"Dave Gower" wrote in message
...
I have a Scotts rotary fertilizer spreader model 1000, which I bought
several years ago but haven't used much. This fall I decided to give my
lawn a fall fertilization for the first time, so I bought a bag of Scotts'
Turf Builder Pro 31-3-8. It said it covered 9600 square feet, and since my
lawn is less than 8000 square feet I bought one 28 lb bag.

On the bag it said to set my spreader to 3 1/2, which I did. The problem
was that it only covered 1/3 the lawn before it was all gone. I hope that
doesn't mean I burnt the lawn, and I also can't think of what I could have
done wrong. I was careful to spread it according to directions (about 4-5
feet between each spread, which is certainly the width of the throw).

I guess I won't buy more now, since I won't be able to remember where I
left off. So next Spring the outside part of my lawn will be either burnt
or really happy?

Where are you located? If your area is still warm, you might end up with a
burnt lawn. I would be especially worried if you get a good rain followed by
several days of warm weather.

Do you have a bagging mower? You might be able to pull some of the excess
fertilizer off of the lawn if you cut the lawn and use the bagger before the
fertilizer gets damp.

One tip. I usually set the spreader at 1/2 the recommended application
rate, put half the required fertilizer in the hopper, spread it, and repeat
the process. It may lead to a more even application and gives you a quicker
indication if the application rate is off.