5 Best Lawn Fertilizers for Spring

If you apply the proper lawn fertilizer, grass may grow quicker and healthier than ever before. You’ve come to the perfect spot if you’re not sure which fertilizer is suitable for you.

A proper fertilizer offers the minerals, nutrients, and vitamins that your grass and plants need to grow. A fertilizer performs the same function for your lawn as multivitamins do for individuals. To keep your body healthy, you take a multivitamin if you don’t receive enough of certain nutrients. The same may be said about fertilizer and your lawn.

It will assist you in determining if the quantity of some nutrients in your soil is deficient, which will guide your buying choices since you will want to purchase a fertilizer that is high in those nutrients. It will also inform you how much fertilizer you need to purchase.

The product reviews, the buying guide and comparison – this guide aims to help you choose the best lawn fertilizers in the U.S. market. 

Scotts Turf Builder Starter Food for New Grass – the best for grass safety!

Scotts Turf Builder Starter Food is a fertilizer that aids in the rooting and growth of new grass. It thickens and speeds up the growth of new grass by 70% and 35%, respectively. It also protects the grass from many bacteria and diseases.

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Read the instructions and/or do some research about the product before using it. If you don’t want a two-toned lawn, don’t spread it by hand.

The lawn food is good for sandy soils and can help to grow any grass type with pet-safe nutrients.

The product is safe to use on any grass type, whether you’re planting fresh grass, reseeding an existing lawn, starting a new one, or putting sod, sprigs, or grass plugs.

Scotts Green Max Lawn Food Fertilizer – the best for the coverage area!

Scotts Green Max Lawn Food is a one-of-a-kind mixture that nourishes your lawn and gives it a rich green color in only three days.

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With this product, it is possible to cover more than 10,000 sq. ft. of your lawn or yard for roughly $45. Iron, an important micronutrient, is included in the formula, resulting in faster greening of most grass types. So, rather than being a lengthy effort, the lawn will look better than it has in years in only a few days. This product allows you to cover a larger area in less time, which means you’ll use less product and save money.

Scotts GM is a grass fertilizer that may be used on any kind of grass. It contains 5% iron to assist your grass to become darker green, as well as enough potassium and nitrogen but avoids phosphorus. When it comes to nourishing plant life, each of these nutrients has a distinct purpose. Nitrogen can strengthen every grass blade, while potassium assists to maintain the health of your lawn.

Inorganic fertilizers, such as Scotts GM Feed, have the advantage of being able to be used at any season of the year. Scotts recommends applying this fertilizer to your grass each 6 to 8 weeks, but if your grass is growing well, you can probably wait a little longer.

Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Lawn Food – the best for growing thick grass!

To achieve immediate results, combine this lawn food with Miracle-Gro Garden Feeder. Your lawn should begin to green within several days. It’s a turfgrass fertilizer with a high nitrogen content and chelated iron.

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The substance nourishes the grass blades as well as the roots. When applied as instructed, it will not burn your lawn or other plants.

When applied as instructed, it will not burn your lawn grass or other plants.
It comes in a 5-pound container that will cover around 4000 square feet of your lawn. This water-soluble fertilizer will swiftly integrate into the grass’ root system, giving you a beautiful outcome in only a few days.

If you use this fertilizer once a month or once every 6 weeks, it will offer your lawn a certain quantity of important nutrients. The NPK for this product is 36-0-6. As a result, it’s a good choice for grown grass that requires nutrients to thicken up.

Miracle-Gro Lawn Food can be an excellent choice if your grass is mature and in need of some thickness. It is water-soluble, which allows it to seep into the root and stalk of the lawn grass, resulting in an excellent outcome.

Milorganite 0605 Garden Care Organic Fertilizer – the best for the environment!

Milorganite Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer, a granule-based product heavy in iron as well as the standard nutrients, has been recognized for greening up lawns since it was originally applied on elite golf courses in the 1920s.

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Its use does not need the use of water. The product has a 10-week shelf life. It comes in granules, and the mixture works slowly but efficiently to give you a lush lawn.

