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Home & Garden > Lawn Guide > Established Lawns > Fertilizing > Setting your Spreader

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How to Manage Pests

The UC Guide to Healthy Lawns

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Setting your spreader

Spreaders can be set to various settings, depending upon the type of fertilizer you use. In general, these settings are based on the amount of nitrogen needed for 1000 sq. ft. of lawn.

How to apply fertilizer

Test to see if your spreader is applying fertilizer at the set rate

  • Fill the spreader with fertilizer and fertilize over a known distance.
  • To calculate the area you covered, measure the width of the spreader and multiply it by the length you moved.
  • Do this over a tarp or mat where the fertilizer can be collected and weighed.
  • If you tested over a 100 sq. ft. area, multiply the amount discarded by 10 to see how much would have been discarded over a 1000 sq. ft. area.
  • If the resulting number matches your spreader setting, the spreader is calibrated properly.
  • If the resulting number is higher or lower, adjust the setting to recalibrate the spreader.

Statewide IPM Program, Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California
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