Balanced fertilizers contain the same amount of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. The numbers on the bag will all be the same, such as 6-6-6 or 8-8-8.

Many home owners go out and purchase a balanced fertilizer for their lawn when they should be purchasing one that has more nitrogen in it.

Balanced fertilizers are generally used in soil where you are growing vegetables, annuals, perennials, bushes and so on. The only reason you may need to apply a balanced fertilizer to your lawn is if you have had a soil analysis taken of your lawn and the results came back showing that your lawn soil was deficient in all three of these nutrients.

Both rotary and drop spreaders have to be pushed around the lawn. The difference between them is how they spread the fertilizer. Rotary spreaders throw fertilizer out into your lawn in several directions as you walk around your lawn. Drop spreaders drop the fertilizer beneath the hopper in the pattern you walk.

Of the two spreaders available, rotary and drop spreaders, the more accurate of the two is generally the drop spreader, if it is done correctly. If you do not use your drop spreader correctly you may have lines in your lawn. Many people choose a rotary spreader simply because it gets the job done sooner.

If you have a small lawn and you don’t mind taking the time to apply lawn fertilizer, you should probably get a drop spreader. If you have a large lawn and your goal is to get the grass fertilizer applied as quickly as possible, your best bet would be to go with a rotary spreader.

Whichever spreader you use, do not pull it backwards. These spreaders should always be pushed forward so the fertilizer is distributed in a consistent delivery and pattern rate.

Contrary to what many people believe, it is good to leave grass clippings on your lawn after it has been mowed. Grass clippings are a natural fertilizer. Since grass decomposes at such a fast rate, it is very high in nitrogen. In fact, if you leave your grass clippings on the lawn it may save you time and money later. Your lawn will probably not ever need to have an application of nitrogen fertilizer added to it.

Nitrogen fertilizer helps the grass to grow, and grow greener. While purchasing nitrogen fertilizer may not eat a hole in your wallet, most people do not like the chore of applying it. Leave your grass clipping on the lawn and you can probably avoid this garden chore.

When you fertilize is based on the type of soil you have, the type of grass you are growing, as well as the weather conditions. Most experts recommend that you fertilize your lawn at least two times a year. The first treatment should be applied in the spring and you should use a spring fertilizer. Spring fertilizers are made to promote color and growth in your lawn grass. The second treatment should be applied in the fall. Fall fertilizers are made to enhance the health and growth of the roots and to nourish them during the winter. Many people like to do their fall fertilization after the first frost as it it thought to greatly increase lawn quality.

When you purchase lawn fertilizers, choose ones which are slow release. This will ensure that your lawn gets a good feeding without the fertilizer damaging it.

Just like humans, lawn grass needs certain nutrients to be healthy. Complete fertilizers contain the three elements that lawn soil needs: nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous. Complete fertilizers are generally what people choose when they only fertilize, or feed, their lawns once or twice a year.

Complete fertilizers contain what most lawns love the best – 2 times as much nitrogen as potassium and 3 or 4 times as much nitrogen as phosphorous. Don’t let the numbers scare you. Purchase lawn fertilizers that are labeled “complete” and you can breathe easy knowing that it will probably satisfy everything that your grass is requiring.

Before you use a lawn spreader it is important that you familiarize yourself with it and read all materials that come with it. When you are using your spreader, walk at a steady pace. Do not be overly rushed or poke along. This will ensure that your fertilizer has been evenly distributed.

1. Before you begin, make sure that your spreader is turned to the OFF position.
2. Calculate the spreading rate that you will need based on the fertilizer that you are using. This information should be on the back of the product. Set the spreading rate.
3. When it comes time to fill the spreader make sure you pour it in when you are either in gravel or on concrete, such as a driveway or sidewalk. That way if any of the fertilizer spills you can sweep it up and it will not damage your lawn.
4. Next, make two strips at the ends of your lawn. This area will be where you will go to turn your spreader off and on.
5. Turn your spreader on and walk back and forth between the two strips at each end of your lawn. Shut the spreader off when you reach the strips. When you make the turn and start walking again, make sure the spreader is in motion before you turn the spreader back on.
6. When using a drop spreader, the wheel marks in your lawn will serve as a guide. Make sure you overlap them to ensure that you haven’t missed any areas. If you are using a rotary spreader, overlap the edges of each swatch.