Milorganite can kill germs and has been proven for safety, and it works equally well on new and old lawns.

Milorganite 0605 is considered a high-grade fertilizer that may improve the lushness of your lawn. It is recommended for the gardeners who are both ecologically concerned and want to grow a lush green yard.

Espoma EOLB30 Organic Lawn Booster Fertilizer – the best for the volume!

Espoma EOLB30 Organic Lawn Food is a pesticide-free, organic, and cost-effective granular lawn fertilizer that is also suitable for pets and children. This product is designed to maximize lawn growth, with 2.5 times the amount of SRN (a.k.a. slow-release nitrogen) than a regular lawn feed product.

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The Espoma includes bio-tone bacteria that aid in nutrient absorption and the development of a healthy soil ecosystem. Deeper root development, faster greening, and improved soil structure are all aided by this product’s formula.

The NPK ratio of this lawn booster is 8-0-0. This nitrogen boost will promote strong development in established lawns, but it is not recommended for immature or newly sodded lawns.

This organic fertilizer combines manure and poultry meal to provide a broad spectrum of minerals as well as a boost of calcium. This lesser-known vitamin is critical for nutrient absorption and may be particularly beneficial in the spring to speed up the greening of your lawn.

The Buyer’s Guide

Types of lawn fertilizers

1) Organic

Natural components like alfalfa, kelp, seaweed, and blood meal are often used in organic fertilizers. Organic fertilizers are often slow-release, and since they aren’t supported by anything artificial, they don’t operate as rapidly as synthetic fertilizers.

Organic fertilizers are considerably more eco-friendly than chemical fertilizers since they use natural materials and do not discharge toxic chemicals into water runoff. They’re also far safer to apply on the lawns of houses with kids and pets since they won’t damage any of them.

Pros:

• Better in the long run;
• Non-toxic and environment-friendly;
• Needs fewer applications;
• Fewer risks of overusing;

Cons:

• Pricey;
• Harder to use;
• May attract nasty bugs;

2) Synthetic

Synthetic fertilizers are among the most preferred because of how affordable they are and how rapidly they operate. When it comes to it, chemical fertilizers are much less troublesome than organic fertilizers, and they’re even simpler to use.

Such fertilizers employ science to enhance your lawn, giving you an accurate ratio of minerals so you know exactly how the fertilizer will help your lawn. But they do sometimes contain some terrible substances that may be harmful to children and pets. Before you use your fertilizer, check the label to be sure it’s safe, particularly if you have children.

Pros:

• Quick-release formula;
• Exact ratios of minerals and nutrients;
• Easy to buy;
• Budget-friendly;

Cons:

• It is easy to overuse;
• Toxic for pets and people;

Quick vs. slow-release formulas

Nitrogen is a critical amino acid for the normal and healthy development of your plants and grass. In particular, it influences the pace at which photosynthesis takes place. As a consequence, the type of nitrogen in a fertilizer you choose is critical to the health of turf:

1) Quick-release formulas

The nitrogen in a fertilizer product is instantly accessible to your lawn thanks to the fertilizers. This promotes a quick recovery from nutritional deficits, which is particularly important after the winter. The nitrogen will drive rapid shoot development and greening, resulting in instantaneous lawn growth. It is also less expensive than slow-release formulations.

However, any form of rainfall may quickly degrade it from the soil, and it normally only lasts 2-4 weeks, so you’ll have to apply it more regularly. Overuse of these products may induce a fertilizer burning on your lawn or the grass’s excessive growth, both of which can ultimately affect the general health of your lawn. The lawn will be more susceptible to illnesses and insects as a result of overuse.

2) Controlled- or slow-release formulas

Such products provide a steady supply of nitrogen to your lawn. This extends the effectiveness of each application, so you won’t have to apply this fertilizer to your lawn as often as you would with a fast-release fertilizer. The regulated mix is less prone to create fertilizer burn on your lawn and offers a consistent amount of nitrogen for uniform grass and plant development.

