Learn from Lawn and Garden Expert Ashton Ritchie why it's important to feed your lawn. Find out when to fertilize, get tips on choosing Scott's fertilizer and see how to apply it with a broadcast spreader.
Feed Grass While it's Growing
- Cooler areas with Gluegrass, Ryegrass and Fescues: feed in the Early Spring and again in Late Spring as well as Early Fall and Late Fall.
- Warmer areas with St.Augustine, Zoysia, Bermuda and Bahia grasses: begin feeding in Early Spring, and then in 6 week intervals throughout the Summer and into Early Fall.
- Choose a fertilizer. Find one that fits your grass type and goals, like if you want to get rid of weeds, as well.
- Read the instructions on the package. Each fertilizer might have different lawn spreader settings or watering requirements.
- Change the setting on your fertilizer spreader to what the instructions say.
- Pour the fertilizer into the spreader. For smaller lawns, you may need to pour less.
- To avoid getting fertilizer on pavement or in garden beds and mulch, use a lawn spreader that has an edge guard feature, which prevents fertilizer or seeds from spreading one direction or another.
- Fertilize the outer edges of the lawn first, and then go in lines back and forth for the rest of the lawn.
- Pour any extra fertilizer back into the bag.
- Don't forget to rinse out the spreader after use. Do this on your grass, to avoid any runoff going into storm drains.
Published: 3/2/2020
