Fertilizer calculator

5,000 sq ft, 1 lb N, 30% bag: 16.7 lb of product, 2 bags.

Job sheet

Plumb fertilizer job sheet

1 lb of nutrient per 1,000 sq ft.

  • Product16.7 lb3.33 lb of product per 1,000 at 30% analysis.
  • Bags215 lb bags.
Plumb fertilizer job sheet
1 lb of nutrient per 1,000 sq ft.

Product: 16.7 lb (3.33 lb of product per 1,000 at 30% analysis.)
Bags: 2 (15 lb bags.)

From nitrogen percent to pounds

Product per 1,000 square feet is the nutrient rate divided by the fraction on the bag. One pound of nitrogen and a 30-0-4 bag is 1 ÷ 0.30 = 3.33 pounds of product. Multiply by the lawn in thousands. Area comes from square feet. Seed is a different rate, on grass seed.

FAQ

How much fertilizer for 5,000 square feet?

At 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet and a 30% nitrogen bag, that is 3.33 pounds of product per 1,000, or 16.7 pounds for the whole lawn. A 15 pound bag means 2 bags.

What does the middle number do?

The three numbers are nitrogen, phosphate, and potash, as a percent of the bag. This page divides by the nutrient you are targeting. If the schedule is written in phosphate, type that percent, not the nitrogen percent.

Sources

  1. University of Minnesota Extension, Fertilizing lawns: A common single application is about 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. The bag’s analysis replaces that default.