Transform Your Lawn Into a Lush Paradise With the Best Lawn Fertilizers (2024)

Our Top Picks

We love this easy-to-use and highly effective fertilizer from Scotts. With a blend of 32 percent nitrogen for green, healthy blades, and 4 percent potassium for strong, deep roots, your grass will perk up quickly after a "meal" of this all-season fertilizer.

Note that it does not contain phosphorus, which is highly regulated or even banned in some areas, as phosphorus-laden water runoff can lead to overgrowth of algae in nearby rivers, streams, or ponds. However, unless your turf is newly planted, most lawns can obtain sufficient phosphorus from the soil to thrive.

This is an especially good fertilizer for the spring, but is highly effective and nourishing for use any time of the year. Ideally, you should water it in after application, but according to Scotts, that isn't essential. Plus, you can apply the fertilizer to wet or dry grass without fear of burning, as long as you set your fertilizer spreader to the appropriate setting. The bag contains all the information you'll need to calibrate your spread and the exact amounts of the granular fertilizer to apply, so no guesswork is required.

We especially appreciate that this fertilizer is suited to just about any popular turf grass, including fescue, Bermuda, bluegrass, rye, centipede, bahiagrass, and zoysia. That means no worries about whether or not you have a cool-season or warm-season lawn, something that many homeowners aren't sure of. One 12.5-pound bag covers about 5,000 square feet of turf.

_{NPK Ratio: 32-0-4︱Type: Slow-release︱Feed Duration: 6-8 weeks︱Application Type: Granular ︱Coverage: 5,000 square feet}

This all-purpose fertilizer is good not only for your lawn, but also for your trees, shrubs, and flowerbeds, so you can use it all around the yard. Because it's slow-release and doesn't contain salts, you don't have to water it in right after application, and there is less risk of burning your lawn or other garden greenery.

The blend contains 6 percent nitrogen, 4 percent phosphorus, and no potassium. It also has iron, which helps encourage healthy green growth of turf and other plants. Derived from treated sewage sludge, this is an organic fertilizer that benefits just about any popular turf grass, including zoysia, Bermuda, fescue, bluegrass, rye, and St. Augustine.

It's best applied up to four times a year, including an application in early spring, late spring or early summer, early fall, and late fall. Apply it with a spreader, following the bag's guidelines for your type of grass. The one main downside to this fertilizer is that it does require a heavy application, as a 32-pound bag only covers up to 2,500 square feet of lawn, which is half the coverage offered by our best overall.

_{NPK Ratio: 6-4-0︱Type: Slow-release︱Feed Duration: Every 10 weeks︱Application Type: Granular︱Coverage: 2,500 square feet}

Hot, dry summers can give your lawn a beating and leave it looking a little worse for wear. Thanks to this fall fertilizer from GreenView, your grass will be better able to recuperate from the summer's stressors, survive the impending winter, and grow lush and green as soon as spring rolls around.

It has a well-balanced NPK ratio of 22-0-10, which is unlikely to burn your grass if applied as directed on the product bag. You can use it on just about any popular type of turf, including warm-season and cool-season grasses. Ideally, it should be applied when nighttime temperatures in your area are still in the 60s, no earlier than September, and no later than December.

The fertilizer should not be applied to damp or frozen turf; however, if a light rain is not anticipated later that day, it should be watered in after application. To keep your driveway and walks clean, sweep up any spills as soon as they happen.

Once it's been watered or rained on and is completely dry, it's safe for your pets to walk on. A 16-pound bag will cover up to 5,000 square feet of lawn, so you'll likely be able to get a few applications out of the bag.

_{NPK Ratio: 22-0-10︱Type: Slow-release︱Feed Duration: 8 weeks︱Application Type: Granular︱Coverage: 5,000 square feet}

Give your lawn a drink and a good meal at the same time with this quick-release liquid lawn fertilizer from Scotts. Just attach the bottle to your regular garden hose, turn the hose on at the spigot, and press the trigger on the top of the fertilizer bottle to start spraying.

Note that this shouldn't be applied to grass that's parched; if it's been a while since it rained or your sprinklers have been on, then water the grass before applying the fertilizer. It can be applied to any type of common lawn grass during the active growing season, meaning you can use it during the spring, summer, or early fall but not during the winter.

