Fertilizer vs. Manure: What Is The Difference Between Fertilizer & Manure?

Nourishing your lawn may seem like a simple task, but truth be told your not sure where to begin. A common method you may hear of is to apply a fertilizer or manure to your turf to encourage its growth and development.

Gardeners will consider a fertilizer or manure, because these products will help to keep your plants growing as fast as possible while also creating a healthy environment against diseases such as weeds or fungi. While both products seem similar in smell, effects, and looks they both are quite different.

In this article, we will discuss what a manure or fertilizer is, the similarities or differences between the two products, the advantages and disadvantages, types, and how to choose the best product for your lawn. By learning this information it can help you improve your turf faster and create an informed decision when it comes to the types of fertilizer or manure to use for future applications.

What are Fertilizers?

Fertilizers are a formulated product that contains the nutrients necessary for plant growth. These nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, sometimes referred to as N-P-K. The levels and percentage of npk (nutrients) will always be stated on the fertilizer product and be in the order nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

It is a material made out of natural or synthetic nutrients that will help your turf to fight against diseases, pests, and weeds when applied to your soil or the surface of plants leaves. Besides fighting against diseases it will also work to improve the quality and state of your lawn.

What is a Manure?

Manure is an organic matter derived from animal droppings such as a horse, cow, sheep, or poultry, and is used to improve the current state of soil and crops. It is a cost effective fertilizer that can also be made from decaying organic matter such as plants, dead tree or grass leaves, pine needles, grass clippings, and animal bones.

When selecting a manure for your lawn, compost manure is usually the one homeowners use the most. The reason being is this type of manure is more readily available and can be made within factories more easily. 

It is not very common to find manure in fertilizer, but manure can be used as a fertilizer. Unlike fertilizers, manure is not rated with a certain level of nutrients unless it is compost.

What are the Different Types of Fertilizer?

Fertilizers come in many different forms, and each with their own benefits. Consider the following when choosing a type of fertilizer.

Granular Fertilizers- are a type of fertilize which comes as a dry pelleted form. Most gardening centers carry a variety of granular fertilizers, along with an array of formulations which are designed to address specific soil conditions. Granular fertilizers are a slow release chemical which can provide a landscape with essential nutrients over a long period of time such as between 2 to 6 months.

Liquid Fertilizers- are more synthetic in nutrients. They will immediately make your lawn green, give your plants and turf an immediate boost of nutrients, and stimulates the turf to grow faster. However, this quick release fertilizer does not last very long and soon you will be needing to make another liquid fertilizer application.

Slow Release or Controlled Release Fertilizer- Is a slow release fertilizer that expels nutrients into the soil over time based on moisture and current soil conditions. Most often, this product comes in granular fertilizers. Using a slow release fertilizer is ideal for lawns due to longer release of nutrients into the soil and less physical labor involved.

However, due to its slow release of nutrients it will take several days or weeks to see results in your turf.

Fast Release or Quick Release Fertilizer- Is a fertilizer that is more synthetic in material, but will quickly release nutrients into your turfs soil. This type of fertilizer provides fast results, but will continuously need to be reapplied to your lawn. A quick release fertilizer is ideal for upcoming celebrations, parties, or events due to faster improvements in your lawn within a short time frame.

What are the Different Types of Manure?

While manure can come from any animal or plant it has three categories it can belong to: farmyard manure, green manure, and compost manure.

Farmyard Manure- is a combination of animal feces, urine, and animal bedding (straw) used as natural fertilizer to improve the soil structure in your turf. This type of fertilizer helps the soil to retain more water and nutrients. Manure gathered from chickens, horses, cattle, and sheep all have different levels of nutrients and benefits for your turf. By increasing the soil activity and compaction it helps to provide more nutrients for plants.

Green Manure- are a specific plant or crop left to wither on the surface of the turf. This type of manure can be cut down or plowed into the earth to increase the turfs suppression of weeds and soil erosion.

Compost Manure- is a combination of animal waste, urine, and plants. Unlike farmyard manure, compost manure is formed over time by natural decomposition and chemical processes. It is put into a pile, pit, or container and decomposes from heat over time. 

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Fertilizer

One of the key benefits of using a fertilizer is the release of nutrients into your soil. Fertilizer will specifically target a select plant and work to protect and nourish it with nutrients it may be lacking at the moment.

There are different fertilizers brands to choose from, but we recommend for application in the spring our Solutions 15-5-10 Weed and Feed Fertilizer with Trimec, summer fertilizations our Solutions Pro Gro fertilizer, and for fall our Solutions 8-12-16 Fall Grow Fertilizer. If unsure, refer to the categories below to help inform your decision better.

Advantages of Using A Fertilizer:

• Stimulates plants or turf to grow faster.
• Adds additional nutrients to the soil.
• Easy application and less labor involved usually.
• Releases nutrients in time and provides nutrients to turf in correct amounts.
• Provides nutrients that turf or plants specifically needs in order to grow.

