Fertilisers Damaging The Environment

Fertiliser damage to the environment is often reported in the media when things go wrong, and many people around the country also witness the problems which occur when fertilisers leach into the environment in large quantities. This damage is most often seen when rivers, creeks and other waterways become choked with algal blooms, with a resultant pungent smell which emerges when this occurs.

It’s hard to argue with these facts, because they are all true, but does this mean we need to stop the use of fertilisers ourselves in our own home lawns and gardens?

How Fertilisers Cause Damage To The Environment

Phosphate is a major nutrient required by all plants to survive and to thrive. Because of it’s prominent importance in root growth, phosphate will be present in almost all fertilisers. So we simply cannot go without it all together when caring for our lawns and expecting the best results from our grasses. Phosphate is also the biggest promoter of algal growth in waterways when the nutrient leaches away from properties and into the water systems.

The damage caused to the environment is overwhelmingly caused by the agricultural use of fertilisers. Which is not surprising when more and more people need to be fed from the same agricultural land. In this sense, fertiliser use is not up for debate as it is an absolute necessity to achieve our food requirements. The agricultural industry is well aware of all of these factors and endeavours to improve their systems as often as possible.

But what about us, what about our own lawns and gardens?

Responsible Use Of Fertilisers

Domestic use of fertilisers also adds to the damage caused to the environment if only in a reduced way. But this does not need to be the case, we can all improve our use of fertilisers to not only stop adding to the environmental problems associated with their use, but to also contribute to the environment in a positive way.

The damage to the environment is caused when fertilisers are used wrongly, and excess amounts of fertiliser are not used by our lawns and plants, and are instead partially washed away off our properties and into the open environment.

Fertilisers are essential to creating a beautiful lawn and garden, they are the food needed for the very survival as well as flourishment of our lawns. The good news is that we do not need to go without using them in order to be environmentally responsible, we just need to use them properly. It’s only when they are used wrongly that they cause damage.

Environmental Benefits Of Lawn Fertilisers

And so what are the environmentally friendly aspects of using lawn fertilisers? Quite simply, they promote good lawn health, and a healthy lawn always gives more to the environment than it ever takes to maintain them. Lawns purify massive quantities of our air, convert gasses into oxygen, cool homes to reduce the need of air-conditioners, provide play areas for children, and relaxation areas for adults, and the list continues. All these benefits before we even begin to discuss the beauty and function that a beautiful lawn brings to a home.

Environmentally Friendly Use Of Lawn Fertilisers

To learn how to use lawn fertilisers without damaging the environment, please continue to read our next article on the topic, Environmentally Friendly Use Of Lawn Fertilisers.

Understand Lawn Fertilisers

Understanding how to use fertilisers properly will be of the greatest possible benefit to not only create a beautiful lawn, but to help the environment in the process. The basic principles of fertilisers are quite simple to understand, and taking a few minutes to understand these principles will last a lifetime of beautiful homes and lawns, and a clean and responsible conscience when it comes to our own footprint on the environment.