How to fertilize the lawn

How to feed a lawn

Feeding a lawn is often thought of as a dirty, laborious chore. In fact, it only takes a few minutes and the benefits are worthwhile for the lawn, and the improved appearance of your garden.

Project Steps

1. Using a spreader

There are two types of spreaders: broadcast and drop. A broadcast spreader will get the job done more quickly, but is less accurate than a drop spreader, which "drops" the application directly on the lawn. More passes will need to be made with the drop spreader. All spreaders have a hopper (where you put the fertilizer), wheels, handle, on/off switch and a calibrator. The back of the lawn food package will give you the setting for your spreader.

2. Fill the hopper

Open the bag and fill the hopper on the spreader. Once you have the proper setting on the calibrator, it is time to start feeding the lawn.

3. Make header strips

Feeding the lawn is as simple as mowing it. First, make a header strip around the perimeter areas of the lawn. Watch the swath (the area where the application is broadcast) and make sure the granules fall on the lawn, and avoid getting it in gardening beds, driveways and sidewalks.

4. Feed the rest of the lawn

Turn the spreader to "on" and start walking, and turn it "off" when you reach the area of your header strips. Don't worry if it looks like you are applying the same area again, just be sure to turn if off as close as you can to where you already applied the product. Continue going back and forth across the entire lawn. For broadcast spreaders, the swath should overlap a previous pass by a few inches. For a drop spreader, follow the wheel marks from a previous pass. Once you reach the end of the lawn, turn the spreader off and return any remaining product to the bag.