The Grass Doctor

what is the best fertilizer for my lawn, I live the northeast and have used Scotts step program for years?

Public Comments

1. scotts is about the best, though rather expensive
2. no other company gives you the step program Scotts does. It has proved to be a winner all over the country.... You can match Scotts products with other brands to try to save money, but the end result will not justify the savings. Get your soil PH tested, it may show a need to change your fertilizing practice if your lawn appears to have changed its appearance over the years.Don't lime your lawn or anything else for that matter, till you have your PH tested and it needs it. You could just be making things worse.
3. A lot of people do not lime their soil to get the Ph up to around neutral (6.5 to 7.0) If your soil isn't in this range any fertilizer you apply gets locked up in the soil and the grass doesn't get any fertilizer. Acidic soils take in the nutrients from the fertilizer and locks them up so the plant starves. Liming a soil is an important step. Some lime takes months to break down so do it in the fall. There is a fast acting lime but a little more expensive. Scotts is a little expensive and there are a lot of cheaper brands that will do the same. Just read the numbers on the back of the bag and get them around the same. If you don't lime your throwing money into the ground without any benefits. Here in the Northeast we use products made by M.N.A (Mass Nursery Association) which is cheaper and just as good. Visit a local nursery that displays the MNA logo.
4. Use a $6 bag of Ammonium Sulfate to green things up, then use a pre-emergent + fertilizer to prevent spring weeds (clovers, dandelions, crabgrass). Scotts is over-rated- and only exists as a homeowner product specialist. Their commercial (golf) division was bought out by Andersons. They make billions on the brand by placing product in ALL the hardware stores.
5. i use a mulching mower and dont need any other fertilizer...