How Much Fertilizer Should I Use on My Lawn? - The Turfgrass Group Inc (2024)

FAQs

How much fertilizer should I put on my lawn? ›

One pound of nitrogen or mixed fertilizer is recommended per 1,000 square feet of lawn and your particular fertilizer contains 20% nitrogen.

A lawn will typically utilize 1 to 4 pounds of Nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per growing season. A 50 lb bag of fertilizer will typically cover 5,000 to 10,000 square feet.

Per-acre rates can likewise be converted to per-1,000 square feet by dividing by 43.5. 10 pounds of 10-10-10 per 1,000 square feet equals 10 x 43.5 = 435 pounds per acre.

Applying too much fertilizer to your lawn will cause the nitrogen and salt levels in the soil to increase rapidly, which can damage or even kill the grass. When this happens, it is known as “fertilizer burn” and looks like yellow and brown strips or patches of dead grass.

Ideally, you'll want to mow and rake before fertilizing, so that excess lawn waste is removed and the fertilizer will have an easier time reaching the soil. Aerating your soil before fertilizing can also help; the best times to aerate are when your grass is actively growing, such as in spring or early fall.

An excess of nitrogen, caused by fertilizer over-application, can result in rapid, lush growth and a diminished root system. In extreme cases, too much quick-release nitrogen can cause burning of the leaf tissue and plant death. 1 A lawn with a nitrogen deficiency will lose its green color and begin to turn yellow.

Covers up to 8,000 sq. ft.

Fertilizer prices remain at high levels going into the fall of 2022. Anhydrous ammonia prices continue to surpass all-time highs reached during the 2008 financial crisis.

2,000 lb./ton ÷ 238 lb. per acre = 8.4 acres per ton. Calculate the fertilizer cost per acre.

When should I apply 10 10 10 fertilizer to my lawn? ›

For 10 10 10 fertilizer, it is best to apply it in the early spring when plants are just beginning to start their most active growth phase. You can continue to apply a small amount of fertilizer during the dormant months of late fall and winter, or you can stop fertilizing for these months.

The fertilizer ratio indicates the proportion of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash in the fertilizer product, and is determined by dividing each of the three numbers in the fertilizer grade (listed on the container) by the lowest number in the grade.

It contains equal amounts of nitrogen (20%), phosphorous (20%) and potassium (20%) to provide a balanced formula for your vegetable plants. The nitrogen helps to promote vegetative growth, while the phosphorous and potassium stimulate a solid root system for your plants.

The following are the main fertilizer ratios used by gardeners: Rooting: 1-2-1. Flowering and fruiting: 1-1-2, 1-2-2, 2-1-2. All-purpose: 1-1-1.

Recognizing Over-Fertilization Lawn Symptoms

It shows up as scorched areas of the lawn (literally looked “burned”) and is typically crispy and yellow (or brown). If you've overapplied to the entire lawn it might not be enough to burn it but you might notice symptoms such as brown or yellow tips on the grass blades.

Fertilizing your lawn in the morning enables you to take advantage of cooler temperatures and morning dew to reduce the risk of burning the grass. As you spread the fertilizer and water it in, the nutrients will have the best chance of reaching the roots and being absorbed quickly.

Timing: Apply early spring lawn fertilizer once between February and April, when your grass is starting to green up and begin to actively grow (around the time your lawn first needs to be mowed).

At Master Lawn, we typically say to wait 24 hours before watering your lawn after fertilizing. But it is important to make sure that it does receive a good watering session soon after that 24 hour waiting period. Watering helps the fertilizer to activate and to break down and begin feeding nutrients to the lawn.

How do I know if my lawn needs nitrogen? ›

A full feeding is recommended at least 5-6 times per year. You want to feed your lawn when it's growing most rapidly. However, you should base the frequency on your climate and the type of grass you have. For example, cool season grasses can be fertilized in late spring, but only if necessary.

We recommend waiting 24 hours after fertilizing to water your lawn, which will give the fertilizer time to settle. After the 24 hours are up, it's important to give it a good soak—not just a quick spritz with your hose—to activate the fertilizer and help the critical nutrients absorb into the soil.

Because nitrogen in slow-release fertilizers is available over time, the product can be applied less frequently and at higher rates and is less likely to burn the lawn. You can reapply slow-release fertilizers every six to eight weeks, while a fast-release fertilizer can be reapplied every four weeks.

Best Fertilizer for Garden in the Spring

The best option for gardens in the spring you will look for a high phosphorous rate. Something like 12-55-6, 16-20-0, or even a very standard 20-20-20. Some organic fertilizers with much lower numbers may be best for a brand new garden.

This means the customer can usually trust the label to provide the appropriate rate to apply to established turf. Research suggests that healthy grass can use 0.9 lbs of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per application and that applying more than that may contribute to water degradation.

Ideal for vegetable and flower gardens, shrubs and landscape plantings. The quick release formula can be applied every 30 days through-out the growing season to provide primary nutrients to promote plant growth.

In general, lawns should be fertilized about 4 times a year with 1 lb. of nitrogen at each application. Both cool-season and warm-season grasses require 4 - 6 lbs. of actual nitrogen per year.

One 42.87 lb. bag of Scotts® Turf Builder® Weed & Feed3 covers 15,000 sq. ft.

Fall is the most important time to fertilize your lawn. Now is when roots grow. Fall is a great time to fertilize the lawn. Lawns are hungry now and they will develop most of their root systems during this season.

