When Should I Apply Weed And Feed
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Using fertilizer and spot treating for weeds is an alternative to weed & feed products. Be sure to test your soil pH, dethatch and aerate the soil and make sure you have a system to ensure proper watering heading into Spring. Water restrictions for the City of Jacksonville loosen during Daylight Savings Time allowing twice per week residential landscape irrigation. For further assistance and a free quote for lawn service and spraying visitwww.earthworksjax.com/lawn-care
And remember that for comprehensive solutions to your specific lawn, garden and landscaping need contact Earth Works of Jacksonville online and at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions. Earth Works proudly serves clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
Happy Gardening!
How To Apply Fertilizer To Your Lawn
Lawn fertilizers are sold in either liquid or granulated form.
This is mostly important in determining how to spread the fertilizer. With organic fertilizers, the difference comes down to what the fertilizer is comprised of. Corn grain meal based fertilizers are typically granular, while fish emulsions are liquid.
Synthetic fertilizers are available in both forms.
Speaking generally, most homeowners find granular fertilizers easier to apply.
If you want to use a liquid fertilizer, it is simpler to hire a professional service like TruGreen or a local alternative to do so.
Its more difficult to measure out and ensure even application of a liquid fertilizer. Professional services do that regularly and understand how to apply it.
Using a spreader to apply granular fertilizer is a simple process. A small broadcast spreader can be bought locally or for under $40.
Using a spreader is easy fill the hopper up on pavement, then walk the spreader across your yard.
Start with the perimeter, using an edge-guard to keep the material in your grass. Then go line by line until your yard is covered.
Spread it at a lower than recommended rate at first. This way youre sure not to add too much and damage your yard .
Make sure to sweep any granules off the pavement and into your yard. Left on pavement, they can harm the environment if allowed to wash into storm drains.
Are Weed And Feed Products Good For Your Lawn
Lets start by looking at whether you should be using weed and feed products. There are many reasons why weed and feed products might not be a good solution. First, they might be presenting environmental harm. The weed portion of the product contains harmful chemicals, to kill the weeds. However, these pellets can be eaten by birds and other wildlife. When this happens, the animal might die from the chemicals. This could be responsible for thousands of animal deaths each year. These can also be ingested by small children, which might make them feel sick.
Its also possible that the harsh chemicals might impact on the lawn. As well see, weed killers need to be applied selectively to get the best results. However, weed and feed products tend to be distributed across the whole lawn. This can have a big impact on the lawn. Over time, the lawn will become dependent on these chemicals to stay weed-free.
So, despite the convenience of a weed and feed product, it might not be worth it over the long term. Thankfully, there is a simple solution. You just need to apply weed killer and fertilizer separately. Though it might take a little longer, it will reduce your environmental impact and youll be helping your lawn grow.
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After Your First Lawn Fertilizer Application
So now you know about the first treatment, but are wondering how often to fertilize lawn areas throughout the rest of the year?
After your first application, you want to apply another round of fertilizer 6 to 8 weeks later and repeat that two more times with 6 to 8 weeks in between.
Try to schedule your applications so you apply ahead of the hottest part of summer to give your lawn the necessary boost.
For an established lawn, youll fertilize 4 times each season, though that is based on some important assumptions. If your grass is damaged and youre growing it fresh, your lawn will require more treatments until its established.
This is also true if your lawn has a species of grass that isnt native to your climate, like in areas that are more hostile to grasses. Alternatively, the opposite is also true. Fertilizing regularly is most necessary when trying to keep alive grasses that arent native to your area.
Its very likely you can get away with only fertilizing 1 to 2 times per year if the grass in your lawn is native. A healthy lawn can get by with fertilizing in the spring, and maybe again In the fall to keep it strong through the off-season.
Too Much Weed Control On Lawn: Gypsum And Cgm
Gypsum, although a very effective soil quality enhancer, has a couple of weak points. One of the weak points is that it plays a role in changing the soil chemistry completely.
So, though it brings back the surface to its original state, you shouldnt use it without a proper soil test.
As for CGM or Gluten meal, it can be an effective natural solution to fertilizer burn. But, due to the high cost and selective nature, its not the greatest alternatives out there.
Our Favorite CGM/Gluten Meal:Gerbs Ground Pumpkin
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Problems With Using Weed And Feed
It can be tricky to get the timing right when you want to use weed and feed on your lawn. The grass might not benefit from a fertilizer at the time when the herbicide must be applied. In early spring, the right time to apply a pre-emergent herbicide, a dose of fertilizer encourages lush, green growth, but the grass benefits more from root development to help it grow well over the coming summer. Similarly, post-emergent herbicides are most effective if applied in late fall when broadleaf weeds are storing nutrients in their roots, yet a better time to apply fertilizer would be early or late summer.
