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HomeToolsScotts Turf Builder Starter Food for New Grass
24-25-4 · your ZIP

Scotts Starter fertilizer calculator

Scotts Turf Builder Starter Food (24-25-4) is a high-phosphorus feed for new grass, applied once at seeding or sodding at about 3 lbs per 1,000 sq ft. Enter your lawn size for the amount and bags, then switch to a regular fertilizer after 6 to 8 weeks.

Label rates at a glance

Every product below has its own label rate and application limit. The calculator uses the label rate as the source of truth and reports the nitrogen it delivers, so you can compare products fairly.

ProductN-P-KRate / 1,000 sq ftBag / bottleMax apps / yr
Milorganite 6-4-06-4-012.8 lbs32 lb / 2,500 sq ft4
Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Food32-0-42.5 lbs12.5 lb / 5,000 sq ft4
Scotts Turf Builder Weed & Feed28-0-32.9 lbs14.3 lb / 5,000 sq ft2
Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action25-0-22.8 lbs11.3 lb / 4,000 sq ft2
Scotts Turf Builder Southern Lawn Food32-0-102.8 lbs14 lb / 5,000 sq ft4
The Andersons PGF Complete 16-4-816-4-83.6 lbs18 lb / 5,000 sq ft6
Lesco 24-0-1124-0-114 lbs50 lb / 12,500 sq ft4
Simple Lawn Solutions Advanced 16-4-816-4-810 fl oz / 1,000 sq ft32 oz / 3,200 sq ft6
Ironite 1-0-11-0-13 lbs15 lb / 5,000 sq ft4
Scotts Turf Builder Starter Food for New Grass24-25-43 lbs15 lb / 5,000 sq ft1 (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 shifts each product's application windows using your region's frost dates and growing season.

Cool-season lawns

Feed hardest in spring and fall. In hot regions the calculator drops summer nitrogen entirely, because feeding heat-stressed fescue or bluegrass does more harm than good.

Warm-season lawns

Feed from full green-up through late summer. The last application lands about 6 weeks before dormancy, so late-fall feedings are dropped automatically.

Your region

Northern ZIPs shift every window later; southern ZIPs shift earlier and open a longer season. The same product gets a genuinely different calendar.

Have a different bag? The fertilizer rate calculator works with any N-P-K, and the full fertilizer calculator builds a season plan from your grass type.

Rate calculatorFull fertilizer plan

Scotts Turf Builder Starter Food for New Grass questions, answered

How much starter fertilizer do I need?

The label rate is about 3 lbs per 1,000 sq ft, so a 15 lb bag covers roughly 5,000 sq ft. The calculator scales it to your lawn size.

When do I apply starter fertilizer?

At planting time, right when you seed or lay sod. It is a one-time application; move to a normal lawn fertilizer 6 to 8 weeks later once the grass is established.