What to reach for, and which bag of fertilizer actually matches the job. Rates are per 1,000 square feet unless noted.
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Fertilizer10-30-20
Bloom formula
Extra phosphorus and potassium for annuals and containers.
- When
- After plants are established, not at transplant shock.
- Rate
- Half-strength liquid every 1–2 weeks in peak bloom.
- For your lawn
- About 37.5 lb to deliver 0.75 lb N / 1,000 sq ft on 5,000 sq ft
- Note
- In ground beds, compost plus a soil test usually beats constant bloom booster.
Example pick · Miracle-Gro Bloom Booster
Weed control
Broadleaf weed killer
Spot spray dandelion, clover, and plantain on a growing lawn.
- When
- Fall is the best kill on perennial weeds; spring is second.
- Note
- Avoid drift onto ornamentals. Do not treat drought-stressed turf. Keep off newly seeded lawns until after the third mow.
Example pick · Ortho WeedClear
Seed
Cool-season seed mix
Tall fescue blend, or bluegrass/rye/fescue matched to sun and shade.
- When
- Mid-August through October. Spring is a distant second.
- Rate
- Overseed 4–6 lb fescue per 1,000 sq ft; less for bluegrass.
- Note
- Buy fresh seed with a current test date and low weed content.
Example pick · Tall fescue seed blend
Weed control
Crabgrass pre-emergent
Stops crabgrass seed as soil hits about 55°F for several days.
- When
- Cool/temperate: March–April (forsythia bloom). Warm/hot: February–March.
- Rate
- Label rate. Water in unless the product says otherwise.
- Note
- Most pre-emergents also block desirable grass seed. Do not overseed for 8–12 weeks after applying.
Example pick · Scotts Halts crabgrass preventer
Amendment
Elemental sulfur
Gently lowers pH for hydrangeas, blueberries, and azaleas.
- When
- Spring or fall, then wait — biology does the work.
- Note
- Do not expect overnight color change on hydrangeas.
Weed control
Fall annual-bluegrass pre-emergent
Blocks Poa annua as it germinates in cool, wet fall weather.
- When
- Late August–September in cool and temperate climates.
- Note
- Skip if you plan to overseed — it will block the good seed too.
Example pick · Scotts Halts (also blocks fall Poa)
Fertilizer24-0-10
Fall lawn food
The most important feeding of the year for cool-season grass.
- When
- September–October while the grass is still growing.
- Rate
- 0.75–1 lb N per 1,000 sq ft.
- For your lawn
- About 15.6 lb to deliver 0.75 lb N / 1,000 sq ft on 5,000 sq ft
- Note
- Potassium supports winter hardiness. Skip this on warm-season lawns after they start to yellow.
Example pick · Scotts WinterGuard Fall Lawn Food
Soil
Finished compost
The default soil builder for beds, trees, and thin lawns.
- When
- Spring or fall. Avoid raw manure against stems.
- Rate
- ½ inch topdress on lawns; 1–2 inches worked into beds.
- Note
- Screened compost topdress after aeration is a quiet lawn miracle.
Example pick · Bagged finished compost
Pest & disease
Grub control
Preventive (chlorantraniliprole) in spring, or curative when you find grubs.
- When
- Preventive April–June. Curative late July–August if birds are tearing turf.
- Note
- Treat only if you find more than about 8–10 grubs per square foot.
Pest & disease
Horticultural oil
Smothers scale, mites, and overwintering eggs on woody plants.
- When
- Dormant oil in late winter; summer-rate oil on labeled plants.
- Note
- Never spray oil in high heat, on drought-stressed plants, or with sulfur nearby.
Example pick · Bonide horticultural oil
Amendment
Lab soil test
The only honest way to choose lime, sulfur, and phosphorus.
- When
- Any quiet month, ideally late winter before the first feeding.
- Note
- Home strips are rough on pH only. A university or co-op lab reports organic matter, P, K, and buffer pH.
Example pick · MySoil mail-in lab kit
Soil
Mycorrhizal inoculant
Helpful at planting time for trees, roses, and natives in poor soil.
- When
- In the planting hole, in contact with roots.
- Note
- Skip on plants that do not partner with mycorrhizae (brassicas, some annuals).
Example pick · Mycorrhizal inoculant
Pest & disease
Neem or insecticidal soap
Soft-bodied pests: aphids, whitefly, mites. Soft on beneficials if used right.
