Alright, so I had this patch of kinda sad-looking grass in my backyard. You know, the kind that’s always a bit damp, even when everything else is dry? It got me thinking: “can you fertilize wet grass?” I mean, I always hear about fertilizing, but nobody ever mentions moisture levels.
First thing I did, naturally, was Google it. Got a bunch of conflicting answers, some saying it’s fine, others screaming about fungus and runoff. Classic internet.

So, being the stubborn kinda guy I am, I decided to experiment. I split the sad patch into two. One half, I left completely alone. The other, I fertilized while the grass was still wet from morning dew. I used a granular fertilizer, the slow-release kind you get at any hardware store. Nothing fancy.
Here’s what I actually did:
- Grabbed the Fertilizer: Went to Home Depot and picked up a bag of Scotts Turf Builder. It’s what I usually use, figured I wouldn’t mess with a good thing (or bad thing, in this case!).
- Waited for Dew: Early morning, waited for the dew to settle. The grass was definitely damp, not soaked, but definitely wet.
- Spread it Thin: Made sure I spread the fertilizer super evenly. Didn’t want any clumps or concentrated areas. Used a hand spreader, just a cheap plastic one.
- Watched and Waited: Then came the hardest part: waiting. I watered the other parts of the lawn as normal, but I kept a close eye on both the fertilized and unfertilized parts of the sad patch.
For the next couple of weeks, I kept a close watch. At first, I didn’t see much difference. Maybe the fertilized side was a tiny bit greener, but it could have just been wishful thinking. But after about three weeks? Bam! The fertilized side was noticeably lusher and greener. Like, “hey, I’m actually thriving!” kind of green.
The Results:
To my surprise, the wet grass actually seemed to benefit from the fertilizer. I didn’t see any signs of fungus, no weird yellowing, nothing negative at all. The runoff wasn’t an issue either; I guess the slow-release formula helped with that. The unfertilized side stayed… well, sad.
My Takeaway:
So, can you fertilize wet grass? In my experience, yeah, you can! But here’s the catch: don’t go sloshing fertilizer onto soaking wet grass. A little bit of dew or light moisture seems to be okay, and might even help the fertilizer dissolve and get absorbed. Just be smart about it, spread it evenly, and keep an eye out for any problems.

Of course, this is just my personal experience. Your mileage may vary. But hey, it worked for me, and now my sad patch of grass is looking a whole lot happier!