There are no two ways about it.
Fertilizer is essential for good lawn growth.
Depending on the type of grass, from one to three fertilizer applications should be made during the growing season, usually early May, early to mid-June, and late summer. Lawn fertilizers vary in composition and price. However, most available lawn fertilizers will not have this exact ratio but will still give good results. The price of the fertilizer relates somewhat to the analysis and the nutrient carriers used on the fertilizer. Cheap fertilizers are usually water soluble, thus, have a high potential to burn the grass.