Seasonal weekly benchmark — May 24
Lawn Fertilizer
Research by Robert Hu · Published by RecoScope ·
- Usable answers
- 12/12
- Models
- 4
- Prompt types
- 3
Included: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity
Report history · May 24 selected · 12 snapshots
Key takeaway
For a suburban DIY homeowner, AI routes overwhelmingly to Scotts and Milorganite first, with The Andersons the premium step-up. The trackable signal is Lesco: it surfaces only in Gemini (ranked #1 in Gemini's brand-comparison prompt for the second run running), though across all of Gemini's prompts its aggregate top pick is Milorganite. Lesco is the only brand any model elevates to a #1 slot in any prompt besides the Scotts-Milorganite-Andersons core. A brand outside that core is effectively invisible at purchase intent unless the buyer names it.
Mention Frequency Trend
Brands ordered by mention count in each run. Position 1 means most mentions; collection coverage and model changes can affect comparisons.
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Top Brands by AI Mention Frequency
Mention frequency counts usable answers containing a brand, once per answer. Unranked and critical mentions count as visibility. Recommendation ranks are shown separately below.
Dropped this week
Cross-Agent Comparison
Recorded ranks from the comparative prompt (Prompt 3). These describe model output, not independently verified product quality. Historical parsing conventions may differ.
4/4 models with recorded ranks
| Agent | #1 | #2 | #3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Scotts | Pennington | Milorganite |
| Claude | Scotts | Milorganite | The Andersons |
| Gemini | Lesco | Milorganite | Scotts |
| Perplexity | The Andersons | Scotts | Jonathan Green |
What This Means
- All four models keep Scotts and Milorganite as the core but diverge on the aggregate #1: the rendered table computes ChatGPT's top pick as The Andersons (it leads ChatGPT's P1 discovery list), Gemini's as Milorganite, and Claude's and Perplexity's as Scotts.
- ChatGPT is commerce-formatted, surfacing 8-plus price-tagged SKUs and elevating The Andersons and Yard Mastery in discovery before ranking Scotts #1 in its explicit brand-ranking prompt.
- Claude is premium-leaning, repeatedly elevating The Andersons PGF Complete and uniquely surfacing Lesco and Simple Lawn Solutions.
- Gemini is lifestyle-formatted and, for the second consecutive run, ranks Lesco 24-0-11 #1 in its brand-comparison (P3) prompt specifically - the only model to put Lesco at the top of any prompt - even though its all-prompt aggregate lands on Milorganite.
- Perplexity is the most consolidated, ranking The Andersons #1 in its brand-ranking prompt while keeping Scotts and Milorganite as the safe core.
Findings and Limitations
- The category is a tight Scotts-Milorganite duopoly at the top with a fragmented challenger tier.
- Lesco appears only in Gemini (but as its #1, twice running).
- Yard Mastery, GreenView, Sunday, and Expert Gardener each appear in a single model.
- Major brands with retail presence are absent this run: LawnStar, BioAdvanced, Spectracide, Ironite, Sta-Green, Vigoro, Dr.
- Earth, and Sunniland (several of which appeared in prior runs and have dropped).
- No model surfaced a clear sub-$15 budget winner with cross-model agreement, and the organic tier beyond Milorganite (Espoma, Dr.
- Earth, Down to Earth) remains thinly and inconsistently represented.
Recurring themes in the answers
- The brands AI favors share nitrogen-forward NPK ratios (32-0-4, 24-0-11, or similar) suited to established lawns, slow-release formulations cited as the lower-burn-risk default, added iron as the deep-green differentiator, and wide big-box availability (the explicit reason Scotts wins ease-of-use).
Inspect the captured answers
Saved response text is model output. Product and health claims are unverified. Tables and cards may be transcribed as text; source labels can remain. Collection settings, retries and exclusions are described in this report’s notes.
ChatGPT · Prompt 1Usable answer
Best lawn fertilizer, 42yo suburban homeowner wants lawn looking its best
ChatGPT P1: Top pick The Andersons PGF Complete 16-4-8 ($69.88, best overall, N+K+iron+fine particles). Ranked list: The Andersons PGF Complete, Yard Mastery Flagship 24-0-6 ($39.99 dark green), Scotts Green Max ($68.49 fast greening), Milorganite 6-4-0 ($24.99 organic slow-release), GreenView with GreenSmart ($49.98 value), Jonathan Green Veri-Green ($59.99 premium), Espoma Organic ($46.02 eco), Pennington UltraGreen ($14.99 budget). Best quick green Scotts/Yard Mastery, best organic Milorganite, best big-box Scotts/Pennington. Soil test first, feed 2-4x/year.
Claude · Prompt 1Usable answer
Best lawn fertilizer, 42yo suburban homeowner wants lawn looking its best
Claude P1: Best overall Scotts Green Max (fast greening + iron, widely available). Best organic Milorganite 6-4-0 (zero burn, slow release, gentle for fescue summer). Best professional Lesco 24-0-11 (pro top pick, ~$4/1000sqft, SiteOne). Best spring The Andersons PGF Complete 16-4-8 (4-1-2 ratio + iron + Humic DG, slow+quick release). Personal rec: Milorganite for forgiving no-burn or Lesco for pro results. Soil test, early fall + late spring, 3-5 apps/year.
Gemini · Prompt 1Usable answer
Best lawn fertilizer, 42yo suburban homeowner wants lawn looking its best
Gemini P1: 1 Best overall dark green Milorganite 6-4-0 (cult favorite, slow-release organic, impossible to burn, 2.5% iron, no growth surge). 2 Best premium hybrid The Andersons Innova 7-1-2 (golf-course brand, 100% plant-derived, soil-microbe digestible, safe kids/pets). 3 Best quick green-up Scotts Turf Builder UltraFeed (benchmark, polymer-coated, feeds 3x longer). Check NPK ratio, soil test, know grass type, water it in.
Perplexity · Prompt 1Usable answer
Best lawn fertilizer, 42yo suburban homeowner wants lawn looking its best
Perplexity P1: Default slow-release nitrogen-forward. Best overall Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Food or Milorganite (fast cosmetic vs gentler organic). Best convenience/greening Scotts Turf Builder. Best low-risk organic-style Milorganite (slow-release, non-burning, iron). Best if weeds Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action / Weed & Feed. Start Milorganite if you prefer forgiving, or Scotts Turf Builder simplest mainstream. ~1 lb N per 1000 sqft.
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