The NPK ratio of the fertilizer is 29-0-3, so it's well-balanced for quick greening and healthy root growth. After applying it, wait at least two days before mowing your lawn. Check the weather forecast before spraying, as you shouldn't use this product if the temperatures are over 85 degrees that day.

Keep in mind that you don't want to soak your grass; you should walk at a fairly brisk pace across your lawn while spraying the fertilizer with even, side-to-side motions of your arm. The manufacturer says the 32-ounce bottle will empty after 15 minutes or so of spraying, which gives you coverage of up to 2,000 square feet of turf (the least on our list).

_{NPK Ratio: 29-0-3︱Type: Quick-release︱Feed Duration: 6-8 weeks︱Application Type: Liquid︱Coverage: 2,000 square feet}

If you prefer to use organic products in your home and garden, then you'll like this effective lawn fertilizer from Purely Organics as much as we do. Derived from leftover distiller's grains and soybean meal, you can apply this product and let your pets or kids play on the lawn safely that same day.

You might find that there's a faint beer-like aroma after application—that's coming from the distiller's grains—but it will fade quickly. If rain is in the forecast within a couple of days of application, you don't need to water the granular fertilizer in, but if not, go ahead and water your lawn after application with your spreader, and then keep your lawn damp—not drenched—for a few more days while the fertilizer works its way down to the soil.

The NPK ratio is 10-0-2, so you can use it without fear of burning or creating yellow spots on your lawn. Apply it to any type of grass, whether cool-season or warm-season, every eight weeks during the active growing season. For most gardeners, that's spring through fall.

You'll love how quickly your lawn greens up and becomes thick and lush with regular doses of this plant-based lawn food. A 25-pound bag covers up to 6,250 square feet of turf, so you'll get more coverage than our best overall pick.

_{NPK Ratio: 10-0-2︱Type: Slow-release︱Feed Duration: 8 weeks︱Application Type: Granular ︱Coverage: 6,250 square feet}

Give your turf a heads up on the spring growing season with this organic lawn booster from Espoma. Made from feather meal, pasteurized poultry manure, and gypsum, this effective grass greener supplies a healthy dose of calcium, along with 8 percent nitrogen and 1 percent sulfur, to wake your spring lawn up and quickly restore its lush appearance and healthy color.

It's suited to all types of turf, and won't burn or discolor the grass as long as you follow the manufacturer's instructions for coverage. Apply it with a spreader to a dry lawn that's been recently mowed. If there is no rain forecast for the next 24 hours, go ahead and water it in yourself.

While there admittedly is a slight smell of bird droppings at first, it disappears quickly once the fertilizer has been watered into the grass and dissolved. But that's a small price to pay for a fertilizer that's safe for your kids, pets, and the environment.

It's best applied from February through April if you live in a cold-winter area or January through February for those in warm-winter climates. The 30-pound bag will cover up to 5,000 square feet.

_{NPK Ratio: 8-0-0︱Type: Slow-release︱Feed Duration: 12 weeks︱Application Type: Granular︱Coverage: 5,000 square feet}

While you can use this iron-rich garden booster any time of year, it's especially well-suited for summer applications. Unlike other lawn foods with high amounts of nitrogen, this one only contains 1 percent nitrogen, along with 9.9 percent iron and 33 percent sulfur. That's a recipe to help overcome nutrient deficiencies that lead to yellowed grass without encouraging thick growth that could be stressed during the summer heat. The result is green, healthy grass that doesn't require you to break out the mower quite as often.

You can also use Ironite to feed other garden greenery, including shrubs, trees, vegetables, and flowers. Apply the product in the morning before the heat arrives, and water it in well after application. Once the grass is dry after a thorough watering, your kids and pets can walk and play on it safely.

As long as you follow the manufacturer's directions for coverage, it won't stain your pavement or burn your grass. You might notice a faint smell of sulfur, but it will disappear quickly as the granules dissolve, and you should start to notice your grass greening up within a week or two. You can apply Ironite up to four times a year, or use it to green up your grass before the summer heat begins.

_{NPK Ratio: 1-0-1︱Type: Slow-release︱Feed Duration: Up to 3 months︱Application Type: Granular︱Coverage: 5,000 square feet}

According to the manufacturer, you can see your grass becoming greener within as little as three days after applying this fast-acting, long-lasting fertilizer. That's thanks to its high level of nitrogen, which quickly encourages lush, healthy growth.

