powders or liquid concentrates that mix with water to form a liquid fertilizer solution. Granular vs Liquid. Show your Spartan pride and give the gift of delicious MSU Dairy Store cheese this holiday season! The answer to this question is yes, but there are some important factors to consider before dumping your spreaders. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Granular Fertilizer. This is practically impossible to do if you’re using granular fertilizer- you must accept a certain range of flexibility. If you opt for a hose-based spray bottle, the only tool you need is a garden hose and access to running water. Liquid lawn fertilizer delivers a quick-release of nutrients, while granular fertilizer has a slow-release of food for your plants. When farmers have access to custom blended granular fertilizer, they can fine-tune their crop fertility program and potentially improve crop production efficiency. Because of their solid form, granular fertilizers do not ensure proper nutrient distribution or ground coverage. On the other hand, dry or granular fertilizer remains active in soil from about six up to eight weeks. Plus, you’ll see your lawn regreen quicker. Dry fertilizers can be ground applied as a broadcast; applied at planting as a band, often placed 2 inches to the side and 2 inches below the seed (2-by-2 placement); or applied as sidedress and cultivated shallowly into the soil. Even with a spreader, applying a granular fertilizer evenly is difficult for a few reasons. There are plenty of benefits to using granular fertilizer. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464). While one is not necessarily better than the other, they each have their own set of advantages. Granular fertilisers are extremely popular and easy to apply. Granular fertilizers also need moisture and warm temperatures to act. Both fertiliser options, either liquid or granular, can play an important part of your lawn care routine. Because liquid fertilizers get absorbed into the soil almost immediately, the nutrients quickly make their way to the roots. Because granular fertilizer requires water to get it into the soil, there’s a possibility the nutrients won’t make it to the roots if you’re not watering enough. Here are some of the key benefits of using liquid fertilizer. Generally, liquid fertilizer costs more than granular. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Liquid fertilizers need to applied carefully in these conditions, usually in evening, to avoid burning foliage, but granular feeds do not collect on grass blades and therefore can be spread at anytime or the day or year. Though for large ones, you will need a wheeled spreader. Consistency: The nutrient content is identical in every drop of liquid fertilizer, while granulars have individual nutrient components in each granule. You need to water the grass or need rain for this fertilizer to be effective. Since Super Juice™ is a light coat of VERY FINE water soluble … First, you may need to calibrate your spreader to match the fertilizer and walk or drive at the right speed to spread it properly. The granular market knows and understands the benefits of coverage consistency and is steering research and development dollars towards homogeneous blends, Moyer said. Your lawn is dry and it starts to rain. Granular Fertilizer vs. Store the liquid fertilizer in … liquid vs dry fertilizer We are looking for a corn planter--have always used dry fertilizer in the past but are considering liquid with no-till. December 29, 2016. Nutrients in liquid fertilizers are immediately consumed by plants – the fertilizer remains in the soil for two weeks at most. Theoretically, plants can’t tell the difference between nutrients supplied by the granular and liquid fertilizers, but they both have advantages depending on the farming application. So long as you keep it dry, granular fertilizer is suitable for long-term storage. Spreading granular fertilizer requires a lot of work. Most liquid fertilizers are water soluble and can be applied using one of two methods. Before you can fully understand which type of fertiliser you should use and when, it helps to understand the differences between them. Jeffrey W. Dwyer, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI 48824. lack of nitrogen) since it takes several months for the application to break down and fully fertilize the plant. A granular fertilizer includes most solid forms, such as manure, compost, and all of the plant meals such as alfalfa meal. You can mix a liquid fertilizer with a pattern indicator dye that temporarily colors the grass in the areas you’ve fertilized. However, farmers should consider costs, ease and convenience of application, and potential plant response when making fertilizer decisions. Granular (or dry) weed control, on the other hand, looks similar to granular fertilizers. With it being so easy you use, easier to mix, and more effective at penetrating your soil without watering, liquid fertilizer is a virtual no-brainer when you’re looking to regreen your lawn or just maintain its lush appearance. There are several ways to categorize fertilizers. To effectively apply granular fertilizer, you need either a broadcast or drop spreader. Although there is no difference in the total amount of nutrients supplied by either granular or liquid fertilizer for a specified plant nutrient application, there are differences: Here is a short list of advantages of both fertilizer types. You can use the liquid fertilizer on new crops and the granular version over the course of the plant growth on account of its stable nature. Go to