How to Fertilize Your Grass for the Perfect Lawn

Fertilizers and a proper watering schedule are the fundamental parts for developing and maintaining a great lawn. From promoting lush green blades and root development to insect control, you need to know how to buy the best type of fertilizer for your lawn.

Fertilizers are produced with three core elements that are marked on the bag. The three numbers on a bag of fertilizer refer to the blended content of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium, also known as the N-P-K ratio. For example, if you see 33-33-33 it indicates the fertilizer has equal parts of the three elements.

How Do Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium Help Turf Grass

Nitrogen boosts the lush, green color of your turfgrass blades. Specifically, Nitrogen promotes the production of chlorophyll (the element that makes your grass green).

Nitrogen also stimulates root growth and health. Many early spring fertilizers will have a higher Nitrogen level to give the lawn a kick and get it growing early. A Nitrogen-rich fertilizer is ideal for a spring application to prepare the grass for the stresses of the upcoming growing season.

Phosphorus serves to boost the root system to grow and be more robust. The root system development is absolutely critical to enable grass to withstand the stresses from heat and drought, and empower the root system to deliver the proper nutrients to support the “above-ground” growth. Always make certain that any fertilizer application is providing phosphorus to your turfgrass.

Potassium supports overall turfgrass health. Potassium contributes to the health of supports the internal process of the plant cells affecting water absorption, photosynthesis, and natural protein production. A deficiency of potassium causes your grass to effectively be living on a bad diet.

Best Lawn Fertilizers for the Atlanta Area

The nutrient needs of turfgrass, and application times, have minor variations among the many types of turfgrasses. For example, Bermuda grass and Fescue grass do not have the same growing season. In general, we recommend Scotts fertilizers and weed control products. Scotts products can be purchased at most home improvement stores such as ACE, The Home Depot, Lowes, and specialty gardening supply businesses.

  • For New Lawns try Scotts Turf Builder Starter Food for New Grass Plus Weed Preventer. The 2-in-1 formula fertilizes new grass and prevents common lawn weeds including Crabgrass and Dandelions.
  • For Established Lawns try Scotts® Turf Builder® Triple Action that provides three benefits in one bag. This product kills weeds, including dandelions and clover, prevents future weeds like crabgrass and other grassy weeds, all while feeding and strengthening your lawn. Prevents crabgrass for 4 months and feeds to build thick green lawns. Also prevents fall panicum, foxtail, annual bluegrass, broadleaf weeds, corn speedwell, prostrate spurge, knotweed, purslane, chickweed, henbit, and oxalis. Scotts® Turf Builder® Triple Action is for use on the following grasses, including Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Ryegrass, Tall Fescue, Fine Fescue, Bermudagrass, Bahiagrass, Centipedegrass, and Zoysiagrass.
  • For Fescue Lawns try Scotts® Turf Builder® THICK’R Lawn™ Tall Fescue Mix has everything you need to help turn weak, thin grass into a thicker, greener lawn. With this 3-in-1 solution get up to a 50% thicker lawn with just one application*, guaranteed! THICK’R Lawn contains soil improvers for enhanced root development, seed to fill gaps with new grass, and fertilizer to feed new grass and thicken and green existing turf.
  • For Bermuda Lawns try Scotts® Turf Builder® Thick’R Lawn® Bermudagrass. The 3-in-1 solution contains seeds to fill gaps in the current lawn; fertilizer for a thicker, greener turf; and a soil improver for enhanced root development. Apply to a Bermudagrass lawn in late spring or early summer using a Scotts broadcast, rotary, drop, Elite, hand-held, or Wizz spreader. Water in and keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate. Scotts® Turf Builder® Thick’R Lawn® Bermudagrass is uniquely formulated to help turn weak, thin Bermudagrass into a thicker, greener lawn with stronger roots in one easy application.
  • For Zoysia Lawns try Scotts® Turf Builder® Southern Triple Action is an innovative 3 in 1 formula that prevents and kills fire ants for up to 6 months, kills stubborn weeds like dollar-weed and clover, and feeds and strengthens your lawn against Southern stresses like heat and drought. Scotts® Turf Builder Triple Action South is for use on southern grasses, like St.Augustine (including Floratam), Carpetgrass, Centipede, and Zoysiagrass.
  • For St. Augustine Lawns try Scotts® Turf Builder® Southern Triple Action is an innovative 3 in 1 formula that prevents and kills fire ants for up to 6 months, kills stubborn weeds like dollar-weed and clover, and feeds and strengthens your lawn against Southern stresses like heat and drought. Scotts® Turf Builder Triple Action South is for use on southern grasses, like St.Augustine (including Floratam), Carpetgrass, Centipede, and Zoysiagrass.

Use Crawford Landscaping for your lawn fertilization

If you’re located in northwest metro Atlanta, and want your lawn to thrive, we invite you to call us at 770-509-0355 for a free quote or schedule lawn fertilization services.