If you want to know exactly what is going on with your lawn soil so you will know what type of fertilizer, if any, your soil needs, it's wise to conduct a soil test. Getting a soil analysis is not as troublesome as it sounds. In fact, there are kits that you can purchase that will enable you to do them yourself. These kits can be found at home and garden centers. These home kits will tell you what is generally going on with your lawn’s soil.

If you are having a lot of problems in you lawn, you should contact the extension service in your county and they will help you get your soil analyzed. A soil analysis that is completed through an extension service will tell you what your soil’s pH is and it will also tell you the levels of your soil’s major and minor nutrients. This information is important. For instance, you may have a good pH level, but if your soil is lacking in certain nutrients you may have growing problems. Alternatively, your soil may have good nutrient levels, but if the pH is out of range your grass may not be able to absorb the nutrients that are there. The good news is these reports come back with suggested types and amounts of nutrients that you should add to your soil for optimal growing conditions.

If you are purchasing a home or lot in a newly developed subdivision and there is no existing lawn, this is known as a fresh lot. Your soil is a blank slate and this is the perfect time to understand what is going on in the soil. You will want to get your soil in its best condition before you start to sow seed or have sod installed. Doing so can eliminate growing problems and save you time and money trying to fix soil problems later.

To get your fresh soil in its healthiest condition you should have a soil analysis done. A soil analysis will give you all the information you need about your soil so that when you do grow grass it will thrive and be healthy. When your soil test is completed through a county extension service it will tell you everything you need to know. You do not have to have a degree in science to understand it. The test results will list exactly what is going on with your soil and what you should add to your lawn soil to get its nutrient and pH level in optimal range for growing grass.

Starter fertilizer is just one type of fertilizer. Starter fertilizer can be applied when you are planting grass seed, sprigs, sod, plugs or when you are over-seeding your lawn. Starter fertilizer contains very small amounts of Nitrogen and more Phosphorus and Potassium. While Nitrogen is important for growth, the Phosphorus and Potassium in the fertilizer will help your young grass develop strong roots. It also protects young grass from the stresses of disease, heat and cold.

Starter fertilizer bags will generally have the second number on them, the number which represents phosphorus, as the higher number. After your lawn has matured it will need fertilizers that have more nitrogen in them. Starter fertilizer can be applied to any type of grass.

The numbers on fertilizer bags represent the percentage of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium that are in the fertilizer. Nitrogen is the ingredient that will make your grass grow – and grow greener. Phosphorus is important for seedling development because it stimulates roots. Potassium protects the grass from drought and disease.

Lawn fertilizers are very important. It provides the grass with the nutrition it needs to grow, stay healthy, protect itself from cold, heat and even mowing and foot traffic. You should apply fertilizer to your lawn at least two times a year, in the spring and in the fall.

Growth fertilizer is just one type of fertilizer. This type of lawn fertilizer will have a high Nitrogen content. Nitrogen makes grass grow and grow green! The highest, or most potent, Nitrogen fertilizer will have numbers such as 34-0-0 on the bag. This means that the contents of the bag are made up of 34 percent nitrogen and the rest of the ingredients are inert. Other growth fertilizers will have the first number being five to seven times higher than the other two numbers. Use these type of fertilizers lightly and only during the peak of the season.

Healthy lawns will generally have a pH between six and seven. If your soil’s pH has tested below these numbers it means your soil is acidic. When lawn soil is acidic, the soil does not have enough of the necessary nutrients it needs for proper plant growth. These nutrients can include potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen, sulfur, calcium, molybdenum and magnesium. As these nutrient levels drop off your lawn will start to lose its tolerance to stress and its color. Adding lime to your lawn increases the availability of these nutrients.

Lime is pulverized chalk or limestone. Its active component is calcium carbonate, yet it may also include magnesium carbonate, magnesium oxide and calcium oxide.

Adding lime to your lawn will increase the soil’s pH. This means your grass and plants will get the nutrients it needs to grow better. Adding lime to an acidic lawn will also improve water penetration.

You should not add lime to your lawn unless you have had a soil test done on your lawn and it indicates your lawn soil is acidic. Many people add lime to their lawns annually and this can make lawn soil have a very high pH, or make soil alkaline. This is just as bad as having acidic soil and should be avoided.