# motor oil to fertilize a lawn **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 1, 2001, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motor-oil-to-fertilize-a-lawn/74549 "2001-08-01T22:16:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rgould\_nosc.mil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@rgould\_nosc.mil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rgould_nosc.mil)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motor-oil-to-fertilize-a-lawn/74549/1 "2001-08-01T22:16:08Z")
Can you really use old motor oil to fertilize a lawn? If yes, is there some special way to do it/mix it? ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motor-oil-to-fertilize-a-lawn/74549/2 "2001-08-01T22:17:13Z")
No, but your lawn fertilizer could, after millions of years, be refined into motor oil. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motor-oil-to-fertilize-a-lawn/74549/3 "2001-08-01T22:32:48Z")
Good God, no. And for the second part of your question, yes, but not for your lawn. [Read on here](http://www.deq.state.la.us/assistance/recycling/home/motoroil.htm). ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motor-oil-to-fertilize-a-lawn/74549/4 "2001-08-01T22:46:32Z")
Back before the EPA existed, my father used to _edge_ the yard with old motor oil. It kills grass, and I don’t think it has much nitrogen in it. I don’t see how you could use it as a fertilizer. ---
**Author:** ![demanton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@demanton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/demanton)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motor-oil-to-fertilize-a-lawn/74549/5 "2001-08-01T22:51:57Z")
This guy at a group I go to seems to think you can. But I can’t talk about it. That’s the first rule. And the second rule is that I’m not supposed to talk about it. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motor-oil-to-fertilize-a-lawn/74549/6 "2001-08-01T23:46:03Z")
If you do that your grass is gonna be brown for several years. At least mine was. ---
**Author:** ![Kalashnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kalashnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalashnikov)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motor-oil-to-fertilize-a-lawn/74549/7 "2001-08-02T02:25:36Z")
There’s a joke about Australians watering their gardens with motor oil, but it’s not meant to help the plants grow. Its meant to preserve the, er, buried treasure, shall we say? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motor-oil-to-fertilize-a-lawn/74549/8 "2001-08-02T04:03:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by demanton \* > \*\*This guy at a group I go to seems to think you can. But I can’t talk about it. That’s the first rule. And the second rule is that I’m not supposed to talk about it. \*\* C’mon Lou, let us use your basement!