How much starter fertilizer per 1,000 sq ft? (10-10-10, 16-8-8, 20-10-10 at seeding)
Penn State Extension, Lawn Establishment, fertilizing at seeding puts the nitrogen in a starter fertilizer at 0.5-1 lb per 1,000 sq ft: at the midpoint, 0.75 lb per 1,000 sq ft, that is 7.5 lb of 10-10-10, 4.69 lb of 16-8-8 or 3.75 lb of 20-10-10 per 1,000 sq ft, spread just before or after seeding. Above 1.5 lb per 1,000 sq ft the young grass burns. The tables below give every analysis at the low, middle and top of the range, the product for lawns of 1,000 to 10,000 sq ft, and the regular feed for comparison; the arithmetic is the fertilizer calculator's.
Open the fertilizer calculator
How many pounds of starter fertilizer per 1,000 sq ft?
Penn State Extension, Lawn Establishment, fertilizing at seeding names 10-10-10, 16-8-8 and 20-10-10 as starter analyses (10-6-4 and 15-10-10 are acceptable) and a nitrogen rate of 0.5-1 lb per 1,000 sq ft. Product = nitrogen wanted ÷ (N% ÷ 100), the Purdue formula the fertilizer calculator uses; the phosphate and potash come along in the bag’s proportions. Read on 2026-09-20.
| Analysis | Nitrogen | Product per 1,000 sq ft | P2O5 applied | K2O applied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10-10-10 | 0.5 lb per 1,000 sq ft | 5 lb | 0.5 lb | 0.5 lb |
| 10-10-10 | 0.75 lb per 1,000 sq ft | 7.5 lb | 0.75 lb | 0.75 lb |
| 10-10-10 | 1 lb per 1,000 sq ft | 10 lb | 1 lb | 1 lb |
| 16-8-8 | 0.5 lb per 1,000 sq ft | 3.13 lb | 0.25 lb | 0.25 lb |
| 16-8-8 | 0.75 lb per 1,000 sq ft | 4.69 lb | 0.38 lb | 0.38 lb |
| 16-8-8 | 1 lb per 1,000 sq ft | 6.25 lb | 0.5 lb | 0.5 lb |
| 20-10-10 | 0.5 lb per 1,000 sq ft | 2.5 lb | 0.25 lb | 0.25 lb |
| 20-10-10 | 0.75 lb per 1,000 sq ft | 3.75 lb | 0.37 lb | 0.37 lb |
| 20-10-10 | 1 lb per 1,000 sq ft | 5 lb | 0.5 lb | 0.5 lb |
How much starter fertilizer for my lawn?
The rows multiply the midpoint rate (0.75 lb per 1,000 sq ft) by the lawn: a 5,000 sq ft lawn takes five times the figure per 1,000 sq ft. This is one application, with the seed; the maintenance feeds come later on the calendar. Measure the lawn once in the calculator (shapes minus beds and paths) and the seed and sod tools reuse it.
| Lawn | 10-10-10 | 16-8-8 | 20-10-10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft | 7.5 lb | 4.69 lb | 3.75 lb |
| 2,000 sq ft | 15 lb | 9.38 lb | 7.5 lb |
| 3,000 sq ft | 22.5 lb | 14.1 lb | 11.3 lb |
| 4,000 sq ft | 30 lb | 18.8 lb | 15 lb |
| 5,000 sq ft | 37.5 lb | 23.4 lb | 18.7 lb |
| 6,000 sq ft | 45 lb | 28.1 lb | 22.5 lb |
| 7,000 sq ft | 52.5 lb | 32.8 lb | 26.3 lb |
| 8,000 sq ft | 60 lb | 37.5 lb | 30 lb |
| 9,000 sq ft | 67.5 lb | 42.2 lb | 33.8 lb |
| 10,000 sq ft | 75 lb | 46.9 lb | 37.5 lb |
Starter or regular lawn fertilizer?
