No matter what kind of lawn products you use, their performance depends in large measure on the quality of the spreader that you use to apply them. A poor-quality spreader often leaves missed streaks or patches in the lawn where the material is either not applied, or is applied at the wrong rate. This causes unsatisfactory control of weeds, insects, and fungus disease as well as poor fertilizer performance. Note the comparison of coverage between a typical bargain-brand spreader on the left and a Scotts spreader on the right. If both spreaders are of equal quality, a drop spreader usually will provide better accuracy.
Drop spreaders meter out the fertilizer and drop it directly on the lawn.
Set the spreading rate on the spreader to the setting indicated on the back of the lawn product you are applying. Begin spreading, using the following guidelines. This provides an area for turning the spreader on and off. Go back and forth between the ends, shutting the spreader off when you reach the header strips. When starting back, put the spreader in motion before opening it in the header strip area.