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Weed And Feed Alternatives
If youd rather steer clear of weed and feed but still want to get rid of the weeds taking over your lawn, these are some natural alternatives:
- Vinegar: Household vinegar has loads of good uses in the garden and killing weeds is one of them. Whether you use it alone or mixed with dish soap to help it stick to the noxious plants, youll get results with just one or two applications of vinegar.
- Boiling water: Pouring boiling water directly onto the weeds growing on your lawn is a fast way to kill them. As long as youre not watering the surrounding grass, youll find boiling water to be an effective and natural weed killer.
- Salt: Spraying a salt and water mixture onto the leaves of any weeds on your lawn will absorb any moisture within them and slowly kill them. You should be cautious not to spray salt onto anything made of concrete though, as it can be corrosive.
- Slow-release fertilizers: A slow-release fertilizer is best for your lawn when you want to gradually feed it nutrients. Having a healthier lawn can also reduce the space that weeds have to grow, so if you choose a good one, it can do both jobs at once.
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Are There Any Negative Effects
Not every impact weed and feed has is good. Effects vary from product to product, but there are reports across multiple weed and feed treatments of lawn damage. Some damage occurs from improper use, which can happen by either applying too much at once or applying more often than recommended. Other damage seems to occur even with proper use.
As with any chemical treatment, there are environmental and health risks to consider. Chemicals used can linger on your grass and can leak into underground water reservoirs or be washed into rivers. This can harm wildlife or plants. Some chemicals pose health risks to humans as well. Its important to read the label of each product before using it, wear protective gear when applying it, and keep pets and children off the grass for a couple of days after use.
These negative effects can be amplified by how you apply weed and feed treatments either sprayed or scattered across the entire yard. This may be fine for fertilizers, but weed killers are typically intended to be applied in targeted areas. This means that, by using weed and feed, youre using more of the weed-killing chemical than you otherwise would.
Types Of Weed Killers
Roundup and other Contact Weed Killers
Roundup makes some of the strongest and fastest-acting weed killers on the market. They are often non-selective weed killers that kill emergent weeds.
Additionally, some long-term weed control Roundup formulations contain pre-emergent weed control measures. These specialized formulations even prevent plants from sprouting in the area of application for up to one year.
Pre-Emergent Weed Killers
Pre-emergent weed killers are designed to stop weeds in their infancy. They work by killing seedlings, which prevents new weeds and grasses from sprouting up in your yard. Pre-emergent herbicides wont kill established or mature plants.
Pre-emergent weed killers can be applied anywhere in your lawn and garden, but they dont discriminate. These weed killers will stop the growth of any grass seeds or other plants. Dont apply to any areas with any desirable seedlings or any areas that you plan to seed within the next 3 weeks.
Emergent Weed Killers
Emergent weed killers target established weeds, killing mature plants. They will shrivel up dandelions and kill clover. Keep in mind, weed seeds in the soil wont be affected by an emergent weed killer.
Note: The types of weeds targeted by spraying weeds with emergent weed killer depend on the active ingredients included in the formula. Be sure to read the product description to find out if you are using a non-selective or selective weed killer, as well as how to use weed killer.
Selective Weed Killers
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Understanding When To Apply Fertilizer
I recommend fertilizing your lawn four times annually with an organic, slow-release lawn fertilizer.
Your first application of fertilizer is best applied early in the season when grass has just started to grow.
This gives your grass a boost of nutrients early to help it take root and green up very quickly. When applied with a good pre-emergent herbicide , you allow your lawn to crowd out annual weeds every single year.
The rule of thumb is to apply your first batch of fertilizer when your soil hits 55-degrees Fahrenheit.
Usually, you can tell when the soil reaches temperature when lilacs bloom and grasses begin to sprout.
For more assurance, you can get a lawn thermometer at your hardware store or garden center, or you can buy one online .
How Often Should You Fertilize Your Lawn
Healthy soils produce healthy lawns. Discover how often you should fertilize your lawn and the best times to do it from the knowledgeable team at Jonathan Green.
Jonathan Green has been growing beautiful, dark-green lawns since 1881. We supply genetically superior cool-season grass seed and other lawn and soil care products to commercial sod growers and independent home and garden retailers in all areas of the United States where cool-season lawn grasses Kentucky Bluegrass, Tall Fescue, Perennial Ryegrass, and Fine Fescues are grown.
