When restoring a lawn, apply the fertilizer recommended by the results of your soil test. Use a slow-release fertilizer, and avoid putting down more fertilizer than you need.

Adding too much nitrogen can cause rapid growth and a thinning of plant cell walls, which makes grass more susceptible to disease. The excess fertilizer may also leach and eventually find its way into waterways, polluting them.

If you did not have your soil tested, apply a slow-release fertilizer with a nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium ratio of 3-1-2. Apply about 1/2 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn.