We all want a healthy, green lawn that complements our landscape and provides excellent curb appeal. We want our kids to be able to play in their bare feet and feel good about it. The best kind of fertilizer for your grass will encourage healthy turf while minimizing weed/pest issues with a thick mat. There are all kind of lawn fertilizer on the market and choosing the right food for your lawn begins with a good understanding of grass fertilizer numbers and knowing your soil and sod type.

There is more to caring for your lawn than simply mowing. Turf grass has a healthy appetite and requires regular moisture to look its best. All plants thrive from basic macro- and micro-nutrients but grass in particular needs extra macro-nutrients which can come from air and water, but are used in such quantity that it’s super beneficial to supplement. These main nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium and are symbolized on grass foods as N-P-K. If you need to know which of these ratios is needed in the highest amount, a soil test is a great way to do that. The ratio of nutrients on any plant food is represented by N-P-K and states the amount of each. For example, 10-10-10 is a balanced food with equal parts nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Nitrogen promotes foliar growth and color. Phosphorus encourages flower and root growth, as well as early establishment. Potassium in lawns enhances the plant’s ability to use nitrogen.

Below are 2 of our recommendations for lawn food, available at Pete’s:

A-Vert Plus Lawn Food

It’s 18-0-6, so 15% of that nitrogen content is going to be slow acting, 3% will be fast acting. It also has a 6 month pre-emergent protection so you’ll fertilize 2 times a year and you’ll be all set!

Turf-Mate Organic Lawn Food

This product is made by Soil Mender in Tulia. It’s a 4-2-3, derived from pasteurized poultry manure, greensand, humate, and dry molasses. Dry molasses stimulates the soil microbes which provide healthy soil and in turn help the lawn. You can put it on up to 4 times a year, fertilize your whole lawn with this and you’re done!