Weed Control
Spring Weed Control Guide
When and how to stop spring weeds before they take over: pre-emergent timing, post-emergent options and a step-by-step plan.
Lawn Fertilizer
Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Food (32-0-4) Review
★★★★★ 4.7/5 editor rating
The default American lawn feeding: works on every grass type, phosphorus-free, and cheap per thousand square feet.
Affiliate links — see our disclosure. Commissions never influence verdicts.
Our Verdict
Not glamorous, just correct: an all-grass, no-phosphorus feeding that's compliant almost everywhere and hard to misuse with a broadcast spreader. Feed inside your state's window and this does 90% of what fancier bags do.
✅ Pros
- Safe on every common US lawn grass
- Phosphorus-free — clears most state and county P restrictions
- Very economical per 1,000 sq ft
- Widely available in every big-box store
⚠️ Cons
- Fast-release portion can streak or burn if spreader passes overlap
- Reapplication needed every 6–8 weeks in season
- No micronutrients or soil-building organics
| Product type | Lawn Fertilizer |
| Active ingredient | 32-0-4 with slow-release nitrogen blend; phosphorus-free |
| Price range | $25–$55 |
| Coverage | 5,000–12,500 sq ft bags |
| Best for | The standard in-season feeding for any grass type |
Where This Product Matters
Matched against each state's actual disease, weed and pest pressure.
Florida
Florida hub →🌾 St. Augustine🌾 Bahiagrass🌾 Zoysia🌾 Bermuda🌾 Centipede
Application window: April–May and September–October (check local summer blackout ordinances)
⚖️ Many Florida counties prohibit nitrogen fertilizer applications June 1 – September 30 — schedule feedings for spring and fall.
Texas
Texas hub →🌾 Bermuda🌾 St. Augustine🌾 Zoysia🌾 Tall Fescue
Application window: Late April after full green-up, June, and early September
North Carolina
North Carolina hub →🌾 Tall Fescue🌾 Bermuda🌾 Zoysia🌾 Centipede🌾 Kentucky Bluegrass
Application window: Fescue feeds in fall: September, October and late November — never in summer
Georgia
Georgia hub →🌾 Bermuda🌾 Zoysia🌾 Centipede🌾 St. Augustine🌾 Tall Fescue
Application window: Bermuda: monthly light feedings from full green-up (late April) through August
Ohio
Ohio hub →🌾 Kentucky Bluegrass🌾 Perennial Ryegrass🌾 Tall Fescue🌾 Fine Fescue
Application window: September and early November (winterizer) carry the lawn; optional light feeding late May
California
California hub →🌾 Tall Fescue🌾 Bermuda🌾 St. Augustine🌾 Zoysia
Application window: Fescue: October–November and March–April; Bermuda: May–August
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania hub →🌾 Kentucky Bluegrass🌾 Tall Fescue🌾 Perennial Ryegrass🌾 Fine Fescue
Application window: September and late October; state law closes the window December 15 – March 1
Illinois
Illinois hub →🌾 Kentucky Bluegrass🌾 Tall Fescue🌾 Perennial Ryegrass🌾 Fine Fescue🌾 Zoysia
Application window: Labor Day and Halloween feedings do 80% of the work; optional light Memorial Day application
Tennessee
Tennessee hub →🌾 Tall Fescue🌾 Bermuda🌾 Zoysia🌾 Kentucky Bluegrass
Application window: Fescue: September through November; Bermuda and zoysia: May through August
Arizona
Arizona hub →🌾 Bermuda🌾 Perennial Ryegrass🌾 Zoysia🌾 St. Augustine
Application window: Bermuda: light monthly feedings May–September, plus iron for alkalinity yellowing
Guides That Use This Product
Lawn Health Newsletter
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Pre-emergent windows, disease alerts and fertilization schedules for your region — one short email, right when your lawn needs it.
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