A healthy lawn requires trimming, watering and a proper schedule of fertilizing to prosper. Although several commercial fertilizers exist for lawns, these varieties are expensive and can sometimes contain harsh chemicals. Fortunately, several do-it-yourself options allow homeowners to create their own lawn fertilizer that delivers crucial nutrients to a lawn and is both natural and safe.
Kelp Meal
Although more expensive than other homemade fertilizer ingredients, kelp meal adds a number of vitamins and nutrients to the earth around your lawn as well as a potent source of potassium. Kelp itself is a sea plant that grows in dense underwater forests. The plant is harvested not only for use as fertilizer, but also as a food stuff and as a base for human vitamin and mineral supplements. Kelp meal is made by taking the whole plant and grinding it into intermediate- to fine-sized particles. These particles are then spread evenly over the land being fertilized, just as normal fertilizer is spread.
Bone Meal
Although homemade fertilizers such as kelp meal can be expensive, others such as bone meal can be made from waste in your own home. Bone meal is, simply put, ground up bone and marrow. Bone is a good source of phosphorous and can provide calcium and other nutrients that reduce the ambient acidity of a soil as well as strengthen and fortify crops. Make bone meal by grinding bones into a fine powder with a mortar and pestle. If your home doesn't produce much bone waste from meat products, try contacting a local butcher or the meat department of a supermarket. These places may sell bones at a low price rather than simply throw them out.
Seed Meal
Seed meal is a byproduct of the manufacturing of cooking oils and, in some cases, cosmetics. The seeds used for these purposes are pressed, pushing out their oils and leaving behind the empty shells. Fortunately, the empty shell in this case is rich in nitrogen, which grasses require to grow. Cotton, soybean, sunflower and flax are all used to make cooking oils and can all be used as seed meal. Prepare seed meal by grinding down the seed shells until they are a fine, soil-like powder. Seed meal also reduces the acidity of soil.
Lime
If your home is near a natural source of lime or gypsum, grind it up with a mortar and pestle and spread it on the lawn to reduce acidity and create a friendlier environment for your grass to grow in. Although dangerous at high levels, when used properly, these stones infuse the soil and the lawn with calcium and allow other fertilizers to work more effectively.
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