How Long Does Turf Builder Take?

Nutrients in Turf Builder

• Scotts Turf Builder contains a 32-0-4 fertilizer with 2 percent iron. The first number represents the percentage of nitrogen contained in the bag. Nitrogen is the primary macro-nutrient plants use for overall growth. Phosphorus is the middle number, 0, and is not present in most lawn fertilizers because of the adequate amount in most soils. Potassium is the third number, 4, and helps to strengthen cell walls and increase the overall health of a plant. Iron plays a key role in the production of chlorophyll and will help your lawn green up beautifully.

Water Smart Technology

• Water Smart Technology is a patented secret held by The Scotts Miracle-Gro company and is incorporated into many of their lawn and garden products, including Scots Turf Builder and many of their other lawn foods and grass seeds. The technology claims to increase water retention nutrient uptake. This patented technology helps the fertilizer to work sooner and last longer.

Factors Influencing Response Time

• Results from Turf Builder should start to appear after one week of application, according to the Scotts Help Desk. Many environmental factors play a role in influencing how quickly a fertilizer works. These factors vary from season to season and yard to yard. Cool-season and warm-season grasses have different growth rates and spikes of seasonal growth. Cool-season grasses such as bluegrass, fescue and ryegrasses have natural growth spurts in spring and fall, whereas warm-season grasses such as buffalo grass and Bermuda grass tend to grow the fastest in summer. During these natural growth spikes, water and nutrients are taken up more rapidly and fertilizer applied during these times will show faster growth rate than during dormant or slower growing times. Other factors that can influence turf response time include: water availability, pH temperature and application rate.

Fertilizer Mainentance

• For best results, read and follow the label on the bag. Scotts recommends using correct spreader settings for accurate coverage. Apply Turf Builder on a wet or dry lawn and immediately water it in if temperatures exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The slow release nitrogen in Turf Builder will last six to eight weeks and will need to be reapplied every six weeks for proper overlap and continuation of nutritional input.