Your Zip Code:

Log In | Register Now | Help Center

Home » Help Center » Scotts Article Library » Lawn Care Articles & Videos » Feed » NPK and Other Mysteries

Help Center

Send to a Friend

close

Please type your email address and your friend's email address. Then type a message and click send to a friend.

One or more errors have occurred:






    Hooray, it's on its way and should arrive shortly.

    NPK and Other Mysteries

    Not All Lawn Fertilizers Are the Same

    spreader in use

    If you've shopped for lawn fertilizer, you might have noticed a code on the label that looks something like this: NPK 29-2-4 (Sometimes only the numbers are shown). Most people ignore it, but this code tells you a lot about the fertilizer you're about to buy. The letters stand for Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium. The numbers tell you the percentage of those ingredients in the product by weight. But what do these letters and numbers add up to for the look of your lawn?


    The Roles of N, P, and K

    Nitrogen greens up your lawn and helps it grow. Phosphorous stimulates root growth and helps seeds sprout. Potassium helps grass withstand disease and drought. That's why Scotts® Turf Builder® Starter® Brand Fertilizer contains much more Phosphorous than Turf Builder® with 2% Iron; it helps new grass establish a good root system.


    Not all "N's" Are the Same

    Nitrogen is Nitrogen, but where it comes from and how it gets on your lawn can make a big difference. That difference is all about how it's distributed and how quickly it's released. Bargain-basement lawn fertilizers contain mostly fast-release Nitrogen. So your lawn greens up for 7-14 days, and then the green fades away -- a feast-then-famine situation. Scotts® fertilizers use a mix of fast- and slow-release Nitrogen to help your lawn stay consistently green for 6-8 weeks.


    NPK

    How N, P, and K Are Mixed

    If you look closely at most store-brand lawn fertilizers, they look like little pebbles of different colors. That's because the N, P, and K are all separate. So, when you spread the fertilizer on the lawn, you don't get an even distribution. Scotts® Turf Builder® fertilizers have "all in one particles®". So you get an even distribution of nutrients every time you apply.


    Related Products

    Starter Fertilizer Thumbnail

    » Scotts® Turf Builder® Starter® Food for New Grass

    » Scotts® Turf Builder® Lawn Fertilizer with 2% Iron


    Lawn App
    My Scotts Lawn App Manage your lawn right from your phone. Get friendly care reminders, exclusive offers, helpful tips and more.
    iTunes Store Google Play
    Ortho App
    Ortho Problem Solver AppHave lawn, garden or home pest control problem?
    Get the solution with the new Ortho Problem
    Solver App.
    iTunes Store Google Play