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Sugar for lawn


Sugar As a Lawn Fertilizer | Home Guides

By Danielle Smyth Updated May 31, 2022

If you're looking to substitute harsh chemicals in your yard with natural solutions, then sugar can be a beneficial ingredient. Many people don't realize that you can use sugar for lawn fertilizer instead of more harmful elements, which is especially helpful because it's also much more affordable. If you want to try watering plants with sugar water, experimenting isn't the way to go. Places like Midwestern Bio Ag provide guidelines you can follow to use sugar as an effective soil amendment.

Sugar as a Soil Amendment

Does sugar kill weeds? It doesn't kill them directly, but it can aid your grass in overtaking invasive plants and eliminating them from your lawn. Can sugar be used as plant food? It isn't food per se since plants don't use it directly for energy. However, it promotes vigorous root growth and helps provide ideal growing conditions.

Sugar water on lawns is effective because it forces grass roots to reach down further into the soil to find the essential nitrogen they need. By encouraging this kind of root growth, the grass will choke any weeds in its vicinity. It also causes the grass to gobble up all available nitrogen, leaving none for weeds.

Store-bought lawn fertilizer is usually rich in nitrogen, which makes sense because grass needs plenty. However, it also contains a lot of salt, which is bad for the roots. Sugar forces the grass to work harder for what it needs, but that leads to more robust root growth over time.

How to Use Sugar for Lawn Fertilizer or Plant Fertilizer

It's effortless to use sugar or sugar water on lawns. The simplest method is to sprinkle a small amount of white granulated or powdered sugar evenly over the entire yard and then lightly water it immediately afterward. You may even want to make it a two-person job by having one person apply the sugar while another person waters the lawn.

Always ensure that the sugar is well-coated in water so that it absorbs directly into the soil. Otherwise, it will crystallize on the leaves and attract insects and other animals. These critters may then eat the grass to ingest the sugar, causing more harm to your lawn than good.

Can brown sugar be used as fertilizer? Brown sugar is just as effective from a scientific point of view, but practically, it tends to clump and won't absorb into the soil, so it isn't a great choice. You can use a mixture of water and molasses, though. Combine 1 3/4 cups of molasses with 10 gallons of water and apply it lightly to the lawn. You can water with plain water afterward, but it isn't required.

Other Natural Fertilizers

According to Balcony Garden Web, there are plenty of alternatives to use as a lawn fertilizer instead of harsh, store-bought mixtures. Many of them work similarly to sugar, such as sugary, nondiet soda or even beer. Beer contains not only a lot of sugar but also has bacteria that promote a healthy growing biome for the grass.

Epsom salts are also effective for grass growth. You can use a combination of Epsom salt and sugar for lawns since the salts have tons of magnesium, which aids in photosynthesis. The sugar promotes solid roots, and the salts help the growth of lush greenery.

Soap (not anti-bacterial) or baby shampoo helps the ground absorb more healthy nutrients that the grass needs. Peppermint essential oil or even mouthwash can be used as an effective, harmless pesticide because most insects hate the smell of mint. You should remember that most of these products must be diluted in water when applied to the ground.

References

Writer Bio

Danielle Smyth is a writer and content marketer from upstate New York. She holds a Master of Science in Publishing from Pace University. She owns her own content marketing agency, Wordsmyth Creative Content Marketing, and she enjoys writing home and DIY articles and blogs for clients in a variety of related industries. She also runs her own lifestyle blog, Sweet Frivolity.

to make grass greener and weed-free |

(Image credit: GettyImages)

It might surprise you to know that there are a host of benefits to putting sugar on the lawn: it can break down thatch and has enriching qualities that lessen the threat of weeds. 

Better still, sugar is natural, affordable, and accessible, so it’s unsurprising that many gardeners use it alongside planting grass seed to make grass greener and thicker. 

However, gardening experts do urge us to use this unconventional garden idea sparingly. 

Here’s what you need to know before you bring this pantry staple out of your kitchen and into your yard. 

Benefits of putting sugar on the your lawn – according to experts 

(Image credit: GettyImages)

Whether you’re looking for ways to get rid of weeds using an organic product – or you want to boost your lawn’s health, putting sugar on the lawn could be the solution you seek.

1. Weed prevention

Lindsey Hyland, the Founder of Urban Organic Yield , explains that the biggest benefit to using sugar on the lawn is getting rid of weeds. ‘Weeds tend to thrive in environments with access to sunlight and moisture, and by using sugar on your lawn, you can make it less hospitable for these weeds,’ she says. 

