Sometimes, you just have to green up your lawn. And you have to do it fast. Luckily, there are several products on the market that work quickly for a lush, healthy-looking lawn. Aside from the novelty “lawn paint,” you can try several products, such as Scotts Green Max.
Maybe you’re planning a backyard barbecue and want to impress the fam with your mad lawn care skills. Or perhaps you’re selling your home, and your agent has a big red checkmark next to “curb appeal.”
For whatever reason, you’ve been seeking guidance on how to get a lush, green lawn as fast as possible. And that’s where Scotts Green Max comes in.
What is Scotts Green Max?
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Scotts is a well-known lawn care company with a wide selection of products. They seem to have something for everyone’s yard. This includes its Scotts Green Max, which promises to give you green grass in only three days.
But, doesn’t grass take a couple of weeks to grow in? Scotts Green Max includes extra iron in it, which your grass needs to make chlorophyll. And chlorophyll, after all, is what gives plants their green color.
Although there is usually plenty of iron available in most soils, they can become depleted. And soil pH can really affect how well your grass can absorb it from the earth.
Highly alkaline soil interferes with your grass root’s ability to absorb iron, resulting in chlorosis – which means your grass turns yellow. Grass prefers a pH between 6 and 7.
So, adding a good lawn food with iron is the quickest way to alleviate the problem, and that’s exactly what Scotts Green Max can do.
What About Long Term?
In the long run, if your grass suffers from chlorosis, you need to look at it systemically. First, consider if you have the right grass for your soil conditions and climate.
And is it in the right place? If the yellowing grass is in the shade, it may simply suffer from lack of sunlight.
Secondly, you may want to address the pH level in your lawn and discuss solutions with your local extension office. They can also help you test your lawn and soil for pathogens, nutrient deficiencies, and improper pH levels.
And finally, ask yourself if you’re overusing pesticides. You may think that killing bugs that damage your lawn is a step toward a better-looking lawn. But some pesticides can do more harm to the color of your turf than insects.
Why Scotts Green Max?
With this product, Scotts took their standard lawn food and pumped up the iron. Along with its standard formulation of nitrogen and potash, it includes a high dose of water-soluble iron.
For an extra kick, Scotts Green Max also includes extra sulfur, which helps your grass absorb iron and other micronutrients. And best of all, it can lower the pH of your soil.
So, Scotts Green Max works quickly as well as improving your soil for the long term.
Specifications
Scotts Green Max is a synthetic lawn food with the following composition
- Total nitrogen: 27.00 percent
- Soluble potash: 2.00 percent
- Sulfur: 10.00 percent
- Iron: 5.00 percent
How We Reviewed
To assess the quality of this product, we carefully considered its composition rather than its claims.
Along with our personal experience in lawn and garden care, we also researched the science behind the product’s ingredients. In theory, Scotts Green Max should do everything it says on the label. If not in three days, then certainly you’d get a better-looking lawn within a week.
However, to find out if Scotts Green Max works as well in practice as it does in theory, we consulted consumer reviews and gardening forums. After all, who knows better whether a product works than those who use it.
Consumer Feedback
Overall, gardeners have been happy with Scotts Green Max.
Happy customers praised its ability to turn their lawns green in just a few days. Many posted before and after photos to show how well it worked for them.
Unfortunately, some unhappy customers posted some photos, as well. In many cases, the customer received a damaged package. Others were disappointed in the results.
Others complained of burning – which means they may have overapplied the product. It’s very high in nitrogen, and that’s definitely a risk if you don’t follow the directions. Another issue is that its high iron content can stain hardscaping. Several customers complained about concrete stains near the site of application.
Buyers at Home Depot gave it an average of 3.9 out of 5 stars. Like those that purchased the product elsewhere, they either loved it or said it killed their grass.
Trends indicate that this product is a great performer — as long as you follow the directions carefully. If you don’t, you’ll make your lawn much worse.
Alternatives to Scotts Max Green
Some people prefer other products than those by Scotts, whether for environmental or cost reasons. Others prefer to use a liquid spray-on product. So, what comparable products can you find for fast greening?
Let’s take a look:
PGF Complete All in One Complete Lawn Fertilizer
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If you want a bright green lawn but are worried about nitrogen burn, you may want to consider PGF’s “complete” formula.
Like Scotts, it’s a synthetic lawn food. It also contains lower percentages of nutrients. So, while it’s less likely to burn, it may take longer to take effect.
However, on the up-side, it also contains the micronutrients manganese and zinc. It also boasts a nice dose of phosphates for root health and humic acids. Humic acids improve the retention of water and nutrients in your soil.
Specifications
- Nitrogen: 16.00 percent
- Phosphate: 4.00 percent
- Potash: 8.00 percent
- Copper: 0.10 percent
- Sulfur: 2.72 percent
- Iron: 3.00 percent
- Manganese: 0.10 percent
- Zinc 0.10 percent
- Humic acids: 7.00 percent
Consumer feedback
Overall, buyers really like this professional-grade formula. And some have posted some pretty impressive before and after photos of their lawns. Users gave it high ratings, with many stressing its effectiveness.
A handful of unhappy reviewers had some issues with fertilizer burn, and some just think the price is too high for the benefit delivered.
LawnStar Green-Up Lawn Supplement
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This easy-to-apply lawn food comes in its own applicator that you can hook up to your hose. It boasts a combination of both fast- and slow-release nitrogen for immediate results with long-lasting vigor.
While granular fertilizers like the other two presented here require you to water them in (or wait for rain), you apply this with your garden hose to combine the steps. And liquid fertilizers generally work faster than granular formulas, anyway. They just don’t last as long.
And while this product contains a healthy amount of both nitrogen and iron, it doesn’t contain any sulfur. So, it may not work as well as advertised if you have a low soil pH.
Specifications
- Nitrogen: 12.00 percent
- Phosphate: 0.00 percent
- Potash: 0.00 percent
- Iron: 6.00 percent
- Manganese: 2.00 percent.
Consumer feedback
LawnStar enjoys good reviews from buyers, with many saying it worked just great. And while none mentioned the speed of effectiveness, they left no doubt that it worked beautifully. They also complimented its ease of use.
Interestingly enough, the main complaint from buyers who gave bad reviews blamed a faulty sprayer.
So, Is Scotts Green Max Worth the Cash?
We have to say yes. That is, if you have no objections to the company or using synthetic fertilizers, then add this one to your list of go-to lawn care products.
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The company says you can use this year-round, in any season. But remember, it doesn’t contain phosphorus, which your grass needs for healthy roots. It’s also missing a few other key micronutrients. So, we can’t recommend you rely on it for every lawn feeding.
But come spring, it makes a great second application after your grass is growing actively. And it’s particularly good when you just want to show off that green thumb.
Have you ever used Scotts Green Max or one of their other lawn fertilizers? Tell us which ones you found most effective in the comments.
Last update on 2022-01-27 at 20:02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
