The Best Lawn Fertilizer for Your Outdoor Space

best lawn fertilizer

A perfectly manicured lawn, it’s a homeowner’s dream, but it’s not as easy to achieve as you might thing. That green carpet doesn’t come without effort, so you need the best lawn fertilizer to feed your lawn and give it what it needs. In return, it will keep the weeds away while giving you a healthy and thriving green grass paradise.

Keeping up with your lawn can bring in that luscious green color you crave while also helping out the ecosystem. Lawns are green, so they undergo photosynthesis, the process of taking in carbon dioxide and putting out oxygen. The roots of the grass also keep the soil structured and able to absorb more water, which cuts down on flooding during a nasty storm.

Why You Need the Best Lawn Fertilizer

Having the best lawn fertilizer will, by extension, give you a great-looking lawn. And a healthy lawn will improve many aspects of your outdoor space. Along with helping to prevent erosion, it’s also a boon to wildlife. A healthy lawn means it’s easier for little critters like earthworms to live in, which increases nutrients in the soil. And healthy soil means a better, brighter garden and a lawn that’s resistant to pests and disease.

What lawn fertilizer does

Lawn fertilizer is something that you apply on your lawn. Most comprise of nutrients like potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen that promote the growth of grass. Each chemical has its own purpose, but overall, they all work together to help your lawn grow and thrive.

When you buy a bag of lawn fertilizer, you should take into account when you’re going to be using it. There are some lawn fertilizers meant for fall, while others are better when you spread them in spring.

When you want to use it

Though opinions vary on the best times to spread lawn fertilizer, they typically find common ground in that the fall and early sprint is the best time to feed your lawn. During the fall, you’ll want to spread lawn fertilizer to give the soil some strength as it begins to get colder and the ground hardens. Once the snow melts and the ground thaws, spreading lawn fertilizer in the early spring will give you the best chance of having a flourishing lawn in the later spring and summer months.

Some fertilizers are specifically designated for these seasons. The ones marketed toward the fall usually contain a greater amount of phosphorus, to give the lawn stronger roots, while the ones for spring contain more nitrogen to promote green growth. When you’re picking out a bag of fertilizer, it will usually have a ratio of the chemicals listed on the bag.

How to apply lawn fertilizer

Lawn fertilizer comes in a liquid and a solid form. These naturally have different application processes and various benefits.

Liquid fertilizer must be diluted with water and spread with a special applicator made for liquid fertilizers. Though the results are quicker than a solid fertilizer, you’ll need to reapply them more often. Also, you could end up killing your lawn if you don’t dilute it correctly or apply too much.

Solid fertilizers are for most typical lawn lovers. They’re more expensive, but they don’t come with the high risk of burning your lawn because of the way they release the chemicals. Additionally, you do not need to reapply it as much as you do with liquid fertilizer. The best lawn fertilizer will do the work for you and keep your grass green and happy.

Be Aware of the Environment

Though lawn fertilizers can make your lawn look great and be great for the ecosystem, larger doses can do more harm than good.

Most lawn fertilizers contain large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus. Though these chemicals are great for lawn growth and hardiness, they’re also one of the leading sources for algal blooms. These blooms are not the kind of growth you want to see.

When it rains after you’ve fertilized your lawn, parts of the fertilizer are washed away into sewers or anti-flooding systems. The systems usually lead to a body of water, often a lake or a river. The fertilizers release their chemicals just as they would on your lawn.

The chemicals build up, causing a bloom of algae that often covers the surface of the water, preventing fish from getting the oxygen they need and killing off entire water ecosystems.

Be conscious of the environment, and if you can, try to avoid spreading fertilizer when it’s going to rain. Check your weather reports and make sure your dosages are correct, so you don’t kill the grass before it grows.

RELATED READS: Scotts Green Max Lawn Food: Is It Worth the Money?

What We Considered

First, we looked at the reviews. The best lawn fertilizer is not going to have one star on Amazon, and it’s not going to come with a plethora of bad pictures from customers. We only chose to include fertilizers that had 4.0 out of 5.0 stars or better.

