When fertilizing your lawn or garden, it is very important to use a relevant fertilizer. This is why in this article, we tell you everything you need to know about the 17-17-17 fertilizer and how to use it.
Also, keep in mind that fertilizing your lawn or plants is as important as watering and must be done with extreme caution and responsibility to avoid burning your plants or lawn.
What is 17-17-17 fertilizer used for? This is an all-purpose fertilizer typically used with shrubs, lawns, trees and vegetable gardens. This fertilizer will provide the necessary nutrients your plants need in order to thrive. It’s great to use if you’re looking to provide an equal value of NPK to your plants.
When fertilizing your lawn or plants, please consider doing a soil test as this will give you more details about the lack of nutrients your soil may have.
This way, you will avoid overfertilizing your plants, and you will have a more stress-free experience, especially if you’re a beginner.
These soil tests are really easy to get. They are not perfect, but they’re definitely better than nothing.
But if, for some reason, you can’t do the soil test and this is your first time with this fertilizer, just go easy with your plants and lawn and assets, depending on the conditions of your plants.
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What Does 17-17-17 Fertilizer Mean?
The numbers you see in your fertilizer 17-17-17 represent Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium in this same order.
They are the basic nutrients all plants need in order to survive and have a healthy life.
Nitrogen helps with the growth, Phosphorus provides strong roots, and Potassium helps with the overall health of your plant.
In the case of the 17-17-17 fertilizer, it also means that it has an equal volume of these nutrients (NPK). Think about it this way if a bag of fertilizer represents 100% it has 17% of Nitrogen 17% Phosphorus, and 17% of Potassium.
And you may wonder what does the rest of the 51% in your fertilizer contain; well, depending on the brand, it will usually have other nutrients and minerals your plants and lawn need.
17-17-17 Fertilizer vs 10-10-10 Fertilizer
The difference between these two is that the 17-17-17 fertilizer is commonly used in lawns and the 10-10-10 fertilizer with house plants.
But they both provide an equal value of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium.
Although the 17-17-17 fertilizer has a higher percentage of the NPK.
But either one will do the work, but at the end of the day like always is best to make a soil test in order to determine what your plants and lawn need.
What Is Equivalent to 17-17-17 Fertilizer?
There isn’t an equivalent 17-17-17 fertilizer; even with this type of fertilizer, there are many differences since some may have more or less minerals and nutrients.
But if you’re looking for something similar, the 16-16-16 fertilizer is almost there or the 18-18-18 fertilizer.
Is 17-17-17 Fertilizer Good for Lawns? (Vegetables, Grass, Bermuda Grass, Hay Fields)
If you’re using this fertilizer for your lawn or garden, this is a great option, especially if you’re looking to provide maintenance to your plants.
If you haven’t performed a soil test, this is a great option to use since it will provide a balanced value of the NPK.
But I always recommend performing the soil test in order to get into the details of what your lawn needs.
But you can definitely use it with your lawn, vegetables, and all types of grass.
17-17-17 Fertilizer Application Rate
The application rate can vary depending on the amount of fertilizer your lawn or plants need.
So in order to get an exact number, it’s best to do a soil test.
But to give you a number, you can use the industry-standard, which is 1lb of fertilizer per 1000 sq. ft., and divide it by the amount of nitrogen you need, which in this case is 17%.
When doing the calculation, make sure to convert the number of your fertilizer into decimals.
For example 17% Nitrogen = 0.17 Nitrogen
You will calculated like this:
(1.0 lb of nitrogen x 1000 sq ft) ÷ 0.17 = 5.8 lb of 17-17-17 fertilizer to supply 1000 sq. ft of nitrogen.
So if you have 3000 sq ft of lawn, all you have to do is multiply the 5.8 lb of fertilizer x the sq ft of lawn.
For example:
3000/1000 = 3
5.8 x 3 = 17.4
So in order to fertilize a 3000 sq ft lawn, you will need to spread 17.4lb of fertilizer to meet the nitrogen requirements.
To determine the Phosphorus and Potassium, multiply 5.8 lb fertilizer per 1000 sq ft, by the percentage of Phosphorus and Potassium.
For example:
5.8 lb fertilizer x 0.17 Phosphorus/Potassium = 0.98
If you need a visualization, I recommend watching this video.
How Many Pounds of 17-17-17 Fertilizer per Acre?
You will first need to determine how much fertilizer you will use per 1000 sq ft. In the previous example, we determined the amount needed for 1000 sq ft was 5.8 lb fertilizer.
There are 43,560 sq ft in an acre, so all you have to do is multiply that by 5.8 lb and divide by 1000.
For example:
(5.8 lb fertilizer x 43,560) ÷ 1000 = 252 lb fertilizer.
So you will need 252 lb of 17-17-17 fertilizer per acre.
Spreader Setting for 17-17-17 Fertilizer
Spreader settings could vary depending on the brand of fertilizer you’re using and the spreader itself.
But a general rule to follow is to use ⅓ of its opening.
For example, if the spreader you’re using has 15 dials, dial number 5 is the ⅓ of its opening.
Or you can even set up the spreader in a way you’re sure your fertilizer particle can come out.
I recommend watching this video for info.
When to Apply 17-17-17 Fertilizer?
When it comes to plants, you can fertilize when transplanting or during spring, summer or fall.
For lawns is the same seasons: spring, summer and fall.
Is 17-17-17 Fertilizer Good for Tomatoes?
Yes, you can definitely use this fertilizer with your tomatoes plants and any other vegetable plants.
Some may consider using organic fertilizers, although the growth process may be slower.
Where Can You Buy 17-17-17 Fertilizer?
There are many locations where you can buy this fertilizer; one of them is your local stores like Lowes, Home Depot, Waltmart and for an easy purchase amazon.
There are also many other online stores you can purchase this product at.
Can You Use 17-17-17 Fertilizer for Food Plots?
Yes, you can definitely use this fertilizer with your food plots; it will provide the necessary nutrients they need.
You can also use other types of fertilizer like the 19-19-19 fertilizer or the 30-10-10 fertilizer.
Conclusion: What Is 17-17-17 Fertilizer Used For?
This fertilizer is great to use with your trees, shrubs, lawns and vegetable garden. It will provide an equal value of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. You can use it when needed with your lawn or plants.
But if possible, try to do a soil test in order to be more efficient with the processes of fertilization.
If this is your first time fertilizing or you haven’t used this type of fertilizer, go easy with it since overfertilizing your lawn or plants could throw away the work you’ve done in months or even years.
This fertilizer can also be used with different types of lawns and plants if necessary but again, make sure to be prudent.
You can find this fertilizer in your typical retail store, and if you can’t find it in your state with just a quick search online, you will get it.
When fertilizing, it is great to have an open mind and try to use different types of products and brands until you find what works best for your and your garden and again to speed up the process and avoid difficult mistakes; a soil test is vital.