Step 2: Test your soil

Determine the acidity of your soil. Head to your local hardware store and buy a cheap soil testing kit. This is important to do, because it will determine how your soil will receive and use the ingredients in the fertilizer you put down.

As you may remember from middle or high school chemistry, the acidity of your soil is reflected by a pH scale. The higher the number, the more acidic your soil is; the lower the number, the more alkaline. What you want is soil that is as close to neutral as possible. The more neutral your soil, the more benefit it will receive from the fertilizer you use. A pH range between 6 and 7 is the best condition soil for growing grass.

Your fertilizer will indicate how much nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) it contains. You can get crazy with these numbers, so we’ll help you cheat:

1. 34, 10, 10 is a good Spring Fertilizer

2. 15, 5, 5 is a good Fall Fertilizer

If you have acidic soil, now is not the time to fertilizer. Wait until Fall and apply some limestone to the yard. Then you should be able to start fertilizing the following Spring.

In all other cases, you can go ahead and apply the proper fertilizer for the season. Applying sulfur or gypsum can assist in bringing your soil up to neutral if it tests as alkaline.