Spreaders come in handy when applying fertilizers and grass seeds over your lawn. To distribute the right amount of fertilizer or grass seeds, starting with the appropriate spreader settings is essential. But determining what settings to use on a Scotts spreader can be confusing.
Fertilizers and grass seeds come with specific application rates. The bag can have its setting chart to use with various spreaders. And since different Scotts spreaders have varying settings, you need to adjust the spreader to distribute the right amount.
Luckily, you can use the Scotts spreader settings chart to adjust your equipment correctly. This guide provides a conversion chart that you can use with Scotts handy, drop, or rotary spreaders. You’ll also learn steps to follow when determining settings for your spreader.
Contents
Scotts Spreader Settings Conversion Chart
Most lawn enthusiasts end up using the wrong spreader settings. A conversion chart is worth considering to avoid hurting your lawn with excess or inadequate lawn food.
The conversion chart below will help you work with your drop, rotary, or handy spreader.
| Product(Lawn Food and Grass Seeds) | Rate(g/sq.m) | Scotts Handy Spreader | Scotts Drop Spreader | Scotts Rotary Spreader |
| Organic Choice Lawn Food | 35-50 | 5 | 7.5-8.25 | 29.1-31.5 |
| Cut and Feed Lawn Food | 30 | 5 | 5 | 26 |
| Evergreen Complete | 35 | – | 6 | 27 |
| Evergreen Autumn | 35 | – | 7.5 | 28 |
| Mow It Less (Lawn Seed) | 30 | 5 | 5 | 26 |
When using this chart, use the labeled settings as your reference point. Weather conditions, the spreader’s maintenance history, and the operator’s walking speed can impact the application rate.
But how can you determine if you’ve used the correct spreader settings?
You’ve set the spreader too low if you complete the project and the product remains. Conversely, if you exhaust the product before completing the calculated square foot, you’ve set the spreader too high.
Below are the steps to follow to calibrate your spreader correctly:
- Check the square foot that your bag of fertilizer should cover. Then, divide 100 by that figure.
- After getting the answer, use that figure to multiply by the bag’s weight. You’ll get the amount needed to distribute your fertilizer over 100 square feet.
- Put this figure in your spreader.
- Create a boundary of your lawn and ensure it equals 100 sq. ft. in size. You can mark 10 ft (length) x 10 ft. (width).
- If your fertilizer bag has suggested settings, apply them to your spreader. If there’re no settings, use the Scotts spreader settings chart to adjust your tool to the appropriate application rate.
You can reduce or raise the settings if your product remains in the spreader or runs out before covering the marked area.
Always follow the application instructions before spreading the product over your lawn. Sometimes, you’ll need to walk twice while spreading the product. This application method requires the operator to make the first pass while applying half the product and the second pass to apply the other half.
To avoid forgetting the correct settings the next time you want to feed your lawn, write these settings on the product bag.
How To Use Scotts Spreaders to Distribute Products
Each Scotts spreader will be best suited for a particular lawn size. Choose the correct spreader to be more effective and efficient when spreading products.
Let’s discuss how to use each Scotts spreader to distribute products on your lawn.
Scotts Handy Spreader
Scotts handy spreader works best for homeowners with small lawns. It’s a hand-held and portable tool operated manually.
The conversion rate for your handy spreader is comparable to Scott’s basic spreader settings conversion chart. However, it’s impossible to use the spreader with all products. For example, you can’t use this spreader with Evergreen Complete and Evergreen Autumn.
If you’re using the Organic Choice, Cut & Feed, and Mow It Less, set the spreader to 5. Cut and Feed and Mow It Less output is 30 grams per square meter. When it comes to the Organic Choice, the output is 35 grams per square meter.
The handy spreader is not ideal for a medium or large lawn. Using the spreader on larger yards means much work moving around while spreading and constantly adding the product.
Scotts Drop Spreader
This spreader is a push-along tool for spreading products in medium-sized lawns. You can use the Scotts spreader settings conversion chart to distribute products in your yard.
The good thing is that this spreader has a larger hopper than the handy spreader to hold more product. How should you use the drop spreader settings, and what should you expect?
When applying Cut & Feed lawn food and Mow It Less lawn seeds, set the spreader to 5. With this setting, your drop spreader will distribute 30 g/sq.m of your product.
