Many homeowners find it challenging to maintain a healthy lawn because of incompetent expertise with the fertilizer.
Despite time and capacity constraints, meeting your lawn’s needs and making your life easier is worthwhile. Different fertilizers provide a lawn growth benefit.
It is essential to know the right product that kills weeds. The best solution is weed and feed, which is the generic name for different lawn chemicals used to strengthen the existing lawns and kill some weeds with just one application.
Also, it improves the grass’s ability to absorb food and water and adds the necessary nutrients that promote healthy growth.
On the other hand, a healthy lawn prevents weeds from spreading, which reduces the use of the product over time.
Types of Weed and Feed
Weed and feed come in different forms that include: liquid and granular. Even though liquid forms are easy to apply and give faster results, the granular forms are cheaper to use. Liquid or spray weed and feed are typically designed for small patios.
The granular weed and feed can cover a larger area, usually 5,000 sq ft or more, and can be found in a bag of 18 pounds or more.
Also, the granular forms are more cost-effective, but for you to water the lawn after application to ensure penetration.
Some options of weed and feed have slow-release formulas; therefore, you don’t need to apply often. For the best results, plan to treat the lawn at least every eight weeks from the beginning of spring.
When to Use Weed and Feed
Timing is essential when answering the question of when to use weed and feed. It should be used when weeds are actively growing.
If you use the weed and feed very early, you will not attack the weeds, which have not begun to grow and will survive application. However, if you wait very long, your lawn will not have the nutrition it requires to grow well.
Typically, the ideal time to use weed and feed is during the early spring, when you discover that your grass requires the first cut of the season.
If the spring has already started, it is best to use this fertilizer during those months. This will make sure there are no weeds on your lawn in the following spring.
In addition to using weed and feed, you are supposed to observe the weather forecast weekly. Avoid treating the grass with the weed and feed if the forecast predicts that it will rain.
The spring storm immediately after use dilutes the herbicide very much for it to be effective. If you are suddenly caught in a sudden downpour, you are not supposed to re-apply the treatment, as there is a risk of overfeeding the lawn.
Most of these weed and feed products you see in the stores contain post-emergence herbicides. For these herbicides to function after emergence, weeds must be growing actively during the time of usage.
Therefore, if you use the post-emergence weed and feed, it will only kill the weeds present at the moment and will not affect the weeds later.
Applying Weed and Feed on The Lawn
When starting to apply weed and feed, it is crucial to know the label and packaging to learn the correct lawn treatment procedure.
There may be specific guidelines for the weeds you are targeting, together with the type of grasses. You will also find recommended settings and application details, which will advise you on using weed and feeding to the specific lawn.
Before treatment, make sure the lawn is at the standard height of between 7 and 18 inches. Also, water the lawn a day before the application and then wait for 2-4 days before applying weed and feed.
This protects the yard, ensures weed growth, and allows the leaves that may have been cut when mowing to prepare for the herbicide.
Spray the weeds and feed the weeds using a sprayer. It would be crucial if you were cautious not to use too much of it in a particular zone.
Once you have applied it, water the grass for few days so that the weeds absorb the product. Monitor weed and feed every 30 days after application. This will give you the optimal nitrogen content.
How Often You Need to Use Weed and Feed
Usually, it all depends on the kind of weed and feed you are using. The reason is that every manufacturer today has various suggestions for lawn owners.
Some manufacturers recommend treating your lawn once a year. However, if you’re planning to treat your entire yard with weeds and feed, it is best to use it two times, and it should clearly state this on the label you buy.
The best thing is to use two different brands of weed and feed twice a year. The two brands must have other active ingredients.
You only need to do this in the first year or two to make sure you get rid of established weeds. When you’re through applying to your lawn, a few years are easier to use again because you only need to maintain your grass once a year.
The best time for this is usually September, as it will help control weed spread in spring and summer.
What You Need to Do After Using Weed and Feed
Avoid watering your lawn for at least a day after using weed and feed. After some days, and you discover there is no rain, it is best to water your lawn well as this can help weed and feed work well.
Also, it can be best to evade walking in this area to avoid accidental removal of granules from the lawn. Children and pets should also avoid these treated areas and after eating grass. Finally, mow the grass after three days of weed and feed application.
Security Concerns
It would be best to make sure pets and children stay off the grass until weed and feed dry up completely, as it can be unsafe to animals and humans.
If possible, you need to wait until it rains again. Check the grass to see if the granules are completely dissolved.
Best Weed and Feed Products
1. BioAdvanced 100532518 All-in-One Weed and Feed
Overview
Do you want a weed and feed product that can help to improve nutrient uptake between and during feedings? Go for this model from BioAdvanced because it fortifies and improves roots and helps to increase resistance to drought and heat.
I really appreciate the 25% slow-release formula because it can help kill over 200 grassy and broadleaf weeds, including clover, dandelion, spotted spurge, chickweed, and other weeds.
Micro-feed action can unlock essential nutrients that are already in the ground to create a more resilient and nutritious root zone. Also, it improves nutrient uptake when feedings and increases the resistance to drought and heat.
The product is specially formulated on established lawns like bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, buffalo grass, seashore paspalum, and ryegrass.
The granules of this weed and feed product are easy to apply with a rotary or drop spreader. Thanks to the all-in-one formula, which can help to kill crabgrass together with other grassy weeds.
You will also get active ingredients like 2,4-D, which is 0.818%, Quinclorac that is 0.419%, and Dicamba, which is 0.073%. Likewise, it measures 12 pounds and can treat about 5,000 square feet.
2. Bonide 301 O8586828 32 oz Weed and Feed
Overview
Many people go for this product from Bonide because it helps control black medic, common chickweed, clover, dandelion, English daisy, dock, knotweed, and more.
It is formulated 20-0-0, containing 20% of nitrogen, 0% of phosphate, and 0% of potash. It can control a wide coverage of 2,500 square feet to treat turfgrass.
The product comes with a container attached to the hose-end sprayer where you only need to connect the garden hose to a sprayer and then start using it.
You will get the best results when applying it during the fall or spring to the broadleaf weeds to make young, present, and actively growing. More importantly, it is easy to use because no mixing is required.
It is designed for outdoor use on bermudagrass, bentgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fescues, St. Augustinegrass lawns, playgrounds, vacant lots, and more.
You need to note that it is not intended for indoor use. Similarly, it has a long-lasting and slow-release formula that contains essential nutrients the lawn requires.
Conclusion
Weed and feed need to be used only when the weeds are actively growing. This means you can begin its usage in April and re-apply again in October and September.
Using weed and feed to the lawn in early spring is not recommended, as other weeds have yet germinated. You can start to use it in May and repeat it before the cold season hits. However, before repeating everything, make sure the label allows for repetitive treatments.