We have also developed an environmentally sound and organic approach to lawn care called the New American Lawn Plan. By following this revolutionary plan, you will discover how to address the root of any lawn problems you have, instead of just battling the symptoms, such as insects and weeds. Our goal is to feed your lawn AND your soil to encourage your Black Beauty® lawn to thrive.
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How Do I Overseed My Lawn
To overseed a lawn, start by mowing your lawn short and bagging the clipping. Then, rake the lawn to loosen the top layer of soil and remove any dead grass and debris. This will give the grass seed easy access to the soil.
If your lawn is a cool-season grass type, use a spreader to apply Scotts® Turf Builder® ThickR Lawn, a product developed specifically for overseeding that combines high performance grass seed with fertilizer and a soil improver to create an easy-to-use product you apply with a Scotts® Spreader.
If you have a bermuda, centipede, zoysia, or bahiagrass lawn, select the appropriate Scotts® Turf Builder® Grass Seed and apply it over your existing lawn using a spreader.
Which Lawn Feed Should I Use
Some lawn treatments just feed your garden lawn and are ideal if your lawn is weed and moss free, but others have added ingredients such as weed killers and/or moss killers. Furthermore, some are designed to use in the autumn to toughen up the grass ready for the winter and/or kill moss.
The reason some lawn feeds are better than others, is because they can release nitrogen and feed over several weeks rather than in one rush soon after application.
The best lawn feed to use is one that provides protection from weeds while systematically feeding your lawn and ideally should be applied between April and September. Try Miracle-Gro EverGreen Complete 4 in 1 as it will provide year-round feed when applied no more than twice a year.
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When And How To Fertilize New Grass
If you’re starting a new lawn from seed, sod or plugs or you’re doing bare lawn spot repair a starter fertilizer helps grass get the perfect start. Unlike established lawns, new grass benefits from extra phosphorus, an essential plant nutrient that supports strong, deep roots. Some states only allow phosphorus-containing lawn fertilizers on new grass, so check with your county extension office if you’re unsure.
On fertilizer products, phosphorus is the middle number in the N-P-K ratio usually “0” in normal lawn fertilizers. But with Pennington UltraGreen Starter Fertilizer 22-23-4, you get an ideal ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, plus other essential lawn nutrients, including iron for deep green color. This premium fertilizer blend starts feeding new grass immediately and keeps feeding it for up to three months.
Always follow guidelines for the best time to plant grass seed for your region and grass type, then fertilize accordingly. For seed or plugs, apply fertilizer with a regular lawn spreader before you plant. If you’re starting a lawn with sod, fertilize after your sod is in place.
With any new lawn area, avoid using crabgrass preventer fertilizers or weed & feed fertilizers within four weeks before planting time. After seeding, wait until your new grass gets established and you’ve mowed your lawn at least three times.
Weed & feed fertilizers kill tough weeds and feed your lawn.
Treating Broadleaf Weeds When It’s Dry
Dandelions, clover, and creeping Charlie are some of the most common broadleaf weeds you’ll encounter, but plenty of other plants can invade quickly and spread relentlessly. To keep them in check, you may decide to use a granular weed-and-feed product or spray an organic liquid broadleaf weed killer.
The right time: Treat actively growing weeds apply granular products on a dewy morning or spot treat with an organic herbicide on a warm, sunny day.
Why timing matters: Used properly, broadleaf weed killers are highly effective when conditions are optimal. For example, the granules of weed-and-feed products, which are applied with a spreader, must stick to the leaves of the weeds to be effective. That requires moisture, so the perfect time to apply is in early morning when there’s a heavy dew on the lawn. If the grass isn’t wet, you’ll be wasting your time and money. Warm temperatures often help liquid treatments work faster, too. However, if you’ve been having a hot but dry summer, you’ll want to water your lawn first.
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Why It Helps Lawns
The reason it helps lawns is because the high amount of nitrogen content feeds the grass to make it grow faster and look greener. The pesticide in the product kills weeds but not lawns. If it claims to kill moss, the Its also highly likely that it contains iron which is again is suppressive to moss but not lawns.
When To Put Down Weed And Feed
Of course, the best time for weed and feed depends on the circumstances, like the climate, soil type e.t.c. So theres really no universal answer.
There are different reasons for having more than one answer to the question of when to apply weed and feed. The climate and weather play the most important part, because, for example, you will apply weed and feed for southern lawns in a different period than for northern lawns. Thus to know when to properly apply weed n seed, you need to check your climate zone.
Considering your location, the soil, and weather, the best time to weed and feed should be when the temperature is around 12°C and more. So generally the best time for applying weed and feed in early spring or early autumn. But again, it all depends on whether you live in a colder or warmer region. Finally, dont forget that you can only apply weed n feed twice a year.
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