- When
- At first sign, morning or evening, underside of leaves.
- Note
- Repeat every 5–7 days as labeled. Do not spray in full noon sun.
Example pick · Bonide neem oil
Fertilizer6-4-0
Organic slow nitrogen
Low-burn biosolid or composted feed. Good around pets and water.
- When
- Anytime grass is growing. Especially useful in summer.
- Rate
- Bag rate, typically a heavier product by weight.
- For your lawn
- About 62.5 lb to deliver 0.75 lb N / 1,000 sq ft on 5,000 sq ft
- Note
- Feeds soil life as well as blades. Results are slower than urea.
Amendment
Pelletized lime
Raises pH on acidic soils so fertilizer can actually work.
- When
- Fall or winter. Lime moves slowly.
- Rate
- Per soil test. Typical maintenance is 20–50 lb per 1,000 sq ft.
- Note
- Never lime without a test. Alkaline soils need sulfur, not lime.
Example pick · Pelletized lawn lime
Mulch
Shredded hardwood mulch
Holds moisture, smothers weeds, and feeds soil as it breaks down.
- When
- Late spring after soil warms, and a light refresh in fall.
- Rate
- 2–3 inches. Keep a 3-inch gap around trunks and crowns.
- Note
- Volcano mulch kills trees. Never pile it against bark.
Example pick · Shredded hardwood mulch
Fertilizer16-0-8
Slow-release lawn nitrogen
Gentle summer feeding that will not surge growth into heat stress.
- When
- Warm-season: June–August. Cool-season: usually skip July heat.
- Rate
- 0.5 lb N per 1,000 sq ft, or skip entirely in drought.
- For your lawn
- About 23.4 lb to deliver 0.75 lb N / 1,000 sq ft on 5,000 sq ft
- Note
- Look for 50%+ slow-release nitrogen (sulfur-coated or polymer).
Example pick · Milorganite slow-release nitrogen
Fertilizer30-0-4
Spring lawn food
Nitrogen-forward feed for green-up after soil is actively growing.
- When
- Cool-season: April–May. Warm-season: after the lawn is fully green.
- Rate
- 0.5–0.75 lb N per 1,000 sq ft per application.
- For your lawn
- About 12.5 lb to deliver 0.75 lb N / 1,000 sq ft on 5,000 sq ft
- Note
- Avoid dumping nitrogen on half-dormant turf. Split applications beat one heavy dump.
Example pick · Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Food
Fertilizer20-27-5
Starter fertilizer
Higher phosphorus for new seed and sod — only if a test shows need.
- When
- At seeding, sodding, or overseeding.
- Rate
- Follow the bag to deliver about 1 lb N per 1,000 sq ft.
- For your lawn
- About 18.8 lb to deliver 0.75 lb N / 1,000 sq ft on 5,000 sq ft
- Note
- Many established lawns already have enough phosphorus. Skip a high-P starter if the soil test is adequate.
Example pick · Scotts Turf Builder Starter Food
Fertilizer15-5-10
Tree & shrub food
Slow feed at the drip line — never against the trunk.
- When
- Early spring as buds swell, or fall after leaf drop in mild climates.
- Rate
- Per caliper or drip-line spacing on the label.
- For your lawn
- About 25.0 lb to deliver 0.75 lb N / 1,000 sq ft on 5,000 sq ft
- Note
- Mature trees in mulched, composted soil often need no extra nitrogen.
Example pick · Jobe's tree & shrub spikes
Pest & disease
Turf fungicide
Brown patch, dollar spot, and snow mold when culture is not enough.
- When
- At first symptoms, or preventively in known problem lawns.
- Note
- First fix the culture: water at dawn, raise mowing height, back off nitrogen in heat.
Example pick · Scotts DiseaseEx
Fertilizer10-0-20
Winterizer
Lower nitrogen, higher potassium for the last cool-season pass.
- When
- October–early November, before the ground freezes.
- Rate
- 0.5 lb N per 1,000 sq ft, 4–6 weeks after the September feeding.
- For your lawn
- About 37.5 lb to deliver 0.75 lb N / 1,000 sq ft on 5,000 sq ft
- Note
- Do not use a high-N winterizer on dormant warm-season turf.
Example pick · Scotts WinterGuard Fall Lawn Food