And Lindsey is not exclusive in her observation. Bill Glaser, CEO of Outstanding Foods plant-based food company, similarly recommends putting sugar on the lawn to limit weed growth. He explains that while sugar doesn’t kill weeds directly, it does encourage microbe development that enriches the soil. ‘This allows the grass to overtake invasive plant species,’ he explains. 

2. Improve lawn health 

The best garden landscaping ideas begin with healthy, green grass – and you can improve its condition with sugar. 

‘Sugar will help break down thatch, the layer of dead grass, and other organic material that can accumulate on your lawn over time, Lindsey says. ‘This thatch can make it difficult for new grass to grow, but using sugar on your lawn can help break it down and improve the health of your lawn.’

However, while sugar can help your lawn, Bill urges you to use the substance in moderation. ‘Only use a sugar solution about once a month; some sources suggest replacing harsh fertilizers with rice water for more consistent application,’ he says. 

Is sugar good for your grass? 

Putting sugar o the lawn has its benefits, but Tom Monson, the Owner of Monson Lawn & Landscaping , reinforces the food expert’s warning. 

‘Sugar causes the grass’s roots to intake more nitrogen from the soil, which can boost your lawn’s greenness,’ he says. But if your property is further back in the woods, the landscaper urges you to avoid sugar altogether.

‘Sugar also promotes fungal growth, so you’ll want to inspect your lawn and ensure you do not have excess fungal growth; Tom says. 

(Image credit: GettyImages)

How much sugar do I put on my lawn?

Spreading around a pound of sugar per 10. 5sq feet is enough. Use a lawn spreader to get an even spread on dry grass early in the day.

What type of sugar can I use on my lawn?

The best sugar to put on a lawn is granulated or powdered sugar, or you can use a molasses spray. 

Can I use sugar as fertilizer?

Sugar is not typically used to fertilize a lawn, but as Tom suggests, it does have the power to ensure your grass appears greener. This is because sugar is a carbon that will intake excess nitrogen and promote a better a balance in the soil. 

‘Sugar has its advantages, but we urge you to tread carefully, especially if your land is prone to fungal growth,’ adds Homes & Garden’s garden expert Rachel Crow. ‘However, when used in moderation, this ingredient can promote a greener lawn for the summer ahead'. 

Megan is the News and Trends Editor at Homes & Gardens. She first joined Future Plc as a News Writer across their interiors titles, including Livingetc and Real Homes. As the News Editor, she often focuses on emerging microtrends, sleep and wellbeing stories, and celebrity-focused pieces. Before joining Future, Megan worked as a News Explainer at The Telegraph, following her MA in International Journalism at the University of Leeds. During her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, she gained writing experience in the US while studying in New York. Megan also focused on travel writing during her time living in Paris, where she produced content for a French travel site. She currently lives in London with her antique typewriter and an expansive collection of houseplants. 

Sprinkle sugar on grass to grow juicy, soft and weed free

06/04/2020 19:17

Garden areas without a green lawn are extremely rare, so the importance of caring for such a landscape element cannot be underestimated. We will not hide the fact that maintaining a lawn in decent shape is a rather laborious and costly business, given the cost of fertilizers for it and weed killers.

Hardly anyone wants to spend too much money just to make the lawn look nice, and few will agree to keep their children off the green grass for several days after it has been treated with chemicals. It turns out that experienced gardeners know a simple, effective and completely safe way to care for the lawn and get rid of weeds. You may be surprised that regular sugar will solve all your problems.

How sugar affects a green lawn

Sugar is more than a white sweet powder that we add to tea or coffee. Its effect on weeds continues to be studied by specialists in the field of agronomy and horticulture. For those of us who want a soft and lush green lawn in our home or backyard, weeds are terrifying and seem like a never-ending battle. Unfortunately, quite often weeds win in it.

Scientists have concluded that sugar is a safe herbicide to prevent the emergence and development of weeds. Most plants thrive best in soils that are rich in nitrogen. This element is the basis for the growth of leaves and helps the absorption of nutrients by plants. It is produced during composting and decay of organic matter.

Sugar is a carbon-based nutrient that does not contain nitrogen. It limits the growth of some plants that are not suitable for a low nitrogen environment. As a rule, this is due to the fact that microorganisms are forced to obtain nitrogen from the soil. This leaves little chance for weeds to grow.