Disadvantage of Using A Fertilizer:

• Fertilizers do not provide organic material to soil.
• Types of fertilizers can release nutrients into the soil to quickly or harm beneficial insects like bees.
• Appropriate fertilizations schedules will need to be done at least three times each season per year.
• Not all fertilizers contain the same amount of nutrients.
• Excessive applications may damage certain foliage or turf.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Using A Manure

Manure is a natural fertilizer from nature that also amends the quality of soil within your lawn. The digested remains from animals or decomposed plants helps to provide a unique combination of nutrients to your turf.

Depending on the animals diet and the types of plants being fed or used (straw covered in urine) will affect your lawns care. Take a look at the advantages and disadvantages that a manure care program can bring.

Advantages of Using Manure:

• Cost efficient.
• Warms the soil surrounding the plants.
• Supplies plants with nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium naturally.
• Feeds microorganisms such as worms. Worms will naturally break down the material and convert nutrients into usable forms for plants to use.
• Easy to come by if you live on a farm or have livestock animals.

Disadvantages of Using Manure:

• Long lasting manure on turf can create diseases and pests.
• Does not have a consistent nutrient level and is random each time.
• Fresh manure may contain a strong odor.
• Manure can harm grass or turf due to unpredictable levels of nutrients.
• Creation of manure is a lengthy process and takes considerable regulation to ensure animals' waste contains the right amount of nutrients.

Differences Between Fertilizer and Manure

Knowing the differences between fertilizers and manures can help you to understand what the tendencies and features of each product are and also which one to choose.

• Manure does not always contain as many nutrients as fertilizers.
• Manure is mainly based on an animal's diet and can only be created when they lay waste. Whereas Fertilizers are made in an industrial environment.
• Manure is organic whereas fertilizers are a synthetic product.
• You will have to spend money to attain a fertilizer, but manure is almost always free. This depends on if you have easy access or ownership to livestock animal waste. For compost manure, this is more readily available in stores.
• Fresh manure can contain a strong odor and if left on turf too long it can create weeds or bacteria. While fertilizers can remain on turf and combat against various weeds, insect or disease infestations.
• Fresh manure cannot immediately be used due to high amounts of nutrients and will need to age or soak in heat before usage. Fertilizers are an easy to mix solution that can readily be applied.
• It takes longer to see effects from manure because it does not dissolve easily into turf. Fertilizers are easily consumed by the plants leaves or roots resulting in faster, healthier turf.

Which is Better A Fertilizer or Manure?

Both manures and fertilizers will feed your turf and help amend it by retaining moisture as well as providing nutrients needed for plants to survive.

While manure provides an organic matter and feeds microorganisms within your turf it can also create unwanted diseases such as weeds. Choosing the best type of manure will depend on what you can get your hands on. Whereas with fertilizers you can easily purchase it from your local store.

Determining how much manure to use is hard to predict as each waste contains different levels of nutrients, but with fertilizers you can understand how much to use based on the plant's needs or product label.

For example, if you have a plant in need of 1 pound of nitrogen you can use Solutions 15-5-10 Weed and Feed Fertilizer. Based on the NPK ratio, this fertilizer contains 15% Nitrogen, 5% Phosphorous, and 10% Potassium.

To determine how much fertilizer is needed for 1 pound of nitrogen you will divide the 1 from the level of nitrogen in the fertilizer. So, you will take the 15 (convert to decimal form) in the Solutions 15-5-10 Weed and Feed Fertilizer and divide it by 1 to determine how many pounds should be used per sq. ft. (1 / 0.15 = 6.66 lbs.). Therefore, apply 6.66 pounds of fertilizer per 1,000 sq. ft. to supply 1 pound of nitrogen (if that is the level of nutrient needed in the soil).

Fertilizers are the best option to make because you have more control over the creation, a solid understanding of the foundation of nutrients within the product, and it continues to improve the quality of turf without creating diseases.

Using a granular fertilizer is the best type of use on your lawn for it releases nutrients over time longer and will take less reapplications by you.

Key Takeaways

What is a Fertilizer and Manure?

• Manure is an organic matter made from animal waste while fertilizers are an artificial substance containing specific levels of nutrients.

What is the Best Type of Manure or Fertilizer to Use?

• Manure will depend on the animal and its diet so the ability to predict which type is the best is uncertain. The best type of fertilizer to choose would be a granular product because of its ability to slowly release nutrients over time.

How are Manure and Fertilizer Similar?

• Both manure and fertilizers work to provide the turf with nutrients needed to help them grow and thrive.

How are Manure and Fertilizer Different?

• Despite manures and fertilizers improving the appearance of turf they are in fact different from one another. A key difference with manure is the unpredictability of what the waste contains and the methods to attain it. Fertilizers are more costly than manures, but they are more easily attained and controlled.