any home improvement or lawn and garden store and compare the price per pound of nutrients. Ease of handling and application (once set up), Easier to store (does not “settle out” over time or “salt out” in cold weather), More efficient for heavy pre-plant applications, Slow-release options (polymer-coated urea). If the winds blow too hard while applying liquid fertilizer, it can blow the product into an area you’ve already fertilized and potentially cause burning from over-fertilization. Granular vs. But when you walk into the lawn and garden center, you’re not only bombarded with dozens of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) options, but you also have those mixed with post-emergent herbicidespost-emergent herbicides and the option of granular or liquid fertilizer. By far the most significant benefit of liquid fertilizer is its ease of use. Meaning, they release nutrients at a lower rate to that of their liquid counterparts. GOT THAT PICTURE? Not only do you have to dump that heavy bag into the spreader, but you must also walk your entire yard in a precise pattern, then water the fertilizer into the soil. If you use this separated product the following season, it can lead to over- or under-concentration, causing havoc to your lawn. Below we dive deep into the granular vs. liquid fertilizer battle to see the benefits and drawbacks of each and which is better for you. One logical way to look at them is as “granulars” and “liquids.” For the purposes of this comparison, anhydrous ammonia (technically a liquid) will not be considered. Thus, there’s the risk of … Mix the solution then filter out the undissolved solids. The 4-H Name and Emblem have special protections from Congress, protected by code 18 USC 707. That depends. But it is important to understand the benefits of each, so that you can use the right one at the right time. Wait until the evening or later at night during the hottest, driest parts of our Austin summer. Here are some of the key downsides to keep in mind when using liquid fertilizers. While there are slow-release liquid fertilizers, granular fertilizer’s solid form simply has a better structure for slowly releasing nutrients into your soil. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned. Like granular fertilizer, there are many liquid fertilizer options, but they all have the same pros and cons. Check out the Agribusiness Management B.S. Liquid Fertilizer Pros Unlike liquid fertilizer, our organic granular fertilizer is kid and pet-friendly. Granular fertilizers may be what you choose if you have a large piece of property because it is less expensive. During harvest 2016, prices for all forms were more similar and only started to diverge in early December. This can lead to those valuable nutrients sitting near the soil’s surface and not doing their job effectively. While the basic nutrients in liquid lawn fertilizer are the same compared to granular fertilizer, there is one specific feature that makes the way they deliver nutrients different. You may have to fertilize more often if you opt for liquid fertilizer. program! A solution of urea [CO(NH2)2] and ammonium nitrate [NH4NO3] containing between 28 and 32 percent nitrogen (N) is the most popular fluid N fertilizer . For easy application a pump-style or backpack type sprayer … You know as well as the next superintendent, that fertilizer is critical to promote healthy, playable turf conditions. Additionally, organic granular fertilizer has low burn potential, high iron to maintain color, and full of micro-nutrient missing from most programs, including zinc, magnesium, and calcium. However, granular fertilizer is not good when trying to fix a plant deficiency (i.e. The pH of soil may also adversely influence their effectiveness. For example, if you want to fertilize and apply a pesticide or selective herbicide simultaneously, mix the products together in a spray bottle or spray backpack and scratch two items of your to-do list at once. It can’t hold any more water. They are also ideal for use at different stages of plant growth. Mar 31, 2019 Urea is a granular fertilizer and meant to be applied as a granule, not as a liquid . For container gardening, it is usually best to work a granular fertilizer into the soil when you plant it in the container. Join over 100,000 happy customers and discover how we make lawns better. Do not throw the undissolved solids away. Michigan State University Extension does not necessarily recommend one type of fertilizer over another. With carrots, minimum root disruption is advised and so I think liquid fertilizer would be a better choice. Do not foliar feed your plants during the heat of the day. They can be either ground applied or foliar applied. A liquid fertilizer is any fertilizer that is sold as a liquid. Good examples include fish fertilizer, kelp fertilizer and extracted compost teas. In terms of price comparison, granular urea cost 9% more than anhydrous ammonia and 6.5% more than liquid UAN in early February, according to Pro Farmer Inputs Monitor. Granular Fertilisers. Liquid fertilizer Unlike granular, liquid fertilizer is a homogeneous blend — every drop contains the desired mixture. Here is a short list of advantages of both fertilizer types. However, they all have one thing in common: they’re solid chunks of product you spread around your yard and water into the soil. What Fertilizer Is Best For Your Lawn? Because it comes out as a spray, high winds can impact the effectiveness of liquid fertilizers. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. 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