We also looked at the size. Lawn fertilizers can get pricey. Buying a product that’s only available in teeny tiny sizes is not efficient. In fact, it may make you decide you don’t want to keep up with your lawn anymore.

Another thing we took into account was the kind of fertilizers. Solid fertilizers are more practical for the typical homeowner, so those options were preferable over liquid fertilizers. However, we did include some liquid options.

The Best Lawn Fertilizer

After carefully looking over our criteria and choosing all of our options, these were the top contenders for the best lawn fertilizer.

Scotts Green Max Lawn Food

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Scotts Green Max Lawn Food is a great option when it comes to lawn fertilizers. It’s an easy-to-use solid formula that you spread on your lawn in either spring or fall; it doesn’t have a specific application time. The fertilizer also prides itself on working fast; the packaging boasts a turn-around time of three days.

The product is said to cover 10,000 square feet of yard, making it ideal for reapplication later on.

Milorganite Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer

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The Milorganite 0636 Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer comes with 32 pounds of product. The fertilizer is organic, so it’s even better for the environment than a synthetic fertilizer and means the product is less likely to burn your lawn than a synthetic product.

Milorganite Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer claims that the fertilizer has been trusted for several decades, and customers agree.

Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Lawn Food

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Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Lawn Food is a popular option for your lawn care needs. Not only is Miracle-Gro an established brand, but this product does well among customers.

This product prides itself on being a fast way to a better lawn. The container comes with enough product inside to fertilize up to 4,000 square feet of grass, which makes it ideal for reapplication. The container also appears to be reusable, so you could find another use for it instead of just discarding it like you would a bag.

Ringer Lawn Restore

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Ringer Lawn Restore is a strong contender for best lawn fertilizer. Not only does it come with 5,000 feet’s worth of product, but it comes complete with plant-based nutrients.

Unfortunately, the product contains no phosphate. While that may be better for the environment, it means that your lawn won’t be as healthy as it would be with other options. Ringer’s lawn fertilizer is pricier than its competitors, but that fact is made up for by the feel-good ingredients you put into your lawn when you use it.

Espoma Organic Fall Fertilizer

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Espoma EOFW30 Organic Fall Fertilizer is for use in the fall. The product comes with enough to cover 5,000 square feet.

Since this is a fall fertilizer, it’s going to be more substantial than a typical spring fertilizer. If you spread this in the spring, your lawn may not be ready to go by the time summer hits. Fall fertilizers are like a deep conditioner, while spring fertilizers are more for growth and good looks.

Purely Organic Lawn Food

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Purely Organic Lawn Food is just what it says: organic. That’s a fantastic attribute for one of the contenders for best lawn fertilizer to have. It feels good for the environment as well as your lawn.

Purely Organic Lawn Food is free of phosphorus and manure, meaning there will be no nasty smell when you apply. Also, the bag comes with enough product for 5,000 square feet of yard.

American Hydro Systems GrassSoGreen Fertilizer

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American Hydro Systems GrassSoGreen Fertilizer is a liquid lawn fertilizer. The product is designed to spread as you water your lawn and claims to replenish lost nitrogen.

Unfortunately, this product does not claim to be organic, and you have to spread it with a special device. If you do spread it as you water your lawn, it increases the potential for runoff and water pollution. It can also be bad for your yard if not diluted correctly.

Simple Solutions Ultimate

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Simple Solutions Ultimate 3-18-18 NPK lawn fertilizer is another good option in liquid form. The product contains more phosphorus and potassium than nitrogen. That is better for the environment overall; it decreases the chances of an unwanted algae issue.

However, it is still a liquid fertilizer. If you don’t have the proper tools and measurements, it could end up hurting your lawn. In high concentration, it will do more harm than good if you don’t know how to handle it.

Let It Grow

Of course, you don’t have to have a lawn fertilizer at all. Many people feel the best approach is to reduce the use of lawn chemicals and use the space for flowering plants or even fruit trees.

But if you’re looking to bolster the health of your lawn, these are all solid choices. 

Last update on 2022-01-27 at 20:02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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