Lawn Care Sugar Benefits

Common table sugar can solve almost all your lawn grass problems due to its unique properties:

Sugar will not only significantly improve the condition of your lawn, but will also be of invaluable help as an environmentally friendly product, free from chemicals that harm soil, water and, of course, people.

Influence of microbes and insects on grass quality

Herbicides and chemical fertilizers kill not only pests, but also beneficial microbes and insects that enrich the soil. Sugar, being the simplest carbohydrate, feeds them. And they, in turn, enrich your soil by:

  1. Increasing the availability of nitrogen.
  2. Acceleration of photosynthesis.
  3. Growth stimulation and root strengthening.
  4. Soil structure improvement.
  5. Increasing the level of humus.
  6. Providing resistance to temperature changes.
  7. Fight against fungal diseases.

The vast majority of lawn grasses thrive in nutrient-rich soils, but weeds prefer poor soil. They can crowd out unhealthy turf that is not getting enough nutrients from artificial fertilizing.

How to apply sugar to the lawn?

If you have a manual lawn spreader in your arsenal, you can use it to spread the sugar. It is very comfortable. However, if you do not have such a device, do not despair. One of the advantages of using sugar in lawn care is that the treatment can be carried out with the help of improvised means.

Manual spreading of sugar

Many gardeners use an old wide-mouth juice bag for this purpose: they simply walk across the lawn and spread the sugar. To process 100 square meters of lawn, you will need about 2.5 kg of sugar. Even if you get a little more white powder on your lawn, don't worry, it won't burn the grass or ruin the soil, unlike most powerful chemicals.

If your lawn has been damaged by years of chemical treatments, it will take time for the artificial fertilizer to leach out of the soil and even longer for the beneficial microbes that have been expelled from the soil to repopulate. That is why in the first year it is recommended to apply sugar several times.

Once your lawn has recovered to a luscious and silky green grass, you can spray the sugar twice a year, in spring and autumn. Moisten the lawn well after each application of the sweet powder.

To keep your lawn healthy, beautiful and weed free at the same time, stop using chemicals and start using sugar. Eat less of it, better feed it to your green lawn.

FERTILIZER FOR THE LAWN - JSC Fertika

Despite the variety of varieties of lawn grass, all plants need basic nutrients - nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium. Even if the soil is initially of high quality, it still depletes over time and requires a new portion of fertilizer.

Fertilizers are divided into two types:

Organic - this is manure, humus, etc.

Minerals are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium.

Organic fertilizers are not suitable for the lawn, as manure or humus contributes to the infestation of the lawn with white mold and the formation of fungi.

Mineral fertilizers are much more effective and, thanks to modern technologies, are as safe as possible for the lawn.

The following elements are needed to nourish the lawn flora:

  1. NITROGEN is the main component that gives color and beauty, as well as enhancing the growth and density of the lawn. Fertilizers containing the maximum amount of nitrogen in their composition are ideal for fertilizing ornamental lawns.

  2. PHOSPHORUS - contributes to the accumulation of micronutrients and is responsible for metabolism. POTASSIUM - ensures optimal water-salt balance. Potassium makes your lawn more resistant to weather and winter frosts.

  3. CALCIUM - the main building component for cell walls. Low calcium levels weaken cell walls. With a lack of calcium, pale greens and slow uneven growth are observed.

  4. SULFUR is an essential element for lawn growth. Low sulfur levels cause chlorosis of young leaves.

  5. COPPER - activates enzymes that are responsible for plant growth and are important in the process of respiration. Copper is also involved in the formation of chlorophyll.

  6. IRON - affects the energy of respiration and, at the same time, the production of enzymes that are a catalyst for both growth and division of plant cells. Low levels of iron in the soil lead to leaf chlorosis.

  7. ZINC - participates in the synthesis of chlorophyll and regulates the consumption of sugar. A high level of phosphate in the soil slows down the uptake of zinc. With a lack of zinc, the leaves will wither.

  8. MANGANESE is a very important trace element involved in the synthesis of chlorophyll, regulates the metabolism of hydrates, activates the growth of enzymes. The deficiency usually manifests itself in young plants in the form of chlorosis.

Fertik created the ideal mineral granular lawn fertilizer - Fertik Lawn Spring-Summer . It contains all the above listed minerals in perfect proportion. Fertilizer consists of small granules that need to be evenly scattered over the surface of the lawn.

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