Cheap & Safe Homemade Lawn Food

5 Materials
$2
10 Minutes
Easy

I am excited to share this post with you today! This is a cheap, easy and very effective homemade lawn food that you can use in place of fertilizer.


One of our most viewed posts last year was this homemade plant food recipe (click the blog post for link).


What readers enjoyed most, was the science backed aspect of how it worked!


I love hearing all of your success stories on it too! In fact, my father in law uses this exclusively in his garden now.


First, let’s talk about this recipe, then we will share with you the amazing chemistry behind why this works so well! And if the ingredients seem crazy to you, don't worry! We explain everything in detail! We have also talked with lawn care professionals to make sure you are getting the best solutions.

We have tested this for a long time and consulted with yard professionals on the benefits of each ingredient, so you are getting a great DIY solution.


*****UPDATE:: I have had some readers tell me this looks like Jerry Bakers Formula. I have never heard of him, so I searched for his lawn food to see what he has. It is VERY similar to his with some minor differences. I use club soda and epsom salt, his contained corn syrup and some other different things. The only one I have used is this one below. I learned part of this recipe in college from our textbook. I have since changed up a few things to make to better for the grass. Thanks to all my wonderful readers for letting me know about Jerry Baker, so I can make sure to check out his posts!*****


Ingredients:

  • 1 bottle of beer (it can be anything you have!)
  • 1 cup mild baby shampoo (click link to see the type we use, NOT an anti-bacterial type)
  • 1 cup club soda (any type you have or find for cheap)
  • ¼ cup Epsom (NOT scented)
  • 1 cup household ammonia (same as ammonium hydroxide, click link to see details)
  • Hose sprayer with settings (see the best one in the link)


Directions:


Check out this video on putting it all together!


  1. First, combine ingredients into a big jug (I am using a leftover Silk almond milk bottle). Make sure it is something with a lid. For ventilation, mix this up outside or a place with air flow (like near an open window).
  2. Cap the lid, then add all the ingredients to a 32 oz sprayer hose container. ***Make sure to set it no more than 3 or 4 oz per gallon!
  3. Next, spray evenly over your lawn.


Apply every 2-3 weeks when temperatures are below 90 degrees. If you aren’t getting rain, make sure to water your lawn while using this.


Lawn Size:

This amount will cover a small yard using the hose sprayer. If you get a lot of rain or water often, you can use this to do 1/2 of your yard and make another bottle for the other half. For large yards, you will need to make a few batches.

Why this Homemade Lawn Food Recipe Works:


For the exact chemical breakdown and reasons, please click the blog post below. Here is a chart with the summary of each ingredient.

FAQs on Making this Homemade Lawn Food


You might be wondering about substitutes for ingredients, application details or more....


Here is a huge list of questions we've answered including details on comments from readers! (SCROLL to Bottom of Post)


Please read the full post to make sure you catch all the important information and questions.

Just wanted to update this post. I snapped this photo today. It has been 100 degrees most of July, we water once per week. This is the only solution I use for my lawn.

Resources for this project:
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Alexis @ Chemistry Cachet
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 36 questions
  • Gina Brewer Moore Gina Brewer Moore on Dec 29, 2020

    My front and back yard is 99% dead crabgrass from previous owners. How do I DIY it without machinery? Is there an easy way to revive?

  • Harriet Lanoue Harriet Lanoue on Jun 07, 2022

    You say half Epsom salt. Half what ? teaspoon? tablespoon ? box ?

  • Rene LaPlante Rene LaPlante on Jun 18, 2022

    It's not a question but I have used this formula and it did absolutely nothing for my lawn. why?

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