Everything You Need to Know About Fertilizer

Lawns have specific nutrient needs, depending on the season and type of grass. The roots of your turf — as well as your garden plants and trees — obtain nutrients from soil but over time the plants deplete the soil so it no longer holds enough necessary nutrients. That’s why replenishing the nutrients with routine lawn fertilizer applications is so important to keep your lawn healthy. Ideally, you should fertilize several times each year, spring, summer and fall.

There are four lawn fertilizer formulations you may see:

• All-Purpose Lawn Fertilizer: Apply this fertilizer to any lawn type. You can choose between granular or liquid application types. Some all-purpose lawn fertilizers offer extended feeding for up to six months to support a strong and vibrant lawn.
• Starter fertilizer quickly establishes and strengthens new lawns. It’s ideal for seed germination and promotes faster growth and strong root development. Both granular and liquid types are available.
• Winterizing Fertilizer: A winterizer fertilizer helps a lawn recover from the damage that results from summer heat, drought and activity. Winterizer fertilizer builds strong, deep grass roots for a better lawn next spring.
• Weed and Feed Fertilizer: Weed and feed fertilizer is designed to perform double duty by both feeding your lawn and controlling weeds. This combined action helps lawns grow thick and healthy. Application options include liquid and granular types, with some fertilizers offering extended control for up to six months.

Plant fertilizer is designed to encourage growth in various flowers like roses or hydrangeas or boost the yield of vegetables, like tomatoes or lettuce. They're available as liquids, granules or spikes.

Some plant fertilizer is formulated for general use and others are specially formulated like houseplant fertilizer or fertilizers that include weed control. Some garden fertilizer isn't suitable for edible plants, so read the label carefully.

Many people choose to use organic fertilizer, natural soil conditioners and soil additives. Some of the most common are:

• Bone Meal: A byproduct of the meatpacking industry, bone meal contains calcium and phosphorous, essential elements for plant growth.
• Blood Meal: Another byproduct of the meatpacking industry. Steamed and dried, it's high in phosphorous.
• Fish Emulsion: A fish-processing byproduct. Mild, nontoxic and organic, fish emulsion is good for tender plants that may suffer fertilizer burn.
• Compost: One of the best all-around garden fertilizer materials for soil improvement and one you can make yourself from kitchen scraps. See our article on composting to get started.
• Composted Manure: For soil conditioning or use in the compost pile.
• Peat Moss: An amendment that aerates and lightens heavier soils such as clay. It adds mass to sandy soils to reduce the leaching of nutrients.

Nitrogen is important for the early stages of growth for almost all plants. Using a nitrogen-rich fertilizer results in healthy leaves and stalks. Nitrogen also helps produce chlorophyll, responsible for the lush green color of a healthy plant.

While nitrogen helps produce healthy leaves, too much nitrogen can cause flowering plants or crop-bearing plants to have too much of the wrong thing. Low-nitrogen fertilizer allows the plants to focus on producing blooms and crops, resulting in a more successful yield.

You need to consider things like what type of plant you’re trying to fertilize, your preferred application method and the mix of nutrients needed.

This means the fertilizer contains equal parts nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and is a good general all-purpose mix. If you’re still not sure which fertilizer to buy, a 20-20-20 mix is a good place to start.

This all depends on location, season and the type of grass you have. Read our article on fertilizing your lawn for more information. You can also join our fertilizer subscription service to skip the guesswork.