I hate when they do that to you. Was the test done recently or last fall? Because those high-N numbers are more typical for a fall application to winterize the lawn.

In any case you have many weeks to go before you should fertilize. If you don't fertilize now, the grass will come in at the normal high speed spring growth. If you fertilize now, the growth will become out of control leaving you mowing 2x or even 3x per week to keep up with it. Grass farmers always fertilize after the initial spring flush of new growth. That is when the grass has exhausted its ready supply of energy and is ready for more. That time is typically in early to late May.

If you really feel you MUST fertilize as soon as possible, then at least wait until the grass is awake for the year. That time is after you have mowed real grass (not weeds) for the second time. If you fertilize before that time you will have wasted the application on grass with sleeping roots. And it is the roots which take up the fertilizer.

Back to the original question: the numbers are not that critical. Look at the ratios between the three numbers. They indicate a very high nitrogen number with lesser potassium and phosphorus. Anything with much higher N would be fine.

Thanks you dchall_san_antonio,

I had the soil test done a few weeks ago, so it's current.
The above is the recommendation for March and April fertilization. The fall (September, October and November) call for a different combination (6.2 lb 16-4-8 or 5 lb 18-2-18 or 18-2-9 or 5 lb 21-8-12 or 22-4-14 or 4 lb 24-5-11 or 3.6 lb 28-3-6 per 1000 sqft).

My local farmers co-op has a slow release 21-8-12 and a "weed and feed" 22-0-6. Would one of these be okay? Or better to go with Scott's Turf Builder (32-0-4)?

Thanks so much

sorry, duplicate post.

This post was edited by eacollie on Fri, Mar 7, 14 at 8:37

Weed and feed is normally a waste of money. It is much better to fertilize first and wait 2 weeks to spot spray with a liquid herbicide for broadleaf weeds. So the answer is anything except weed and feed.

But again, it is best to wait until after the initial flush of new growth subsides.