It is easy to make the mistake of purchasing the wrong products initially. Many have opted for cheaper herbicides or fertilizers due to the appealing price, easy access, or simply not knowing better. Here is a list of products recommended for beginners, organized by category.
For any item priced over $100, it is recommended to join a local lawn group and consider a group purchase. Many of these products are sold in commercial concentrations, meaning even just 1.25 oz of product can last for multiple seasons, potentially expiring before all of it is ever used.
Pre-emergents: Prevent weeds from germinating
- Prodiamine for spring ($25)
- Specticle Flo for fall ($340)
Post-emergents: Kill weeds on contact
These post-emergents are most effective than products like Image which contain 2,4-D and slow the growth of bermuda lawns.
NPK Fertilizers: Push grass growth
This is for the core nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Drop a balanced fertilizer once in the spring. Each month after that, use urea if your lawn has pH < 6.5, otherwise use ammonium sulfate if you have pH above 6.5.
- Balanced fertilizer like 13-13-13 for spring time ($25)
- Urea (46-0-0) or ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) for cheap monthly growth ($20-50)
Micro Fertilizers: Foliar for maximum absorption
This is for micronutrients like magnesium, sulfur, iron, manganese and zinc. Spraying fertilizers gives quicker absorption and better uptake than fertilizers applied to the soil. Micros are more beginner friendly to spraying than urea and ammonium sulfate, although those can be sprayed too.
- Feature Iron ($35) or Main Event ($39)
- Nutrisolve ($45)
Even Less Products
8 products too many? If I had to choose 3 core products for less than $200, I’d do:
- Urea or ammonium sulfate for fertilizer to push thick growth
- Prodiamine to prevent weeds from germinating
- Certainty to kill poa annua and nutsedge
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