Why is there a fertilizer shortage 2022? ›

Currently, a combination of war-related sanctions and domestic Russian policies have limited fertilizer exports from Russia, resulting in shortages along the fertilizer supply chain and pushing the world to the brink of another crisis.

Fertilizer Conversion Table. (1) Amount of product needed to apply 1 pound of nitrogen per thousand square feet. (2) Amount of product needed to apply 43.5 pounds of nitrogen per acre.

The high nitrogen content of the complex fertiliser NPK (S) 20-5-10 (31) allows it to be used in a wide range of annual crops that have significant needs in the early stages of cultivation, such as various horticultural crops, spring cereals or woody crops in contributions to the winter output.

Best Time to Fertilize Lawn

Do not apply fertilizer on an abnormally hot day, not even in the morning. Wait until the weather cools back down to a normal temperature. You can mow anytime after fertilizing with a granular treatment. With a liquid treatment, wait a day or two.

Typically, you should only need to fertilize your grass an average of two times a year (and avoid over-fertilization). However, this all depends on the type of fertilizer you use (some last longer than others). So the key here is to decide how often you're able to fertilize and then pick a product based on that.

If you're looking for a versatile and all-inclusive fertilizer to give your lawn a healthy boost, 10-10-10 fertilizer may be just what you need. This formula is designed to deliver balanced nutrition to your lawn, with equal parts nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Studies have found that the ideal NPK fertilizer ratio of those nutrients for flowering plants is 3-1-2. (That's 3% Nitrogen, 1% phosphorus & 2% potassium.) So look for that ratio on the label of packaged fertilizers; anything close to a 3-1-2, a 6-2-4 or a 9-3-6 should be ideal.

It also means that the fertilizer has an NPK ratio of 1:1:1; that is, it contains equal amounts of the three main nutrients. Similarly, types of fertilizer with the NPK value of 24-8-16 contain 24 percent nitrogen, 8 percent phosphorus, and 16 percent potassium—that's an NPK ratio of 3:1:2.

What do the 3 numbers mean on fertilizer? ›

Understanding the Fertilizer Label

The first number is the amount of nitrogen (N), the second number is the amount of phosphate (P₂O₅) and the third number is the amount of potash (K₂O). These three numbers represent the primary nutrients (nitrogen(N) - phosphorus(P) - potassium(K)).

15-30-15 can be used to remedy phosphorus deficient soils. Plant-Prod 15-30-15 High P fertilizer is recommended at the beginning of growth, as required by many greenhouse crops, in particular by tomatoes and cucumber grown in open ground.

The Big 3—nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium—provide the foundational nutrients of today's commercial fertilizers.

Let's simplify some numbers to understand the nutrient content in a bag of, say, 100lbs of an all-purpose fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 5-5-5. This means it has 5 percent nitrogen, 5 percent phosphorus, and 5 percent potassium. Calculating the exact pounds of nutrients is super simple then.

Role of NPK

NITROGEN 30: Gives you green grass, fast! This water-ready, quick-release formula helps produce more chlorophyll for a faster, thicker, darker lawn. PHOSPHORUS 0: Phosphate-free! For reduced impact on lakes and streams. POTASSIUM 3: To help plants fight off disease and for water retention.

These numbers tell you the percentage of N, P and K in the fertilizer blend they have combined as their special product. For example, if you wanted to purchase an all purpose fertilizer with equal parts N P K, then you might choose a product that had a ratio of 4-4-4.

Recognizing Over-Fertilization Lawn Symptoms

It shows up as scorched areas of the lawn (literally looked “burned”) and is typically crispy and yellow (or brown). If you've overapplied to the entire lawn it might not be enough to burn it but you might notice symptoms such as brown or yellow tips on the grass blades.

At Master Lawn, we typically say to wait 24 hours before watering your lawn after fertilizing. But it is important to make sure that it does receive a good watering session soon after that 24 hour waiting period. Watering helps the fertilizer to activate and to break down and begin feeding nutrients to the lawn.

How often should lawn grass be fertilized? ›

A full feeding is recommended at least 5-6 times per year. You want to feed your lawn when it's growing most rapidly. However, you should base the frequency on your climate and the type of grass you have. For example, cool season grasses can be fertilized in late spring, but only if necessary.

The best overall fertilizer for grass is the Dr. Earth Super Natural Organic Fertilizer, because it includes the three main macronutrients your soil needs: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

About Fertilizer Burn in Grass

Chemical fertilizers are made up of mineral salts. When you over-fertilize, the salts build up in the soil and cause a drying effect, which can result in the grass turning yellow or brown. This process is called “fertilizer burn.”

Apply early spring lawn fertilizer once between February and April, when your grass is starting to green up and begin to actively grow (around the time your lawn first needs to be mowed).

Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium take time to absorb into your soil. Doing anything too drastic on your lawn, such as cutting your grass, will disrupt this process. We always suggest to our clients that they wait 24 to 48 hours before mowing their lawn after fertilization.

Applying too much fertilizer to your lawn can cause the nitrogen and salt levels in the soil to build up, which can damage your turf's root structure or kill the grass. The grass may look scorched, crispy yellow, or it could have browned or yellow tips.

If you have no other way to do it, you can certainly spread it by hand. Just make sure to use gloves and apply it very carefully. Walk backward, throwing fertilizer out as you go in a sweeping motion. Of course, you can use water-soluble or liquid fertilizers with a hose too.