These Fertilizer Spreaders Make Short Work of Nourishing Your Lawn and Garden (2025)

The Scotts Turf Builder EdgeGuard DLX gives you greater control over where you’re distributing fertilizer or seed than most broadcast spreaders. Its namesake “EdgeGuard'' feature allows you to cut flow to the right side of the hopper so you can reach the edges of your yard without spreading seed or fertilizer on gardens or walkways as you pass by.

Scotts offers EdgeGuard on many of its spreaders, but this model stands out because it allows you to easily toggle it on the fly with a lever on the handlebar. This way you don’t have to stop and change settings as you approach a walk, driveway, or flower bed.

We also like Scotts simple controls, which prevent you from releasing too much fertilizer. With all that, and a reasonable sub-$100 price tag, the Turf Builder EdgeGuard DLX is an easy choice for many homeowners.

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This push-behind model from Scotts is affordable and delivers a decent amount of material, thanks to its 5,000-square-foot capacity hopper. As with our top pick, this model features Scotts EdgeGuard, which allows you to run the spreader along the edge of your yard without sending seed or fertilizer onto the street or landscaping.

Unlike more on upscale models, however, you’ll have to stop to turn EdgeGuard on or off. We also love the easy-to-read instructions on the rear of the unit, eliminating any confusion about its operation. The EdgeGuard Mini is compact, inexpensive, and very effective.

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If you have a large yard to feed, then you’ll need a spreader that’s up to the task, and the Chapin Professional Turf Spreader has got the goods. Its large hopper can cover up to 20,000 square feet with fertilizer in a single run, so you won’t have to make frequent pit stops to reload material.

Its 14-inch pneumatic tires roll more smoothly and easily over terrain than models equipped with plastic wheels. It also has controls that allow you to widen the spread pattern for large swaths of grass or tighten it to avoid hitting garden beds and walkways.

A heavy-duty steel frame will keep it rolling for many seasons, though this can make the spreader heavier and harder to maneuver compared to lighter models that feature more plastics in the construction.

You’ll pay a premium for this pro-level broadcast spreader, but its performance, capacity, and sturdy construction make it a worthy investment for anyone with a vast yard to fertilize.

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If you’re looking for a more precise spread and don’t mind having to take a few extra laps to get the job done, you should go with a drop spreader like the Scott’s “Classic” here. Instead of spraying material out in three directions, it simply lays a path of seeds or fertilizer directly below it, so it doesn’t end up in places you want it, like flower beds, walkways, or a swimming pool.

There’s also a flow control adjuster on the handlebar that allows you to make minute adjustments to how much fertilizer or seed is dropped with each pass. Just be prepared to spend a little more time seeding or fertilizing.

This spreader’s 1/4-acre capacity is smaller than most, and its 22-inch wide spread pattern is a fraction of the 5-to-6-foot-wide swath you get from a broadcast spreader. But while it may take longer to get the job done, you won’t find a more precise option.

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This Scotts broadcast spreader uses two spinning rotors to evenly spread material while you push. The dual rotors give it a broad spread pattern–up to 6 feet wide–so you can cover a lot of ground with each pass. It has incredible capacity, storing enough fertilizer or seed to treat up to 20,000 square feet.

While the plastic tires don’t have the bounce and stability of the pneumatic alternatives on other spreaders, they're broad enough to be able to move easily over small ruts or roots. Plus, you won’t have to worry about them getting punctured and deflating.

The integrated phone holder on the handle is perhaps a little gimmicky but also a nice touch. Scott’s largest broadcast spreader is a great option for those who need to fertilize a larger yard, but don’t want to spring for an expensive professional-grade option to do it.

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While it doesn’t have the capacity of larger walk-behind options, the battery-powered Scotts Wizz is far and away the easiest spreader to use among our picks. Just load up, grab the handle, and squeeze the trigger to spray your lawn or garden. Like our top picks from Scotts, it features EdgeGuard, which allows you to drop fertilizer or seed precisely where you want it without getting messy.

It’s one drawback is power: The Wizz requires four AA batteries, so you need to make sure to stock batteries to run it. That said, if you only have a small amount of green on your property or you’re short on space, the Wizz is a perfect handheld spreader.

Scotts also makes a handheld spreader that is manually powered. To activate it, you have to squeeze the handle trigger and turn a crank with your free hand. This is another viable option if you only have a small area you're covering and don't want to worry about whether your batteries have enough juice.

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This gigantic spreader from Agri-Fab is designed specifically for jobs that require lots of seed and fertilizer. The universal tow hitch makes it easy to connect to nearly any lawn tractor or ATV. The hopper holds 130 pounds of fertilizer, seed, or ice melt, which is enough to cover 25,000 square feet (roughly half an acre) without a refill.

Its control lever can also be reached from your mower seat, so you won’t need to stop and get off the machine to adjust the flow. If you have the need—and the heavy machinery to tow it—a huge spreader like this should save you a lot of time.

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If you need drop spreader precision at tow-behind scale–half an acre or more–Agri-Fab also makes a massive drop spreader that’s a great choice for large properties with lots of landscaping beds, walkways, and other areas where you don’t want seed or fertilizer to end up. Hauling up to 175 pounds of material, it can cover about an acre of land on a single run.

It’s also built to last. The heavy-duty polypropylene hopper won’t rust, and its pneumatic tires should keep it stable over uneven terrain. Like the Agri-Fab broadcast tow-behind model, its control arm is positioned so the operator can reach it from the seat of a lawn tractor or ATV.

If you have a lot of ground to maintain and have a garage or shed with room for a massive spreader like this, it’s a solid choice.

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According to lawn care experts, it pays to aerate your yard before you fertilize. Aerating helps to loosen the soil, allowing the fertilizer (along with air and water) to reach the grass roots.

Many homeowners skip aerating because you normally need an extra heavy piece of equipment, and the extra step takes extra time. Luckily, Brinly makes a combination lawn aerator-fertilizer spreader that should cut down lawnwork by simultaneously boring holes and spreading fertilizer or seed as you tow it.

The Brinly holds up to 100 pounds of fertilizer and measures some 40 inches wide, so it’s an ideal choice for aerating, seeding, and fertilizing large yards–think half an acre or more. Just be careful about over-fertilizing: While it has controls for controlling release rate, they aren’t as user-friendly as the controls you’ll find on other spreaders.

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When is the best time of year to fertilize your lawn?

You should fertilize your lawn four times a year to ensure it builds a strong root system that can endure drought, extreme temperatures, mowing, and foot traffic. Starting in the early spring, you should fertilize your lawn every 6-8 weeks. If you time it right, applications should take place in the early spring, late spring, summer, and fall. It helps to pick your fertilizer based on the season and condition of the soil each time.

Resist the urge to fertilize too frequently, even if you wind up seeding late. Adding too much fertilizer can dehydrate your grass and burn out your lawn, rather than helping it grow.

Before you fertilize, do you need to prepare your lawn in any way?

There are a few things you can do to prep your lawn for fertilizer. Start by mowing it about three or four days ahead of time. Aerating the yard beforehand will also help the fertilizer better reach your grass’ roots. Consider dethatching your lawn ahead of time, as well, if there’s a heavy layer of thatch —essentially dead grass — underneath. Finally, give the lawn a good watering the night before you fertilize.

What should you do after fertilizing?

After you apply the fertilizer, wait 24 hours to allow it to settle into the lawn, then give it a thorough watering. The water will activate the fertilizer and allow it to better absorb into the soil. Watering will also prevent the fertilizer from burning individual blades of grass.

If possible, we recommend waiting until the day after that first watering before you let your kids, pets, or anyone else walk on your freshly fertilized yard.