<p>I am finally catching up with the yard work. I just ran out spring fertilizer 7-2-2. I have leftover from last fall 8-2-2. Is there significant difference bwteen 7-2-2 and 8-2-2?</p>
<p>No, the ratio is so similar that it will be fine.</p>
<p>Good, it makes it simpler. One has to wonder why they bother to package it fall/spring when the difference is minor.</p>
<p>All those numbers sound low. Most spring fertilizer has a high nitrogen content, doesn’t it? Anyway, I’m sure the packaging for spring or fall has more to do with marketing and potential sales :)</p>
<p>I don’t know your location, or if it holds true for all of them, but the biggest mistake people make is to spread the spring application too early. That just contributes to massive top growth (already prevalent in the spring).</p>
<p>What numbers are standard then? </p>
<p>I am not sure if this too early. I take care of it when I can, anytime between March and May.</p>
<p>Ciscoe says good numbers are 12-4-8.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.ciscoe.ckklkom/pdf/laklwnout.pdf[/url]”>http://www.ciscoe.ckklkom/pdf/laklwnout.pdf</a></p>
<p>hmmm… Is it different for slow release?</p>
<p>I’m not sure if they numbers are different for slow release,but I am positive slow release is better for the health of the lawn and results in less speedy overgrowth.</p>
<p>NPK represent nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The numbers are the ratio, and given for a 100 lb bag, so ex. 5-7-4 would have 5 lbs of N, 7 lbs of P and 4 lbs of K. The rest is filler/inert/carrier.</p>
<p>Fall fertilizers actually should be different by being higher in Phosphorus, which promotes root development, which helps the plant going into winter and makes for early spring green-up.</p>
<p>I am in northern Indiana, zone 5 and it’s best here to wait as close to Memorial Day as possible before fertilizing.</p>
<p>We use weed and feed and watch the grass take off. Then in the fall we put down winterizer.</p>
<p>Oh, I couldn’t remember what the numbers should be. I was just commenting that there is little difference between 7-2-2 and 8-2-2. We use a natural landscape company that applies things like compost tea and corn gluten. Weed and feed is becoming less common in our area as efforts are made to reduce broad herbicide application and rely instead on spot treatment (or tolerate the presence of some weeds in the lawn).</p>
<p>I heard compost tea is great. I am still stuck in the granular type, organic one FWIW.</p>