How Much 10-10-10 Organic Fertilizer to Apply to the Lawn?

In order to have a thick, green lawn, it takes planning and works hard. Giving the grass the right nutrients in the right amount at the right time is an important part of lawn care. Too much is a waste of time and may harm the grass and surrounding environment, while too little fertilizer will starve a lawn of valuable minerals. However, to make it easier to know what you are applying to the soil, the federal government mandates that the specific amount of each kind of fertilizer be prominently displayed on every container.

NPK

The three most important fertilizers are each listed on the bag in their percentage of the gross weight — NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium). While a 10-lb. bag would have 1lb. each, a 30-lb. bag of 10-10-10 organic fertilizer would have 3 lbs. each of the elements, which should be well considered. A 30-lb. bag of 15-10-5 fertilizer would have 4.5 lbs. of nitrogen, 1.5 lbs. of potassium and 3 lbs. of phosphorus. The rest is filler that makes it easier to spread.

Testing

Heavy fertilization is not needed by all lawns. A lawn based on rich topsoil with plenty of organic matter may only need a light application. If the grass is mulched and left on the lawn, this is especially true. The surest way to know how much fertilizer to add to the lawn is to have the soil tested for both nutrients and pH balance. Any fertilizer added is just wasted if the pH balance is too low or too high, since the nutrients will not be absorbed by the grass. Quick and easy home soil testing kits are readily available at garden centers.

Grass Needs

Different grasses have different nutritional needs. The varieties of commonly planted grass are listed by North Carolina State University on their website, and also give the amount of pounds of nitrogen that each grass requires. For instance, 4 lbs. of nitrogen is needed by Bermuda grass per every its 1000 square feet each year. On the other side of the chart, only 1.5 lbs. is needed by zoysia grass per year. While 1.5 lbs. equals 15 lbs. of a 10-10-10 mix, four pounds of nitrogen equates to an application of a 40-lb. bag of 10-10-10 all-around organic fertilizer every year.

Knowing the Grass

2 to 3 lbs. of nitrogen or 20 to 30 lbs. of organic 10-10-10 fertilizer every 1000 square feet is required by many types of grass listed by North Carolina State University per year. You will be specifically told what amount of fertilizer to use by simply knowing what types of grass you have, along with knowing the soil makeup. Knowing which type of grass you have will also affect when you fertilize, because warm-weather grasses and cool-weather grasses also have optimal times for fertilizing that are different from one another.

Related Guide to How Much 10-10-10 Organic Fertilizer to Apply to the Lawn?

What is Organic 10-10-10 Fertilizer?

When you are gardening, you will find several fertilizers are available to help you get healthy plants in your lawn. Organic 10-10-10 fertilizer is one of the most popular fertilizers which is used to improve plants in your lawn. There are many things related to this fertilizer that you need ...

Best Organic Fertilizer for Vegetables You Might Never Think Before

Though you might be able to find many fertilizer products to help you add more nutrients to your soil and to grow healthy veggies, there is best organic fertilizer for vegetables that you will never think before. Instead of bringing less benefit, this kind of fertilizer is considered as one ...

Let’s Talk More about Corn Gluten for Weed Control

It might have been familiar to use corn gluten for weed control, but some people might not get further details regarding this corn gluten. The fact is that this corn gluten can be one of the best fertilizers to help you inhibited roots from plants that have a well-established root ...

Basic Lawn Maintenance Tips

Surely you know a healthy field once you see it: a sleek, lush inexperienced carpet, excellent for croquet and cartwheels. Thus why does not your field appear as if that? To induce that excellent field you will need to amendment your mind-set, says landscape designer. "You skills in golf they ...

Basic Lawn Maintenance Rules for a Perfect Lawn

Though a perfect lawn might be quite unusual term you hear, there is no secret about basic lawn maintenance rules to get it. It will be just a basic rules that you need to do to your lawn for a perfect lawn. You have it as the best advice you ...

The Best Liquid Organic Fertilizers for Vegetables

Plants are provided with potassium, nitrogen, other nutrients and even beneficial microorganisms to the soil by fertilizing your vegetable garden, which all fertilizers – organic or synthetic -- are actually made from chemicals. This stimulates plants and encourages growth of healthier, larger crops of vegetables. The use of organic fertilizers ...

Do You Know about Corn Gluten Weed Killer?

Corn gluten weed killer might be quite unfamiliar for gardener before Nick Christian discovered this as one of the most beneficial fertilizer which will also work as weed inhibitor. This is one of discovery that done by Nick from Iowa State university to give the benefit of common corn gluten ...