Your fertilizer schedule, by the bag you bought
Pick your product and enter your ZIP and lawn size. You'll get the exact amount per application, how many bags to buy, and a year of application dates tuned to your region and grass.
Label rates at a glance
Every product below has its own label rate. The calculator uses the label rate as the source of truth and reports the nitrogen it delivers, so you can compare products fairly.
| Product | N-P-K | Rate / 1,000 sq ft | Bag / bottle | Apps / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milorganite 6-4-0 | 6-4-0 | 12.8 lbs | 32 lb / 2,500 sq ft | 4 |
| Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Food | 32-0-4 | 2.5 lbs | 12.5 lb / 5,000 sq ft | 4 |
| Scotts Turf Builder Weed & Feed | 28-0-3 | 2.9 lbs | 14.3 lb / 5,000 sq ft | 2 |
| Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action | 25-0-2 | 2.8 lbs | 11.3 lb / 4,000 sq ft | 2 |
| Scotts Turf Builder Southern Lawn Food | 32-0-10 | 2.8 lbs | 42.18 lb / 15,000 sq ft | 4 |
| The Andersons PGF Complete 16-4-8 | 16-4-8 | 3.6 lbs | 18 lb / 5,000 sq ft | 5 |
| Lesco 24-0-11 | 24-0-11 | 4.2 lbs | 50 lb / 12,000 sq ft | 4 |
| Simple Lawn Solutions Advanced 16-4-8 | 16-4-8 | 10 fl oz / 1,000 sq ft | 32 oz / 3,200 sq ft | 6 |
| Ironite 1-0-1 | 1-0-1 | 3 lbs | 15 lb / 5,000 sq ft | 4 |
| Scotts Turf Builder Starter Food for New Grass | 24-25-4 | 3 lbs | 15 lb / 5,000 sq ft | 1 (at seeding) |
Why your schedule depends on your ZIP
A Milorganite schedule in Cleveland is not a Milorganite schedule in Atlanta. Cool-season lawns feed hardest in spring and fall and skip summer nitrogen in hot regions. Warm-season lawns feed through summer and stop before their fall dormancy. The calculator moves most windows by a fixed amount for your broad region, then uses your ZIP's average first frost to end warm-season feeding.
Cool-season lawns
Feed hardest in spring and fall. In hot regions the calculator drops summer feedings, because feeding heat-stressed fescue or bluegrass does more harm than good.
Warm-season lawns
Feedings start after full green-up, no earlier than May, and the last one lands at least 6 weeks before your ZIP's average first frost (a month for Milorganite). Weed and feed and crabgrass preventer follow weed timing instead, so they can come earlier.
Your region
Each broad region gets a fixed shift. Up north, spring feedings move later and fall feedings earlier. Down south it's the reverse. The same product gets a different calendar in each region.
Fertilizer schedule questions, answered
Can I apply Milorganite every month?
No. Milorganite recommends four feedings a year, because each one keeps feeding for up to 8 to 10 weeks. Northern lawns go Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day and Thanksgiving. Southern lawns go after green-up, Memorial Day, Labor Day and early October. Monthly feedings waste product.
How much fertilizer do I need for 5,000 sq ft?
It depends on the product's label rate. Milorganite at 12.8 lbs per 1,000 sq ft needs 64 lbs (two 32 lb bags) per application, while Scotts Turf Builder at 2.5 lbs per 1,000 sq ft needs just 12.5 lbs. Pick your product and the calculator does the math for your exact lawn size.
When should I fertilize for the first time in spring?
Cool-season lawns: after the grass is actively growing and you've mowed 2-3 times. Warm-season lawns: after full green-up, not at the first hint of green. The calculator holds warm-season feedings until May. Weed and feed and crabgrass preventer follow weed timing instead, so they can come earlier.
Is more fertilizer better?
No. Most lawns should stay under 4 lbs of actual nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft per year, and centipede under 2. The calculator counts nitrogen across your applications and trims the schedule if a product would push past the cap.
Can I just use the schedule printed on the bag?
Bag schedules assume an average climate. The calculator moves most windows for your region, ends warm-season feeding ahead of your ZIP's average first frost, and drops summer feeding where heat stresses cool-season grass. In states with lawn fertilizer laws it covers, it drops feedings in the no-fertilizer season and flags the other limits.
What about weed & feed timing?
Weed & feed follows weed activity, not just grass growth: it needs damp grass and actively growing weeds, with a 4-week buffer around seeding. Pick a weed & feed product and the calculator surfaces those timing rules.
Tools to use next
Fertilizer Calculator
Get exact product amounts for each feeding
Fertilizer Rate Calculator
Convert your plan into precise per-app rates
Soil Temperature Tracker
Start feeding once the soil warms up
Spreader Settings Lookup
Find the spreader setting for your bag
