Last updated on October 23rd, 2023 at 08:52 pm
For fertilizing the lawn there are various means and options. Again and again in the conversation comes blue grain. With this is supposed to achieve a particularly good effect. But is the Blaukorn really so well suited and can it become a better alternative for you than other lawn fertilizers?
Here is a guide to help you decide whether you should also use blue grain for your lawn in the future.
Contents
What is the blue grain lawn fertilizer
If you look at the fertilizer then of course the blue color immediately catches the eye. The blue color is supposed to help birds do not recognize the fertilizer and thus do not try to pick from the lawn. Thus, the fertilizer remains in the lawn for a longer time and can be absorbed by the soil.
The blue grain is available both as granules and as a liquid variant. The blue color is very striking, especially with the granules used. However, you should not confuse the fertilizer with a very similar means, the slug pellet.
The blue grain is a chemical fertilizer. Natural ingredients are absent here. For this reason, there are controversial opinions about the quality of the fertilizer and whether it should be used in the lawn.
However, the effect of blue corn is clear. For this is not long in coming. Once the agent is distributed in the lawn, an effect can be observed after a short time. The plants get a kind of kick start and sprout within the next two weeks.
In most cases, the components of the fertilizer are nitrogen, phosphate and potassium. The chemical abbreviation can be found on most packaging along with the proportion of the corresponding ingredients.
Care must be taken when using the fertilizer above all that no overfertilization takes place. Because it can come fast with a wrong dosage to the fact that the soil was over-fertilized.
How to dose the fertilizer correctly
Before using the blue grain must be ensured that the soil is dry. Only when the soil is dry, the fertilizer can develop its optimal effect.
The right time to apply the blue grain is in the spring months of March and April. At the beginning of the gardening season, blue grain can help support the lawn and provide better health.
In the lawn, a few pellets are usually enough to achieve the desired effect. Thus, the lawn should not be covered extensively with the beads, but still have some free gaps. However, you should always refer to the specific product for more detailed information on dosage. Likewise, a soil analysis can help to assess how much fertilizer is needed.
After applying the blue corn, the lawn should be watered. This will allow the fertilizer to be well absorbed into the soil. It should be noted, however, that after the application of blue corn, the lawn must be mowed more often. This is because the application noticeably accelerates growth.
Avoid subsequent fertilizing
After about two weeks, the lawn should grow in height and the fertilizer has done its job. The growth of the lawn decreases and now the thought could arise that a renewed fertilizing with the blue grain could again lead to a positive growth effect.
But extreme caution is required here. The turbo boost for the lawn should only be carried out once. An overdosage can lead above all to a high load for the groundwater.
Harmful substances can be produced here, which are absorbed by humans via the drinking water. If you still want to trigger a new growth spurt, then you should do this at the earliest six weeks before the first giving of the blue corn. If you are too impatient, the risk is high that the roots of the lawn will die and an opposite effect will be achieved.
Continue with organic fertilizer
A better alternative than trying to trigger further growth with the blue grain is the administration of organic fertilizer. For a one-time boost, the blue grain is ideal. For a permanent fertilization, however, an organic fertilizer is more suitable.
The organic fertilizer has the advantage that it has a long-lasting effect and does not put a great strain on the soil. So, if the blue grain has been completely absorbed by the soil after a few weeks, you can use the following natural fertilizers.
- Mature compost
- Horn meal
- Soybean meal
- Plant yeast
With the combination of the blue grain and the organic fertilizer, you can best combine the effects of both means. With the help of the chemical fertilizer you can get a very good start and drive the growth in the initial phase, and for long-term health serves the organic fertilizer.
Overdosing should also be avoided with organic fertilizer. Although the risk here is much lower, but still should not be applied more than 3 liters per square meter. Otherwise, the roots can be attacked.
Advantages and disadvantages of blue grain
Blue grain is still controversial among many gardeners and although it has its justification and the effect is proven, it has a controversial reputation. Are you also still not sure whether to use the blue grain, then you should compare these advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages
The blue grain is relatively inexpensive to obtain. Compared to other fertilizers, the application is very simple and due to the high effect, you hardly need to use any of the agent. Thus, the contents of the package can be used for very large areas or can still be used in the next season.
Furthermore, of course, the effect is one of the great advantages. Due to the combination of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium, the lawn is very thoroughly supplied. The effect thereby surpasses any natural fertilizer and if you want to achieve a quick effect, then blue grain is the most effective means.
Another side effect of the nutrient supply is the positive impact on certain lawn diseases. For example, you can repress clover in the lawn and the lawn becomes more resistant.
Disadvantages
A danger when applying the blue grain is that overfertilization can occur. Here, you should rather use the blue grain sparingly and not put too much into the soil. Otherwise, the penetration into the groundwater may cause harmful substances that can be absorbed by humans through drinking water.
To avoid this, it is safer if the application is done with a spreader. In this way, the dosage can be better controlled and the instructions of the product can be followed exactly.
Is blue grain toxic?
The blue grain is very conspicuous on the lawn and even if the blue color is supposed to be rather deterrent for birds there is of course the concern whether dogs or cats are exposed to additional dangers by this fertilizer.
The fact is that the blue grain is not suitable for consumption. It is a chemical fertilizer, which can cause irritation if consumed in excess.
Dogs or cats will rarely eat the pellets directly as they are very unappetizing, yet the cat may run over the fertilizer and lick its paws afterwards.
The larger the animal, the less the effects, but irritation of the gastrointestinal mucosa may well occur.
Therefore, to minimize the risk, the lawn should be watered after the fertilizer is dispensed. This will ensure that the beads quickly seep into the soil and do not remain on the surface in the first place.
Conclusion
Blue grain is an effective means to give the lawn an easy start. It is a chemical fertilizer which is used in spring to give strength to the new lawn.
The effect is unmistakable and already after a few days the first blades of grass sprout and the turbo effect is felt for about two weeks.
When applying the fertilizer, overdosing should be avoided. While blue grit is not a direct detriment, excessive dosing can cause pollutants to leach into groundwater.
To prevent small animals from ingesting the fertilizer, the lawn should be watered after fertilizing. In this way, the pellets disappear directly into the soil and do not pose a threat to the environment.
After fertilizing with this chemical fertilizer, an organic fertilizer should be used. The organic fertilizer has a better long-term effect and is more easily absorbed by the soil.