With an NPK ratio of 40-0-5, there's also enough potassium to support healthy root growth to keep your lawn looking its best through the growing season. In fact, one application will keep on feeding your lawn for up to 6 months, meaning that for many gardeners, only one yearly application is required.

For best results, if your lawn is mainly cool-season types of grass, such as bluegrass, fescue, or rye, apply the fertilizer in either the spring or fall. If your lawn is mostly warm-season grasses, such as Bermuda, St. Augustine, or zoysia, then it's best to apply the product in the spring or early summer.

Either way, once you finish using your lawn spreader to evenly apply the product to dry grass, water the lawn well to soak it in. Watch the weather; you should avoid applying this fertilizer if very heavy rain is forecast.

Sweep up excess products from walkways and driveways to prevent stains, and keep pets and kids away from the grass until it is completely dry. If you have a bigger lawn, this 20-pound bag is a good choice because it covers the biggest area (up to 8,889 square feet) compared to the other options on our list.

_{NPK Ratio: 40-0-5︱Type: Quick initial release, followed by slow-release︱Feed Duration: Up to 6 months︱Application Type: Granular︱Coverage: 8,889 square feet}

It might seem like an endless battle to keep your lawn free from weeds, but this effective weed-and-feed from BioAdvanced helps you end the struggle. It's especially good at wiping out tough-to-kill crabgrass, but also effective against numerous other broad-leaf weeds, including clover, dandelion, and chickweed.

Not only does it stop already-growing weeds in their tracks, but it also prevents weed seeds from sprouting, and it keeps on working for up to 6 months. Plus, it's an effective fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 22-0-4 that helps green up grass and promote deep root growth for up to 3 months. You can apply it in the spring, summer, or fall.

On the downside, this is not suited to all types of grass. Only use it if your lawn is predominantly fescue, Bermuda grass, buffalo grass, Kentucky bluegrass, rye grass, seashore paspalum or zoysia. Use a spreader to apply the product to damp grass, and then water it well.

Do not let your children or pets onto the treated grass until it's completely dry. For best results, apply the fertilizer when temperatures are between 50 and 90 degrees.

_{NPK Ratio: 22-0-4︱Type: Slow-release︱Feed Duration: Up to 3 months︱Application Type: Granular︱Coverage: 4,000 square feet}

Final Verdict

We love Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Food, which is a nitrogen-rich formula that quickly greens up just about any type of turf and keeps it looking lush and healthy all season long. It’s easy to apply and effective. But if you want an organic product, then we recommend Purely Organic Lawn Food, which is made from dried distiller’s grains and soy meal. It’s effective and safe for kids, pets, and the environment.

FAQ

• When should you fertilize grass?

  According to John Kauffman, fertilizer is best applied during the lawn’s active growing season, especially in the spring when the turf is recovering from the harsh weather of winter, and in the fall to help the grass prepare for the upcoming dormancy of winter.

  He adds that it’s also important to consider your type of grass when determining the best time to fertilize. According to Kauffman, warm-season grasses, including Bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine, and centipede grass, grow most actively in the summer, so benefit from a feeding during that season, as well as in the spring and in the fall.

  Cool-season grasses, however, which include popular lawn grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, and fine fescue, grow most actively in the spring and fall, so should be fed the heaviest during those seasons, with just a light feeding during the summer.

• How often should you fertilize?

  Ideally, you should fertilize your lawn two or three times a year, with a feeding in the spring, summer, and fall. However, don’t reach for the bag of fertilizer more often than that. “Indiscriminate use of fertilizer can damage a lawn,” says Chris Enroth. As the nitrogen and salt levels build up in the soil beyond the turf’s requirements, the results can be the dreaded “fertilizer burn.” This shows up as yellow, brown, or dead patches of lawn, and can occur in as little as a few days after excessive fertilizer application.

• Do you water the grass immediately after fertilizing?

  While you should always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for watering before or after applying the fertilizer, as a general rule, when applying a liquid fertilizer, wait several hours before watering to allow the fertilizer to dry; you don’t want to wash it away with overly hasty watering. However, if you use a granular fertilizer, then go ahead and water right away to activate the fertilizer grains. Water until the soil and grass are evenly wet, but not to the point where puddles develop. Then hold off watering again for at least a day or two so all of the nutrients can release into the soil where the turf’s roots can access them. After that, it’s fine to resume your normal watering schedule.