What Products Should I Use On My Lawn?

Last Updated on July 1, 2025 by Duncan

With so many lawn care products available, choosing the right one to use can be challenging. To help you out, we have put together a guide on which lawn care products to use in various conditions. So, if you have been asking, what products should I use on my lawn? Here they are:

Fertilizer

Fertilizer promotes the health and growth of your grass and is necessary for proper lawn maintenance. To reap the most benefits, feed the grass at peak growth periods, which include early spring, summer, and fall.

Fertilizers typically contain nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) and are used to replenish nutrients depleted in the soil that the grass requires.

Nitrogen is essential for a plant’s general health. Phosphorus helps to build strong root systems, as well as promote blooming, fruit growth, and seed yield. When administered correctly, it also helps to enhance disease resistance.

Potassium promotes optimal plant growth while also improving water retention and disease resistance. Fertilizers may also contain secondary and micronutrients, which are required in trace amounts by plants.

Fertilizers come in a variety of types, including granular and liquid, and can be organic, organic-based, or synthetic. Organic-based fertilizers give the best of both worlds – they provide nutrients to promote lawn growth but also add organic matter to the soil, improving soil structure.

Liquid fertilizers are great for giving the lawn a quick boost – all nutrients are available at once and will quickly green up the yard or correct a nutrient deficiency.

For a great time, go for fertilizers containing a combination of slow and fast-release granules that provide a quick initial boost to your lawn while continuing to feed your lawn for extended periods of time.

Milorganite, for example, is a low-nitrogen fertilizer that releases slowly and is insoluble in water. So, if you are looking for an aweseome fertilizer to go for, consider this one.

Fertilizers can be synthetic (inorganic) or manufactured from organic resources, which are less harmful to humans, pets, and the environment.

Consider using less-toxic alternatives to lawn care chemicals, such as organic fertilizers, naturally derived fertilizers, compost, or composted manure, to give necessary nutrients.

Before you apply the fertilizer, you’ll need to figure out what nutrients are deficient in the soil. Check with your local extension office to see if they offer soil analysis.

If the test indicates that nutrients are present in sufficient quantities, there is no need to administer them. It will save time and money while, more critically, lowering the risk of nutrient runoff.

Although you may be tempted to add “a little extra” nitrogen, synthetic or not, this is one instance where more is not better. Excess nitrogen promotes blade growth at the expense of a robust root system, weakening plants because roots cannot keep up with top growth.

It may also cause nutrient leakage, runoff, or stress the plant enough to make it more prone to disease.

To be on the safe side, choose a fertilizer that contains the necessary nutrients to replenish those depleted in the soil.

For a great experience, apply the fertilizer when your lawn requires it most. Matching applications to the development cycle of grass is most successful since it provides nutrients at the optimal time.

Weed killers

A well-fed, healthy grass is one of the best weed-repelling measures that you can take. While this is the case, should weeds appear, look for selective herbicides that you can use to treat in-lawn weeds such as bindii, clover, and winter grass.

Herbicides come in two forms: liquid and granular. Pre-emergent herbicides destroy weed seedlings as they emerge.

Thus, you should apply them before the grass seeds germinate. Post-emergent herbicides target established weeds and must come into contact with the weed to be effective.

You should read the herbicide box carefully. While you are at it, remember that selective herbicides may also kill certain grass varieties, whereas non-selective herbicides destroy all vegetation.

Weed and feed products are a mix of fertilizer and herbicides. If you’ve already used a weed and feed product on your grass, don’t apply any extra herbicides.

If there are only a few weeds on your lawn, don’t bother applying a herbicide on them. Instead, consider removing them by hand. A moderate quantity of weeds may necessitate spot treatment with a pre-mixed, post-emergence herbicide. Lawns with an overwhelming amount of weeds may require a full spray of herbicide.

Remember to follow all product instructions for appropriate herbicide quantities, application methods, and essential personal protective equipment (PPE).

If you are wondering when you should apply the herbicides, the optimal timing to use a pre-emergent or post-emergent herbicide is determined by your local climate.

When to administer a pre-emergent herbicide depends on the soil temperature, which should be between 50 and 55 degrees. You can check the soil temperature online, call your local extension office, or use a meat thermometer with a 3″ probe.

Pre-emergent herbicides are more effective in cooler climates when applied in the spring and fall. A reapplication in the spring can help reduce the quantity of summer weeds. Fall application focuses on winter annual weeds that grow in the fall.

You can use pre-emergents in warmer climates in the spring to reduce summer weeds and again in the fall to reduce winter weeds.

Apply post-emergent while summer weeds are actively growing, as it has to come into contact with the weed. In warm areas, you can use post-emergents while winter weeds are actively growing.

Weed control products come in hose-on bottles, concentrates, and ready-to-use sprays. Always read the label to determine whether a weed killer is appropriate for your lawn type.

Aerator

Foot activity, mowing, and children and pets playing in the grass all compact the soil beneath the lawn. Compacted soil restricts water, air, and nutrients, and as a result, the lawn grows poorly.

An aerator or corer is one of the most effective lawn care tools to use because it perforates the ground or eliminates soil plugs to relieve compaction. To be on the safe side, aerate in spring or more often if there is heavy foot traffic in the area.

Lawnmower

A lawn mower is essential for creating a perfect lawn. For a great time, mow regularly, especially during the warmer months, but just remove one-third of the leaf blade to avoid scalping.

When making the purchase, look for a rotary mower with an adjustable cutting height and take into consideration the cutting deck size. A small cutting deck is suitable for small areas, while medium to large areas will benefit from a larger mowing deck.

Tip: Keep your lawn mower blades sharp for you to have an easy time cutting the grass.

Lawn seed

Bare patches in lawns can arise due to general wear and tear, soil compaction, pests, diseases, or high foot activity. Grass seed is an excellent approach to fill in these gaps as part of your lawn maintenance routine; it also provides an inexpensive way to establish a lawn from scratch.

Warm-season grasses such as couch and kikuyu frequently turn brown in winter, particularly in temperate areas.

For a great time, over-sow with rye grass in the fall to ensure lush green turf all year. You should note that over-sowing with a cool-season grass like rye provides a nice green cover over winter, but – as the weather warms up – the rye grass dies off, and the couch or Kikuyu takes over.