A starter bag carries phosphate for roots; a maintenance bag such as the 32-0-4 the calculator starts with has little or none. The nitrogen is what you dose: the regular feed on the Purdue calendar is 1 lb per 1,000 sq ft, the starter 0.75 lb per 1,000 sq ft. At 1 lb per 1,000 sq ft a 32-0-4 bag is 3.13 lb per 1,000 sq ft and 10-10-10 10 lb, which brings 1 lb of P2O5 the lawn may not need. Application of a starter fertilizer is not a substitute for the phosphate and potash recommended on your soil test report.
| N-P-K | Product per 1,000 sq ft | P2O5 applied | K2O applied |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32-0-4 | 3.13 lb | 0 lb | 0.13 lb |
| 24-0-6 | 4.17 lb | 0 lb | 0.25 lb |
| 16-8-8 | 6.25 lb | 0.5 lb | 0.5 lb |
| 10-10-10 | 10 lb | 1 lb | 1 lb |
| 6-2-4 | 16.7 lb | 0.33 lb | 0.67 lb |
Starter fertilizer per m² (UK)
UK labels write the rate in g per m²; the Penn State nitrogen range converts to 2.44 g per m² to 4.88 g per m². Switch the fertilizer calculator to UK / metric, type your pre-seeding feed’s N-P-K and that nitrogen, and it gives the grams per m² and the kilograms for the lawn. The seed itself is in How much grass seed per square foot?, in both units.
Every figure above is the fertilizer calculator’s own arithmetic on the Penn State starter rate and analyses; the sources and dates are listed on the calculator page. The label on the bag wins, and a soil test decides whether the lawn needs the phosphate at all.
Frequently asked questions
- How many pounds of starter fertilizer per 1,000 sq ft?
- Nitrogen wanted ÷ N%. At 0.75 lb per 1,000 sq ft (the middle of Penn State Extension, Lawn Establishment, fertilizing at seeding's 0.5-1 lb per 1,000 sq ft): 10-10-10 7.5 lb, 16-8-8 4.69 lb, 20-10-10 3.75 lb. The first table lists the low and high ends too.
- How much 10-10-10 fertilizer per 1,000 sq ft for a new lawn?
- 7.5 lb at 0.75 lb per 1,000 sq ft, 10 lb at the top of the range (1 lb per 1,000 sq ft); it brings the same weight of P2O5 and K2O, 0.75 lb each at the midpoint. 10-10-10 is the first analysis Penn State lists as a starter.
- How much starter fertilizer per square foot?
- Divide the figure per 1,000 sq ft by 1,000: 16-8-8 at 0.75 lb per 1,000 sq ft is 0.0047 lb per square foot, which is why bags and spreaders work per 1,000 sq ft. Type your area in the fertilizer calculator and it gives the spreader rate directly.
- How much starter fertilizer is too much?
- Penn State Extension, Lawn Establishment, fertilizing at seeding: more than 1.5 lb per 1,000 sq ft "can burn the young turf and result in poor establishment". The calculator flags a nitrogen target above the maximum you give it; for a starter feed set that to 1.5 lb per 1,000 sq ft. Application of a starter fertilizer is not a substitute for the phosphate and potash recommended on your soil test report.
- How much seed and starter fertilizer for 5,000 sq ft?
- Starter at 0.75 lb per 1,000 sq ft: 37.5 lb of 10-10-10, 23.4 lb of 16-8-8, 18.7 lb of 20-10-10. Seed at the tall fescue (turf-type) rate (7 lb per 1,000 sq ft, Penn State Extension, Lawn Establishment, Table 1): 35 lb. The seed guide gives the rate for every grass type.
- How much Scotts starter fertilizer per 1,000 sq ft?
- The bag says. A branded starter carries its own analysis and a spreader setting on the label; read the three N-P-K numbers off the bag, type them and the nitrogen you want into the fertilizer calculator, and it gives the pounds per 1,000 sq ft and the spreader rate. If the label's rate delivers more than the extension maximum above, use the label's lower setting for new seed.
More guides
- How much sod do I need for 500 square feet? (rolls, pallets and cost, 100 to 2,000 sq ft)
Sod for lawns of 100 to 2,000 sq ft: rolls and pallets with the extra for cuts, the cost from the price per roll and the weight to expect; UK turf rolls in m² too.
- How many rolls of turf do I need? (1 m² rolls with 5% extra, 10 to 200 m²)
Turf rolls for gardens of 10 to 200 m²: 1 m² rolls with the extra Rolawn recommends, the cost at their price tiers, roll dimensions and pallets; US sod rolls too.
- How much grass seed per square foot? (rates by grass type)
Seed rates by grass type for a new lawn and overseeding, in lb per 1,000 sq ft and kg per 100 m²; seed, sod and fertilizer by lawn size.
Last updated 2026-09-21. Rates from university extension guides and product labels, each with its source and date: the label on the bag wins.