Most people think of fertilizing their lawn as a way to make it greener, but what many don’t realize is that fertilizers are also important for the overall health of your lawn. Fertilizers provide nutrients your lawn needs to stay strong and healthy and can help protect from diseases.
This is why in this article, I tell you all you need to know about the 8-8-8 fertilizer and when you should use it.
What is 8-8-8 fertilizer used for? This is a great all-purpose fertilizer commonly used with vegetable plants, but you can definitely use it with trees, lawns, shrubs and in your garden. It will provide an equal value of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium.
This fertilizer is a great option to have when you don’t really know how much fertilizer you will need for your plants and garden.
It’s always important to never over fertilizer; doing so will damage your plants; this is why this can be a great and friendly option for beginners.
You will still need to determine how much fertilizer you will use per sq ft but don’t worry, I will tell you more about it in this article.
What Does 8-8-8 Fertilizer Mean?
The number you see on your fertilizer represents NPK which stands for Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium; these are the main nutrients that plants need in order to grow and develop.
Nitrogen is responsible for the plant’s green color and overall growth, Phosphorus helps with root development and Potassium aids in disease resistance and fruit production.
The levels of these nutrients vary depending on the specific plant and the stage of its growth, so it’s important to know what your plants need in order to provide them with the proper care.
A soil test can help determine whether your garden or soil is deficient in any of these nutrients. If so, you can then supplement your plants’ diet with a commercial fertilizer that contains the appropriate NPK ratio.
In the case of this fertilizer, the numbers are also saying that this fertilizer has an equal value of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium since it’s 8-8-8.
8-8-8 Fertilizer Application Rate
To get the application rate, let’s use the industry standard which is 1 lb of fertilizer per 1000 sq ft.
Now I will give you an example; please make sure to convert the numbers of your fertilizer into decimals.
1.0 lb of nitrogen x 1000 sq ft = 1000 ÷ 0.08 = 12.5 lb of 8-8-8- fertilizer
And if you have a lawn that is bigger than 1000 sq ft, all you have to do is multiply the 12.5 lb x the sq ft of your lawn.
How Much 8-8-8 Fertilizer per Acre?
To calculate the acre, all you have to do is determine how much fertilizer you need for sq ft, then multiply it by the representation of one acre in sq ft and divide by 1000.
So 1 acre = 43,560 sq ft. Then you will multiply by 12.5 lb fertilizer x 43,560 = 544,500 then divide by 1000 = 544.5 lb of fertilizer per acre.
8-8-8 Fertilizer Spreader Settings
The spreader setting can vary a lot depending on the spreader you’re using or even the fertilizer itself.
To keep things simple, you can use ⅓ of your spreader opening, meaning that if it has 15 dials, the 5 is the one you need to use.
Another thing you could do is analyze the biggest particle in your fertilizer process, then adjust your spreader, making sure this particle can spread out.
How to Apply 8-8-8 Fertilizer?
You will simply go section by section in your lawn, making sure that you cover the area properly.
If you have a big yard, I recommend you use a granular fertilizer with its spreader to cover more ground.
If you have a small yard and have a liquid version of this fertilizer you can just spray through the lawn by section.
Is 8-8-8 Fertilizer Good for Lawns?
Yes, you can definitely use this fertilizer with your lawns is a great option when looking to provide maintenance.
But do remember the best option is to perform a soil test to determine the right amount of NPK you will need for your lawn or plants.
Is 8-8-8 Fertilizer Good for Tomatoes? (Or Other Vegetables)
Yes, this fertilizer can definitely be used with your tomato plants. Many companies have taken this type of fertilizer and added nutrients in order to make a delicious cocktail of nutrients for tomato plants.
And you can also use it with other vegetable plants. But it also depends on the needs of your plants.
Is 8-8-8 Fertilizer Good for Trees?
Yes, this fertilizer can be used with trees, especially if you’re just looking to provide maintenance or are making a transplant.
If you’re in the initial stage of growth, you might want something stronger like the 17-17-17 fertilizer or even optimize for the particular needs of your trees.
If this is what you have on your hands, you can definitely use it.
8-8-8 Fertilizer vs 10-10-10 Fertilizer
You can say the difference between these two fertilizers is that the 10-10-10 fertilizer has a higher NPK value. But it is also an all-purpose fertilizer commonly used with plants and lawns.
If you think you might need something with a higher NPK value than the 8-8-8 fertilizer but not too high, then 10-10-10 is the perfect option for you.
But I don’t personally think there is too much difference with the exception of a particular brand and the extra minerals it might have.
Where to Buy 8-8-8 Fertilizer?
You will typically find this fertilizer on amazon or similar online stores.
You can also check for your local stores, at Laws, Home Depot or Walmart; these are places where you might find it depending on their availability for the product.
But I don’t see any issue in you finding this product since it is massively available.
Conclusion: What Is 8-8-8 Fertilizer Used For?
This is an all-purpose fertilizer typically used with tomatoes plants, corn plants, banana plants etc. But it could also be used in your garden and lawn. This fertilizer will provide an equal value of NPK.
When fertilizing, it is very important to be prudent as we don’t want to over-fertilize our plants.
So always try to use the proper amount of fertilizer, as I previously talked about in this article.
And if for some reason this fertilizer was not as effective, keep trying with others as testing different types of fertilizer is part of the process, especially if you’re not going to do a soil test, which I recommend doing, if you want to save time.