How to Spread Fertilizer? Both by Hand & By A Spreader

Spreading fertilizer comes to be an imperative choice as long as you are concerned about the grass and the plants in your garden. But for gardeners who are new to this, this almost sounds like mysterious stuff.

We mean, the methods, tools, steps, precautions, and affects- all of them come to be shady and blurry to you if you’re not an experienced one.

Say goodbye to the ignorance, from now on, and for good. Because we’ve got a couple of sets of steps to explain how to spread fertilizer by hand or by a spreader.

Hang on, and let’s dive deep.

First Thing First: Decide the Right Fertilizer and Season

Before we step into the actionable guides, you need to get a couple of things straight first-

Select the right time to fertilize

No matter if you’re doing hand-fertilizing or spreader-fertilizing on your lawn, there is something important about the time. For example, it should be when the lawn is dumped and not soaked. A little dew on the grass would be a plus.

Also, choose not to apply the fertilizer by hand/spreader while it’s about to rain or storm. Because the rain will definitely wash away the fertilizers.

Get the right fertilizer for your lawn

While hand-fertilizing, there are only specific criteria for selecting the best type of fertilizer. But, for working with a fertilizer spreader, you have to be selective about both ‘types’ and ‘size of fertilizer’ you are spreading around.

For usual cases, fertilizer of 10-10-10 or 15-15-15 type fertilizer goes well with general types of the spreader.

Once done, determine the area of the lawn and the right amount of fertilizer required to be applied, and proceed to the steps onward.

How to Spread Fertilizer by Hand? – 5 Steps

Step 1: Decide the amount and split them into half

There are certain calculative formulas about which kind of lawn will take how much fertilization. Based upon that, calculate the right amount of fertilizer and divide them into half.

The division is done because it would be more effective if you apply the fertilizer into two phases.

Step 2: Protect yourself

Before getting into the action, protect yourself with essential safety equipment. This includes-

1. Hand gloves to avoid contact with the chemicals.
2. Face masks or general masks to avoid inhaling chemicals.
3. Garden shoes so that the toes are safe.

Done? Good. Proceed to the final steps now-

Step 3: Start from a corner

Take the fertilizer into a bucket in the first place. Now, start applying the fertilizer from one corner of the lawn. Don’t start from the center as it will ruin the proper balance of distribution.

While spreading, take a handful of the fertilizer and spread them with a sweeping motion. Make sure that the density of the fertilizer you are applying is a good match with the remaining amount and area of the lawn. In this way, you can make sure that all of the fertilizer comes to be sufficient for the lawn of yours.

Taking the fertilizers into your hand, walk through imaginary lines across the length of the lawn. Once a line is complete, maintain a decent length with the next one. In this way, you can ensure over-applied and under-applied fertilization on your lawn grass.

Step 4: Repeat the process over again

Once you are done with the first batch, start it over with the second batch of fertilizer. Now, the lines that you will create will be perpendicular to the lines previously created.

Step 5: Water the lawn

Now, the finishing step will be to water the lawn a bit so that the fertilizers become consumable to the grass on the lawn.

Once done, wash your hands and other body parts that were exposed.

How to Spread Fertilizer by A Spreader? – 5 Steps

Step 1: Check out the distribution rate number

For this, you get to ensure a good fertilizer spreader in the first place. Each of the fertilizers comes up with a certain distribution rate number. And this has to be maintained properly when you are using a spreader to distribute the fertilizer.

Once you’ve checked it out, it would be something between 1 and 10. Now, rotate the dial or the lever of the spreader accordingly. You can find the lever or the dial right below the handle of it.

Step 2: Start spreading

Now, start spreading with the spreader. To start with, choose a line that is at least 3 feet away from the edge of the lawn. This will help you to ensure proper distribution. Start and end a particular line in a linear direction with the spreader turned on at the pre-calculated rate.

Step 3: Repeat from the opposite

Once you have completed a line of spreading fertilizers, go to the other end of the line and start over the process. In this way, you can create another strip of fertilizer in the opposite direction. This will also help to ensure a firm distribution of the fertilizer for your lawn.

However, while crossing a line to reach the other end of the previous line, don’t forget to hold the handle or the lever of your fertilizer spreader.

Step 4: Water the area once done

In this step, you are presumably done with the spreading. Now, you have to water the area with a garden hose. A lawn sprinkler would be a better option although. But the mission is to make the lawn soil damp to a depth of 1 inch.

Damp soil absorbs the fertilizer faster and better. That’s why we are doing this.

Step 5: Rinse the spreader and prepare for the next use

By the end of this process, you have to rinse off the spreader so that it stays in good health until the next round of use comes up.

Bottom Line

So, that was all about today’s guide on how to spread fertilizer by either a spread or by hand. But no matter which way you follow, you are sincerely advised to take proper precautions and maintain the spreader properly. Because, sometimes, unsafe contact with those chemicals can let you to get affected badly. And that’s definitely the last thing you would like to take place.