All You Need to Know About Fertilizers This Spring

The more you understand about your lawn fertilizer, the better your yard will look come springtime.

What’s there to understand about fertilizer, you say? Well, not all fertilizers are made the same. On each label, there is a set of numbers that look something like this: 32-0-4. These numbers stand for the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium (N-P-K) in the product by weight.

Nitrogen is responsible for keeping your lawn green and helping it grow. What many people don’t know is there are different types of nitrogen. Fast-release nitrogen is used by bargain lawn foods, leaving your yard green for 7-14 days before fading away. Scotts® fertilizer uses a combination of fast and slow-release nitrogen to avoid a feast-then-famine situation, keeping your lawn consistently green for 6-8 weeks.

Phosphorous helps seeds sprout and stimulates root growth. Scotts® Turf Builder Starter Food for New Grass contains phosphorous, where many lawn fertilizers don’t, to help new grass establish good root systems. Potassium, on the other hand, helps grass withstand stress such as drought and disease.

Most bargain lawn fertilizers keep the nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium separate, appearing as small, different colored pebbles. This is inefficient, as it causes an uneven distribution of product. Scotts® Lawn Food products have Scotts® All-In-One Particle®, allowing for an even distribution of nutrients with every treatment.

Joe’s Market Basket wants help you keep your lawn green and thriving this year. To learn more about fertilizers and lawn care, visit your local Joe’s Market Basket stores located in Edwardsville, Godfrey, Troy and O’Fallon, or visit www.joesmarketbasket.com.