Scotts vs Pennington vs Sta-Green: Fertilizer Brand Comparison
Scotts, Pennington, and Sta-Green are the three most widely available lawn fertilizer brands in US retail. They compete for the same shelf space at most major garden retailers and home improvement stores, and their product lines cover significant overlap in NPK ratios, formulations, and seasonal applications. Understanding how they compare across price, slow-release nitrogen content, product range, and specialty options helps you make an informed choice based on what your lawn actually needs rather than brand familiarity.
Brand Overview
Scotts
Scotts (marketed under The Scotts Company, now Scotts Miracle-Gro) is the dominant market-share brand in US consumer lawn care. Its Turf Builder product line is the benchmark against which most other brands are compared. Scotts invests significantly in product research and formulation consistency, and its spreader calibration tables are the most comprehensive in the consumer category. Scotts products are typically priced at the premium end of the consumer segment.
The Scotts lineup includes seasonal variants (spring, summer, fall/winterizer), a southern lawn line for warm-season grasses, organic options, and specialty products including weed and feed formulations, moss control, and grass seed blends.
Pennington
Pennington Seed, Inc. is a major competitor to Scotts in the southeastern US and has strong distribution across most of the country. Pennington’s UltraGreen line is its primary turf fertilizer range and competes directly with Scotts Turf Builder. Pennington is generally positioned slightly below Scotts on price while offering comparable or in some cases superior active ingredient packages.
A notable difference in some Pennington formulations is the inclusion of triclopyr as an herbicide ingredient in their weed and feed products, which broadens the spectrum of weeds controlled versus the standard 2,4-D, mecoprop, dicamba combination used in comparable Scotts products.
Sta-Green
Sta-Green is a Lowe’s store brand manufactured under the Spectrum Brands umbrella, giving it wide retail distribution through Lowe’s locations specifically. It is priced below both Scotts and Pennington and targets the value-oriented lawn care shopper. Sta-Green products typically have lower slow-release nitrogen percentages than comparable Scotts or Pennington products, which affects how long each application feeds the lawn.
NPK and Slow-Release Content Comparison
| Product | Brand | NPK | Slow-Release % | Approximate Price Per 5,000 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turf Builder Lawn Food | Scotts | 32-0-6 | ~35% (WinField) | $$ |
| UltraGreen Lawn Fertilizer | Pennington | 30-0-4 | 50% | −$ |
| Lawn Fertilizer | Sta-Green | 29-0-3 | ~25 to 30% | $ |
| Turf Builder WinterGuard | Scotts | 32-0-10 | ~35% | $$ |
| UltraGreen Fall Lawn Fertilizer | Pennington | 32-0-10 | 50% | −$ |
| Turf Builder Southern Lawn Food | Scotts | 32-0-10 | ~35% | $$ |
| UltraGreen Southern Lawn Food | Pennington | 34-0-4 | 50% | −$ |
| Turf Builder WinterGuard with Plus 2 Weed Control | Scotts | 28-0-6 | , | $$ |
| UltraGreen Weed and Feed | Pennington | 30-0-4 | 50% | −$ |
Slow-release percentages are approximate and vary by lot and market formulation. Always verify on the current product bag.
Where Scotts Has the Advantage
Spreader compatibility tables: Scotts publishes the most complete spreader setting tables in the industry, with calibration data for virtually every major spreader brand and model. This makes it easier to apply the correct rate with whatever spreader you own.
Product consistency: Scotts’ market position and scale support tighter manufacturing tolerances on granule size, coating uniformity, and NPK delivery consistency per bag.
Specialty product range: Scotts offers the widest specialty product range in the consumer category, including multiple weed and feed formulations, moss control options, grass seed blends with integrated fertilizer, and step-by-step annual feeding systems.
Where Pennington Has the Advantage
Slow-release content: Pennington UltraGreen products consistently list 50% slow-release nitrogen content, which is higher than the slow-release percentage in comparable Scotts Turf Builder formulations. Higher slow-release content means a longer feeding window per application and lower burn risk.
Price-to-performance ratio: Pennington typically offers competitive NPK ratios at a price point below Scotts, making it a better value for homeowners focused on maximizing fertilizer quantity per dollar.
Triclopyr in weed and feed: Pennington UltraGreen weed and feed products include triclopyr alongside 2,4-D and dicamba, which provides better control of ground ivy, wild violet, and other 2,4-D-resistant broadleaf weeds than the Scotts weed and feed formulation.
Where Sta-Green Has the Advantage
Price: Sta-Green is the lowest-priced option of the three for standard NPK granular fertilizer. For homeowners managing a large lawn on a tight budget, the price difference per bag is meaningful.
Availability at Lowe’s: Sta-Green’s distribution through Lowe’s stores gives it consistent availability and often more prominent shelf placement at that specific retailer.
Where Sta-Green Falls Short
Lower slow-release content: Sta-Green’s lower slow-release nitrogen percentages mean the feeding window per application is shorter than Scotts or Pennington products. More frequent applications may be needed to maintain consistent nutrition at the same quality level.
Narrower product line: Sta-Green’s range is smaller and does not include the specialty seasonal variants (winterizer, starter, etc.) available in the Scotts and Pennington lineups.
Summary: Which Brand to Choose
Choose Scotts if:
- Spreader compatibility and calibration detail is important to you
- You value the broadest specialty product range
- You want brand consistency across multiple lawn care products (fertilizer, weed and feed, seed)
Choose Pennington if:
- You want higher slow-release nitrogen content at a lower price point
- Your lawn has ground ivy, wild violet, or other 2,4-D-resistant weeds and you plan to use weed and feed
- Price-per-nitrogen-unit efficiency is a priority
Choose Sta-Green if:
- You shop primarily at Lowe’s
- You are managing a large lawn on the tightest possible budget and can compensate for lower slow-release content with slightly more frequent applications
For application and timing guidance regardless of brand, see lawn fertilizer schedule by season and grass type.