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Should I Fertilize When I Plant Grass Seed?

Grass seed needs three primary nutrients found in fertilizers to grow and establish strong root systems: nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Because vegetation uses so much of these nutrients, your soil is generally lacking a specific nutrient or all three. Newly planted grass seed will need to have all of the nutrients or you can wind up with a thinning yard or bare areas.

  1. What is Starter Fertilizer

    • Starter fertilizer is the type of fertilizer you spread when planting your grass seed. This fertilizer benefits seed germination and seedlings by making the nutrients available to the plant's root system. It is important for grass seed to quickly spread over the lawn. Weeds can take advantage of bare soil and pop up around your seedlings, forcing new grass to compete with weeds for the soil's nutrients.

    Starter Fertilizer Types

    • When purchasing starter fertilizer, check the NPK amount labeled on the bag. The first number indicates nitrogen, second is phosphorous and third number is potassium. The third number or phosphorus should be the highest percentage to aid in strong root development. You can use 20 lbs. of a starter fertilizer with a NPK amount of 5-10-5 on 1,000 square feet of lawn space or 6 lbs. of fertilizer with a NPK amount of 16-20-0 on 1,000 square feet.

    How to Apply

    • Apply starter fertilizer right before seeding the lawn. Pour the fertilizer granules into a rotary spreader and apply at the distribution rate suggested on the fertilizer bag. Till the fertilizer into the first 2 to 4 inches of top soil to deeply incorporate the fertilizer for the roots. To activate the fertilizer, water the soil thoroughly. When fertilizer has been worked into the soil, apply the grass seed over the lawn.

    Second Round of Fertilizer

    • You grass will need a second round of fertilizer six to eight weeks after it has been seeded. Seedlings quickly use the nutrients from the starter fertilizer to spread over the lawn area. Never apply more than 1 lb. of nitrogen to the yard or you can cause your grass to burn. Also, avoid applying fertilizer to grass during dry spells or drought without properly irrigating the grass.

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Growing Grass
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  11. When Can I Fertilize My Lawn After Planting Grass Seed?
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