Many decisions need to be made when choosing the right fertilizer for your lawn. The packaging alone contains lots of confusing information. In the following article we take a closer look at the dizzying details on lawn fertilizer labels and help decipher them.

Why Feed Your Turf?

Grass gets its healthy green hue and lush thickness from nutrients found in the soil. But sometimes those nutrients are not enough, especially when your turf takes a beating year round from foot traffic, pests, disease, extreme temperatures, invasive weeds, and too much/too little water and sun. Provide your turf with protection against the elements by feeding it additional nutrients, and the results will reveal richer color, thicker density, faster growth, and strength to survive in harsh environments.

The Main Ingredients: Lawn Fertilizer Labels

Understanding lawn fertilizer labels is far from easy, so let’s break down the confusing number ratios on the packaging. First, fertilizer consists of three key ingredients: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Nitrogen helps give grass its green hue, phosphorus stimulates new growth and strong roots, and potassium helps provide strength and good health. There’s a variety of formulas with different ratios available to help you give your grass the nutrition it needs. The three-number ratio represents the percentage of each integral ingredient in the formula.

Tips for Understanding Lawn Fertilizer Labels

How do you know what nutrients your lawn needs? A soil testing kit, available at your local garden center, helps you determine what your lawn lacks, but call in a lawn-care specialist to help you with soil testing if you wish. Here are a few more tips.

  • Fertilizers come in quick-release and slow-release formulas. Want a fast green up? Use quick-release granules. For longer lasting results, slow-release formulas feed the grass over an extended period of time.
  • Know your grass type. Cool-season and warm-season grasses each require a different formula.
  • Most fertilizers feature the square-footage coverage area on the label. If you are treating your entire yard, calculate the footage before you head off to the store.
  • Always follow the directions on the label carefully. Too much fertilizer damages the turf, while not enough or improper application is a waste of time, money, and effort.

Call Us

Don’t let your lawn lose its lush look. If you have any issues understanding lawn fertilizer labels, call Free Spray Lawn Care at 419-529-5296. Our experts can green up your grass with the nourishment it needs.