Adding fertilizer to your lawn is an important step in keeping it green and healthy. But what’s more important is knowing how much to put down on the lawn. Too much fertilizer can burn your lawn (and your wallet). Too little won’t give the grass the nutrients it needs to grow.
The amount of fertilizer you need to apply is dependent on the size of your lawn and the time of year it’s applied. In general, and according to Cornell University, you should aim to apply no more than 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn. Nitrogen is the most important nutrient for grass growth so it’s important to make sure you apply enough of it.
Determine How Much Fertilizer To Put Down On The Lawn
- Look at the label on the bag. For example, Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Food contains an NPK analysis of 32-0-4. The first number is the percentage of nitrogen (N) in the bag, in this case 32%. The second number is the percentage of Phosphorus (P) 0% while the third is Potassium (K) 4%.
- Look at the bag coverage and weight. In our example, the bag weighs 12.5 pounds and covers 5,000 square feet.
- Divide the pounds by the square footage: 12.5 / 5 = 2.5. This is what is referred to as the bag rate. Regardless of spreader setting, 2.5 pounds of fertilizer must be evenly applied per 1000 square feet for this particular fertilizer. A very useful tool to help weigh the fertilizer is a food scale.
Determine How Much Nitrogen Is Applied To The Lawn
With the example above, we know there is 32% of nitrogen in the bag. Applying 2.5 pounds of fertilizer per 1,000 square feet will result in 0.8 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet, well within the 1 pound limit. We get 0.8 pounds of Nitrogen by taking 2.5 pounds and dividing it by 0.32 (32%).
Adjusting The Amount Of Nitrogen To Apply To The Lawn
Continuing with our Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Food example, we know that a typical application of 2.5 pounds per 1,000 square feet will give us 0.8 pounds of nitrogen. What if instead of the standard 0.8 pounds you wanted to add 1 pound of nitrogen to boost color and growth?
The quickest way to do this is to take the amount of nitrogen you want to add, so 1 pound, and dividing it by the percentage of nitrogen in the fertilizer, in this case 32 (0.32 in decimal form). So 1 divided by 0.32 is 3.1. This means that if you’re using Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Food and would like to apply 1 pound of nitrogen, you’d need to put down 3.1 pounds of fertilizer per 1,000 square feet.
When To Fertilize a Lawn
Spring and Fall are the best times to fertilize your lawn. If adding fertilizer in the Summer, be careful not to add too much of it to avoid burning your lawn. If you apply fertilizer in the summer, be ready to water it in, or time it before rain is expected. Don’t apply it on a hot day and put no more than 0.5 pounds of nitrogen down to not encourage too much top growth during this stressful time for the grass.
When applying fertilizer or any product to the lawn, it’s important to spread it evenly using a broadcast spreader such as the Scotts Edge Guard Mini Broadcast Spreader. After applying the fertilizer, water your lawn thoroughly. This will help the fertilizer dissolve and reach the roots of the grass.
By following these tips on how much fertilizer to apply to your lawn, you will help your grass grow healthy and strong.
