• Obtain a soil test to determine grade and amount of fertilizer to use.
  
• Apply no more than 1 pound fast-release nitrogen per 1,000 square feet in a single application.
  
• Fertilize warm-season lawns from early spring until late summer.
  
• Most lawns need an average of 1 inch of water weekly to healthy growth
  In General
  
• Use only the amount called for, based on your lawn's square footage.
  
• For quicker application and to avoid a striped fertilizer pattern in the grass, use a rotary spreader, which applies fertilizer more evenly.
  
• Spread the fertilizer in two directions for each application.
  
• Apply fertilizer to dry grass, and water well immediately afterward.
  
• Sweep up any fertilizer spilled on paved areas and save for later use.
  
• Don't use leftover lawn fertilizer on trees, shrubs, annuals, or perennials. Too much nitrogen on these plants stimulates stem and leaf growth and decreases flower and fruit production.

Fall

• Cool-season lawns should receive most of their yearly fertilizer in the early fall. This will establish deep roots and help crowd out weeds in the spring.
  
• Use slow-release nitrogen whenever possible, especially on sandy soils.
  In General
  
• Use only the amount called for, based on your lawn's square footage.
  
• For quicker application and to avoid a striped fertilizer pattern in the grass, use a rotary spreader, which applies fertilizer more evenly.
  
• Spread the fertilizer in two directions for each application.
  
• Apply fertilizer to dry grass, and water well immediately afterward.
  
• Sweep up any fertilizer spilled on paved areas and save for later use.
  
• Don't use leftover lawn fertilizer on trees, shrubs, annuals, or perennials. Too much nitrogen on these plants stimulates stem and leaf growth and decreases flower and fruit production.

Winter

• Wait until warm-season grass becomes dormant before fertilizing areas overseeded for winter color.
  In General
  
• Use only the amount called for, based on your lawn's square footage.
  
• For quicker application and to avoid a striped fertilizer pattern in the grass, use a rotary spreader, which applies fertilizer more evenly.
  
• Spread the fertilizer in two directions for each application.
  
• Apply fertilizer to dry grass, and water well immediately afterward.
  
• Sweep up any fertilizer spilled on paved areas and save for later use.
  
• Don't use leftover lawn fertilizer on trees, shrubs, annuals, or perennials. Too much nitrogen on these plants stimulates stem and leaf growth and decreases flower and fruit production.