The ridge-furrow planting method (RFPM) has been widely proven to be effective in improving crop yields and conserving water, especially in rain-fed agriculture. However, research on the coupled effects with blended urea (controlled release urea blended with conventional urea) on spring maize growth characteristics and soil quality in the Loess Plateau of China as well as the potential mechanisms of yield formation remains scarce. A three-year field experiment of spring maize was conducted using a randomized block design to investigate the coupled effects of two planting methods (flat planting method (FPPM) and RFPM) and four urea types (no urea, conventional urea, controlled-release urea, and blended urea) on growth characteristics, yield, water-nitrogen use efficiency, and soil physicochemical properties of spring maize. Relative to FPPM, the average yield, net income, water productivity, nitrogen uptake, and soil quality index under RFPM were increased by 19.7 %, 31.0 %, 18.8 %, 15.3 %, and 46.9 %, respectively. Growth characteristics, yield, evapotranspiration, water productivity, nitrogen uptake, nitrogen use efficiency, and soil quality index were optimized under blended urea. Soil properties were closely related to growth characteristics, among which soil nitrate nitrogen, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, sucrase activity, and actinomycete quantity were considered as the key soil factors for promoting yield increases. Blended urea application under RFPM improved water and nitrogen use efficiency by optimizing soil quality index, thereby increasing yield. Blended urea application under RFPM could simultaneously optimize spring maize growth characteristics and soil quality, which could be regarded as an ideal field management practice for spring maize cultivation in the region. This study has important reference value for promoting the coordinated improvement of spring maize productivity and soil environmental benefits in rain-fed agriculture of the Loess Plateau of China.