The use of a controlled-release fertilizer has several disadvantages. It does not promote rapid growth or high nitrogen levels, thus it will not aid in the recovery of nutritional deficits. It’s also more costly than quick-release formulas, however, you’ll have to use it less often than a quick-release fertilizer, so it could even out in the long run.

Active components and the NPK ratio

Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are all included in most lawn fertilizers. Your grass will sprout new blades as a result of the nitrogen. Phosphorus improves the strength and resilience of your lawn’s roots. Potassium also maintains your lawn healthy and disease-free.

On lawn fertilizer labels, you’ve undoubtedly observed three numerals – NPK. The numbers stand for the proportion of fundamental nutrients (N for nitrogen, P for phosphorus, and K for potassium) in the fertilizer, which is known as the NPK ratio. For example, a fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 12-0-10 includes 12 percent nitrogen, zero phosphorus, and 10 percent potassium.

Methods of application

There are 2 methods of applications when it comes to lawn fertilizers: 

1) Liquid fertilizers

It comes as a fluid (that must be diluted in water) or a powder (that must be mixed with water), and it requires more frequent use than granular. It may also be hazardous to the environment if it pollutes the local water supply in significant volumes, generating algal blooms and long-term public health problems by leaching lead, arsenic, cadmium via storm drain runoff. However, while it’s a good approach to get fast results, it’s only suggested when you need them urgently and can use them rarely.

2) Granular fertilizers 

These drugs usually work in a slow-release mode, taking a month or more to show benefits but requiring less regular follow-up. It also provides a lower health risk, so it’s a better choice unless you don’t mind waiting several weeks for your lawn to green up.

Weight/volume

If you have to put your fertilizer onto a spreader or tote it around by hand, the weight of fertilizer is something you should think about. Furthermore, the N-P-K ratios are calculated per pound, thus 2 pounds of fertilizer per 1,000 sq. ft. of grass is recommended.

Value

The average fertilizer prices vary depending on a number of parameters, including the type, release method, volume, etc. For a larger volume of a certain product, you may expect to spend more, but you may be able to locate choices in larger quantities for especially big patches of lawn. Pricing varies depending on whether you pick a liquid/granular fertilizer, whether the composition is organic or chemical, and if the formula is controlled or quick-releasing.

How to choose the volume of a fertilizer?

Measuring the surface area of your grass is the simplest technique to determine the fertilizer requirements. To determine square footage, measure the width and length of the room. If you are unable to do so, strategic guessing is the next best alternative.

Every eight steps, on average, takes up around ten feet of area. Try strolling the length and breadth of your lawn from side to side. At the very least, you’ll have a rough notion of how much room you’ll need to cover. Consider a conventional tennis court, which is 36 feet by 78 feet in size.

In other cases, you should use such calculation for misshaped lawns:

• Circles. Find the circle’s center and walk out to the border. To calculate the surface area, multiply this value by 3.14;
• Triangles. Calculate the triangles’ length and width. Divide by two after multiplying the two numbers together. This will result in the area of the lawn’s surface;

Once you’ve completed your calculations, add these all together to determine the total coverage area of your lawn.

When is the best time to use lawn fertilizer? 

The usual guideline is to apply grass fertilizer in the early spring after the final frosts of the winter season have passed. This, however, is dependent on the grass variety.

It’s preferable to apply a strong dosage of fertilizer in the fall followed by a lighter dosage of fertilizer in the spring for cool-season grasses like ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, fescue, which are common in the northern areas of the United States.

Because these grasses are inactive in very hot weather, their major growth season is between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bermuda, St. Augustine, Kikuyu, Zoysia, and Centipede grass are examples of warm-season grasses. They like hotter, tropical climates, thus they’re more common in the weather.

They react nicely to a big dosage of fertilizer in the springtime (just before the lawn grass begins to green up) and a second dosage after the peak summer months but before the fall season arrives.

Useful Video: Best Spring Lawn Fertilizer

Final thoughts 

You can choose the finest fertilizer for your lawn now that you understand when to feed it and how to apply the product. Whatever option you choose, be careful to follow the directions on the container to properly care for the lawn and avoid any harm. Also, make sure to buy the lawn fertilizer that is good for your region.