Okay, so I’ve been meaning to get my lawn in better shape this year, and that means getting serious about fertilizer. I’ve always just kinda grabbed whatever was on sale, but this time I decided to do a little digging to see what’s what. It came down to two big names: Scotts and Menards (they carry a bunch of brands, but I was mostly looking at their store brand). Here’s how my little experiment went.
The Initial Face-Off
First, I hit up both stores. Walked the aisles, you know, just kinda eyeballing the bags. Scotts, of course, has a million different options – Turf Builder, Halts, all that. Menards had their own line, plus some other brands mixed in. It was a bit overwhelming, honestly.
Price Check
Price was the first big difference. Menards’ store brand was definitely cheaper, like, significantly cheaper, per bag. Scotts, you’re paying for the name, I guess. I’m not made of money, so that was a point in Menards’ favor right off the bat.
Reading the Fine Print (Ugh)
Then came the fun part – trying to decipher the labels. All those numbers! Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium… it’s like a chemistry lesson. I tried to match up the NPK ratios (that’s what those numbers are) between a Scotts product and a similar Menards one, just to see if I was getting a similar “bang for my buck” nutrient-wise.
- Tried to find a product in each brnd with a similar NPK ratio
- Checked to see if it included any additional treatment
The Application
I ended up grabbing a bag of each – a basic Scotts Turf Builder and a comparable Menards store-brand fertilizer. I figured the best test was a side-by-side comparison. I split my front yard in half (my neighbors probably thought I was nuts) and used Scotts on one side and Menards on the other.
Spreading them was pretty much the same. Used my trusty old spreader, made sure I didn’t overdo it. Both dissolved pretty well after a good watering.
Waiting and Watching
Now came the waiting game. Honestly, for the first few weeks, I didn’t see a HUGE difference. Both sides greened up nicely. Maybe, maybe, the Scotts side was a tiny bit thicker, but it was hard to tell.
The Verdict (So Far)
It’s still early in the season, so I can’t give a definitive “winner” yet. But here’s my take so far:
- Menards: You definitely get more for your money, price-wise. The results, at least initially, seem pretty comparable to Scotts.
- Scotts: You might get slightly better results, but it’s hard to say for sure. You’re definitely paying a premium for the brand name.
I’m going to keep an eye on things and maybe do another application later in the summer. I’ll update this post with my findings, cause I am commited! For now, if you’re on a budget, I don’t think you can go wrong with the Menards fertilizer. If you’re a die-hard Scotts fan, well, you do you!
