Research conducted at the University of Minnesota demonstrated that well-maintained, properly fertilized lawns are actually better for the environment than non-fertilized lawns. The resulting healthy root systems do a better job of holding soil in place than root systems of non-fertilized lawns. Unfertilized lawns lose density, leading to erosion and increased phosphorus runoff.
Another study conducted by the University of Wisconsin–Madison, concluded that there were less nitrogen and phosphorus in the runoff water collected from Kentucky bluegrass fertilized with Milorganite and synthetic fertilizer compared to turf that wasn’t fertilized at all.
