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Originally Posted by MAXUM
I'm a little curious as to how an organic fertilizer is any better than a chemical one for waterfront property? Although the makeup may be different, the purpose is the same so would not the result be the same as well?
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A chemical fertilizer contains highly (relative term) soluble compounds. In fact, next time you see a fertilizer bag when you flip it over, you will usually see several different types of nitrogen based compounds as they offer a range of solubility. This plays into the marketing of slow-release, fast release fertilizers. If you put it down and then get heavy rains you then have run-off and the excess N-P-K eventually ends up in streams, etc.
With organic fertilizers think of them more like a compost pile. The existing soil microbes break down the fertilizer into the nutrients used by the grass plants. Think of it as eating slowly. Another bonus is that organic fertilizers secondarily serve as a soil conditioner by improving the organic matter that grass roots thrive in. You don't have to be concerned about run-off from organic fertilizers.
When you use something like soybean meal the concentration of N-P-K is many times lower than the chemical fertilizer. This is why I have to feed 5 times per year.
Not all "organic" fertilizers are given a free pass. Cow manure can contain a lot of nitrogen and whatever else left the back-end undigested and that run-off can create problems.