If you’re applying Organic Choice and Evergreen Autumn, set the knob to 7.5 to get an output of 35 g/sq.m. Alternatively, adjust the spreader to 8.25 when distributing the Organic Choice. However, regarding the Organic Choice, the output ranges from 35-50 g/sq.m, depending on the settings.
When spreading Evergreen Complete, set the spreader to 6. This setting will give you an output of 30 g/sq.m.
The manufacturer optimizes the drop spreader’s settings to suit even-sized yards. The spreader can be slower and labor-intensive when distributing products over larger lawns. In that case, you’ll need to keep adding more products to the hopper to complete the project.
Scotts Rotary Spreader
The Scotts rotary spreader is best suited for large lawns. It has a larger hopper to accommodate more products while spreading.
This spreader has a quicker input, so adjusting to higher settings is advisable. The Scotts spreader settings chart for the rotary spreader is also applicable to the Scotts Elite spreader.
How should you set your rotary spreader, and what are the outputs?
If you’re spreading Cut and Feed and Mow It Less, adjust the spreader settings to 26. This setting will offer an output of 30 g/sq.m.
For the Evergreen Complete, set the spreader to 27. This setting should give you an output of 35 g/sq.m. On the other hand, set your spreader to 28 when using Evergreen Autumn to get a similar output.
When applying the Organic Choice, you can set the spreader from 29.5 to 31.5. If you adjust it to 29.1 (minimum), the spreader will give an output of 35 grams per square meter. Conversely, setting the spreader to 31.5 (maximum) provides an output of 50 g/sq.m.
Scotts Edgeguard Spreader Settings Chart
Scotts Edgeguard is an excellent tool for applying fertilizer, lime, and grass seeds on your lawn. It’s ideal for smaller- to medium-sized yards where the operator wants to use the right amount of products.
Below we’ll look into Scotts Edgeguard spreader settings charts for fertilizers, lime, and grass seeds.
Fertilizers
| Products | Settings | Rate (Lbs/1000 sq. ft.) |
| Lawn Food | 5 | 50 |
| Crabgrass preventer | 4-4.5 | 40 |
| Weed control | 4.5 | 40 |
If your lawn is over 1,500 square feet, set your Edgeguard spreader to 5.5 for an output of 60 lbs.
Lime
| Products | Settings | Rate(Lbs/1000 sq.ft.) |
| Initial | 7 or 8 | 40 |
| Maintenance | 2 or 3 | 20 |
Consider the pH levels of your lawn when spreading lime. Spreading excessive lime will disrupt the lawn’s pH and burn your grass. On the other hand, using less lime slows down or takes longer to control the pH.
Grass Seeds
| Products | Settings (New Seeding) | Setting (Overseeding) |
| Tall Fescue Mix | 18 | 9.5 or 10 |
| Rye Mix | 15 | 9.5 or 10 |
| Sun and Shade Mix | 12 or 12.5 | 8.5 or 9.5 |
The Scotts Edgeguard spreader settings chart for grass seeds is also applicable with Scotts Edgeguard Mini. Avoid exceeding the settings, as this can result in excessive distribution of the products.
Choosing the Right Scotts Spreader Setting Chart for Your Lawn
When choosing the correct settings for your spreader, check the settings on the product’s bag. You can also read the spreader manual to understand if it suits your lawn.
Your spreader should be able to distribute the products over your lawn. If you have a smaller yard, go for the Scotts handy spreader. If you have a medium lawn, buy the Scotts drop spreader. For large yards, choose the Scotts rotary spreader.
After choosing the ideal spreader, determine which product you’re spreading. Each product has specific spreading instructions. Follow those instructions to apply the product to your yard.
Final Thoughts
When applying fertilizers or seeds over your lawn, ensure you know the correct spreader settings. The Scotts spreader settings chart allows you to use different spreaders when applying products to your yard.
With this chart, you’ll know which Scotts spreader suits your lawn. You can use the chart to adjust the spreader to apply the correct amount of fertilizers or seeds.
Hello! My name is Chris, and I am the founder of Yard Floor. When I was a toddler, my family had a lush green lawn. I was at the center of caring for and maintaining this lawn and even proceeded to take an associate’s Degree in landscaping. I am here to share my years of experience with you – be it repairing your mower/tractor or caring for your lawn.