Question:
How much fertilizer should I apply to my lawn?Answer:
Fertilization rates range from 0.50 to 1 pound of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet, depending on application time and the quality level of lawn you wish to grow.
To figure out how much fertilizer you will need to apply to your lawn, divide the rate of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet you want to apply by the amount of nitrogen stated in the analysis on the fertilizer bag. For a 20-5-10 fertilizer applied at a rate of 0.75 lbs/sq.ft., you would divide 0.75/0.20 to get how much actual fertilizer is needed. In this case, you would need 3.75 lbs. of 20-5-10 fertilizer to apply 0.75 lbs. of nitrogen on 1,000 sq.ft. of lawn.
If you use a different fertilizer, the amount of product applied to your lawn would be different because the percentage of nitrogen would be different. Use this calculator to help calculate the amount of fertilizer needed for your lawn: Lawn Fertilizer Calculator. Websites and phone apps are available to determine how large your yard is using online maps: Measure My Lawn.
A soil test can help provide answers to other nutritional needs of your turfgrass. Many soils in Iowa do not need additional phosphorous applications; an exception to this is at seeding, when phosphorus is needed in higher levels.
After application of any fertilizer, make sure to sweep the fertilizer off the hard surfaces to ensure minimal runoff.