I’ll be honest, when I hear 3-in-1 like we do with Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action, I think of shampoo, conditioner and body wash all in one.
Man, I love to not have to switch bottles when I go to wash my hair and toes. All in one, baby, simple as that. So when I saw Scott’s assembled the next best dream team of lawn care excellence, I nearly collapsed out of my chair! Kills, prevents and feeds all in one?! You serious, Clark?
No more need to switch bags or remember measurements for each. Scott’s treats us like the cavemen and women we are and does it for us.
I’m always terrified I’ll scorch my lawn when I fertilize so the less that’s on me the better. BUT – Does this product really do what it says it does? Let’s discuss…
OUR RECOMMENDATION: Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action (3-in-1)
If you’re trying to save money: Scotts Turf Builder Southern Lawn Food
Why we review lawn tools
The reason we started this website in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And it’s not cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site.
As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something.
When to use Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action
The specs on this bag lead me to believe this packs an awfully powerful punch! But just like when you use a 3-in-1 shampoo, conditioner and body wash, you lose flexibility and oftentimes quality. So you’ve got to take the good with the bad here. Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action is a pretty good formula that kills some weeds, prevents crabgrass, and fertilizes turf to help ensure a thick, green lawn for you and your family to enjoy. At least right off the bat.
But it’s important to note that Scott’s only controls existing listed lawn weeds, including dandelion, clover, dollarweed, ground ivy, chickweed, plantain (I don’t think this is the banana cousin), and english daisy. If you’ve got other challenges in your yard, you’re going to need to use a non selective herbicide to clear those out.
We made a couple of web stories that highlight the power of Scott’s as well as when and how to use Scott’s.
A warning to heed
It will not kill existing crabgrass, it only prevents it for about 4 months. I’ve found 4 months is generous. Usually more like 2 to 3. You can use this on all several types of turf including tall and fine fescue, zoysia, kentucky bluegrass, bermuda and ryegrass.
When you apply this you’re going to make sure you use the Scotts spreader on a wet lawn, this helps adherence to leaves. Also, water it again 24 hours later so help it soak in. A bag will usually cover about 4,000 sq ft so you’ll probably need 3 to 4 bags to get the job done right.
Applying the turf builder to your lawn
When applying this to your lawn it is important you do it at the right time. Spring is usually best, though this can be applied in the fall as well. Just whatever you do please don’t apply this in the middle of the summer or the dead of winter. Both will leave you very disappointed and with a burnt up lawn.
Also, make sure you give your lawn a nice quick drink before you apply this. As discussed previously, this just helps it stick to the grass. If you’re putting it down in the spring, just do it in the morning when the dew is still on the grass. Also throw some more water on it in 24 hours to help soil soakage, (no I’m not talking about your baby’s diaper).
As explained w/ the Milorganite it’s best to use the Scotts broadcast spreader for this type of material. The back of the pack tells you which setting to turn the dial to then just pull the handle and walk in a back and forth pattern across a lawn. I usually stick to 5 to 6 feet from pass to pass. This allows some overlap to ensure coverage but not enough to over apply. I also usually wear pants because fertilizers tend to dry my skin out pretty good. Just imagine what this does to your yard if overapplied.
It’s best to only apply this in spring and fall as not to overload your yard with chemicals. This is a key to keeping a healthy lawn. Growing lush lawn too fast can be a bad thing too.
Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action: Key Specs
This particular fertilizer/herbicide uses a 16-0-1 which is pretty heavy on the nitrogen. A quick primer on fertilizer blends The three most important ingredients, which are usually displayed right on the front of the bag in the order, N – P – K. N means % nitrogen, P means % phosphate and K means % potassium. Ex, a bag of 10-10-10 fertilizer contains 10 percent nitrogen, 10 percent phosphate and 10 percent potassium. Basically, nitrogen helps you have a thick GREEN lawn, phosphate helps with the plant tissue and root development – very important for a new lawn, potassium helps you with a new lawn.
So with that blend, this particular fertilizer is not super great for helping you have a deep root system which is absolutely essential for having a healthy lawn. This is like building a beautiful hose on a pile of sand. It’ll look good for the first little bit but the minute a stresser is introduced it’s in trouble. It’s important to pick a fertilizer with a good blend of the three. I usually try to stick to a 10-10-10. But for what this bag does, kills and prevents weeds, it’s okay to add phosphate and potassium in a different application.
Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action: Official review
If you’re like me, easier is better. So Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action 3-in-1 is very enticing, 3 products in one is cool. But if those three products aren’t necessarily the highest quality or the “right blend” for long term lawn gains then it might not be a good choice in product.
This really comes down to a personal preference in my opinion. Do you want an easy one step approach? Then this product is right for you. However, if you want to be selective in the type of weeds you’re killing and controlling and want a more balanced fertilizer then you probably aren’t going to love this. The 16-0-1 blend is going to green you up really quick but like I said previously, it’s really not great for your yard in the long run. In order for lawn gains you’re going to need to have a more balanced fertilizer blend than that.
Do I use this on my lawn? No. Would I recommend someone to use this on there lawn? If they’re just looking to keep the weeds relatively at bay then yes. If they want the best lawn in the cul-de-sac then no. Break it up and apply each product one at a time.
You can grab this product on Amazon for a great price instead of trying to find a parking spot at your local home improvement store.
