Granular vs. Liquid Organic Lawn Fertilizer in North Texas: Which Should You Use (and When)?

Service areas: Arlington, Bedford, Colleyville, Coppell, Euless, Flower Mound, Grapevine, Keller, Hurst, Irving, Roanoke, Richland Hills, Southlake, Trophy Club.

Quick answer: Granular and liquid organic fertilizers aren’t “either/or.” They complement each other—granular for convenient, steady feeding and liquids for faster uptake (especially helpful for new lawns).

Introduction

Whether you’re a DIY gardener learning lawn care basics—or a homeowner who wants to better understand what your landscape maintenance service is doing—it's helpful to know a few fundamentals about lawn fertilization.

All lawns need regular fertilization. But how and when to fertilize is partly science, partly timing, and partly personal preference.

There are two main ways to apply fertilizer:

(1) apply a dry, granular product (usually with a standard fertilizer spreader), or

(2) spray a liquid directly on the turf.

This article compares the pros and cons of each approach. But first, it’s important to consider whether you’re following an organic program or using chemical products.

Embrace Organic Lawn Care First

Properly maintained organic lawns are healthier than chemically treated ones.

It’s really simple: the best path to a beautiful lawn for North Texas residents is to follow an organic lawn care program.

Organic landscapes are healthier than those treated with chemical products because harsh chemicals can disrupt the billions of microorganisms in your soil that help keep problems in check. Chemical fertilizers can also “force-feed” plants by dumping concentrated nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium along with salts that can stress soil life.

Organic fertilizers—whether liquid or dry granules—work differently by enriching your soil. They feed the microorganisms in the earth, helping create a healthier ecosystem where plants can absorb moisture and nutrients more efficiently and better resist pests and disease.

Organic lawn care methods can help you:

• Reduce the need for fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides

• Save water by improving moisture retention

• Support stronger plant resilience against pests and disease

• Enjoy thicker turf growth that helps choke out weeds

• Deter fire ants

• Create a safer environment for your family and pets

Maintaining this balanced soil ecosystem starts with regular fertilizing. If you’ve recently switched from a chemical program, you may need to fertilize more often at first—but once soil health improves, your lawn typically requires less input over time.

Granular Vs. Liquid Organic Fertilizers

Granular fertilizer is easy to apply evenly with a push spreader—great for larger lawns.

So what’s the difference between granular fertilizers and liquids—and which should you choose?

Rather than one being “better,” it’s more accurate to think of them as complementary. You may prefer granular fertilizer in some situations, liquid in others, and sometimes a combination of both.

Ease of Use

Granular (dry) fertilizer is often the go-to choice for DIY homeowners because it’s convenient:

• Easy to apply with a standard push spreader

• Quick coverage for large areas

• Granules remain visible, making it easier to apply evenly

Organic granular fertilizers are generally gentler than chemical products and won’t burn plants the way chemical fertilizers can. Granules also don’t require immediate watering the way chemical fertilizers do—they can wait for a rain event or scheduled irrigation.

Liquid fertilizers offer the advantage of speed. They can be sprayed on foliage or used to drench the soil, and plants can absorb nutrients more quickly for faster results. Liquids are especially beneficial for new lawns where roots are not well established.

Liquid fertilizers can be sprayed for faster uptake—especially helpful for new lawns.

Many gardeners like to apply both a dry and a liquid product to maximize benefits. The two can be applied simultaneously or in an alternating pattern. Liquid fertilizers usually come as a concentrate and are diluted with water using either a tank sprayer or a hose-end sprayer.

Soil Enhancement

Granular fertilizers provide a slow, steady release of nutrients and contribute organic matter that can improve soil consistency.

Liquid fertilizers can also enhance soil by providing bio-stimulants that help make nutrients more available to plants.

When to Fertilize Your Lawn

We recommend fertilizing two to four times per year with a high-quality granular organic fertilizer, such as Texas Tee. Texas Tee is made with feather meal, alfalfa meal, organic composted chicken litter, molasses, humates, and potash. (See Marshall Grain’s Lawn Care Schedule below.)

Other excellent choices include MicroLife Multi-Purpose 6-2-4, Nature’s Creation 4-2-2 poultry-litter formula, and—if you dislike the smell of poultry litter—Nature’s Creation 6-1-2 alfalfa-based fertilizer.

Texas Tee is our most popular organic lawn fertilizer.

Other excellent choices are MicroLife Multi-Purpose 6-2-4, Nature's Creation 4-2-2 poultry-litter formula, and for those who dislike the smell of poultry litter, Nature's Creation 6-1-2 alfalfa-based fertilizer.

Marshall Grain Organic Lawn Care Suggested Schedule

Stop using chemical fertilizers.

Fertilize with organic fertilizers and amend your soil with humates, lava sand, compost, green sand or Azomite, and worm castings.

Common Lawn Problems & Solutions

• Weeds — Apply corn gluten meal as a pre-emergent in fall and spring. Make your turf thick enough to keep weeds out. Improve the quality of your soil.

• Shade — Thin your trees. Switch to a more shade-tolerant grass.

• Too much or too little water — Adjust your sprinkler system for uniform coverage. Smooth out low spots that hold water. Let your turf dry out between waterings; water deeply when you water.

• Fungus — Apply biological anti-fungals. Stop using chemical fertilizers and fungicides. Water only in early mornings.

• Chinch bugs — Apply an organic insect killer (such as Perma-Guard) at the first sign of chinch bugs.

• Grass mites — Change to a different turf type.

• Grubs — Inoculate your soil with beneficial nematodes.

Application Schedule

February — Corn Gluten Meal

March — Organic fertilizer / lava sand / nematodes

April — Liquid organic fertilizer

July — Humates

September — Corn Gluten Meal / liquid organic fertilizer

October — Organic fertilizer

Let Us Do It For You

Maintaining your lawn yourself can be difficult, so why not let Marshall Grain do it for you? We offer organic lawn and landscape maintenance services and can tailor a custom program based on your budget and your needs. Regular maintenance programs start at around $800 per year (in 2025).

Visit us in Colleyville.