> On Jul 1, 7:56 pm, FALCONG...@webtv.net (MICHELLE H.) wrote:
> > We try to keep the lawn the lawn as "natural" as possible, as last year
> > we ONLY did the Scotts "Weed Control", as we had a problem with
> > Dandelions EVERYWHERE throughout the yard. Not like 1 or 2 Dandelions,
> > but hundreds!!!
> >Using the Scotts multi step program is about as far from "natural" as
> >possible. What they propose is constantly treating your lawn with
> >chemicals, whether you have a specific problem requiring them or not.
> >Given that you think the Scotts weed n feed killed your lawn over
> >night, the first thing I would do is call Scotts. Getting opinions
> >from the store or a neighbor is worthless. The neighbor spoting off
> >about the clover is clueless. There is no way the clover nitrogen
> >cycle has anything to do with your problem. Also, you put down a
> >slow release nitrogen, not Amonium Nitrate. Also, putting down
> >hebicide when it's in the 80's is not a good idea, as it can indeed
> >damage the grass. But if you applied it anywhere near the correct
> >rate, there is no way it would turn the whole lawn yellow over
> >night. For that to happen suggests something was wrong with that
> >bag.
> >I'd keep the lawn well watered and see what happens. Just because
> >it's yellow doesn;t mean it's dead. It's possible it may come back,
> >however the fact that whatever happened occured so quickly suggests it
> >may indeed be kaput.
> >If you want to start reducing the chemicals you are using, start by
> >not using weed n feed. With a 2 gal tank sprayer, you can apply a
> >minimal amount of herbicide directly to the weeds. This does 2
> >things. It minimizes the amount used and it delivers whatever is
> >used directly to the weeds instead of broadcasting it everywhere.
> >I also would not be putting down nitrogen hot weather either, as it
> >promotes fungus and disease. The best times to fertilize are Spring
> >and Fall.
> >Finally, if clover is your main concern, I doubt a weed n feed product
> >is going to do much, if anything to eliminate it. Clover is much
> >tougher to kill than broadleaf weeds. Look in the lawn/garden center
> >for products labeled for clover and apply it with a sprayer. That
> >is assuming you have so much that you want to get rid of it. The
> >"natural" folks acually prefer clover.
> Michelle - So far you've gotten a lot of bad information, mixed with a
> little decent advice.
> The fertilizer part of the Scott's weed control program is a 28-2-4, which
> means several things --
> a. It's got a LOT of nitrogen in it, and probably a lot of that is
> ammonium nitrate, just as you said. Trader is wrong in his comments about
> slow release
Scotts product most definitely does contains a large portion of slow
release fertilizer. Your misleading statement would lead the poster
to believe that it is ALL quick release, which it is NOT. And it is
NOT comparable to straight ammonium nitrate, which is indeed all quick
release, which is why I offered it as a comparison. Scotts is a
combination of quick release and slow release. If you put down 28%
ammonium nitrate, all that nitrogen is quick release. In the Scotts
product, a significant portion of it is slow release, so you don't get
anywhere near 28% nitrogen release immediately. Most importantly
the nitrogen will not burn the lawn and cause it to go yellow
overnight when put down at the correct rate. Which was the point, was
it not?
> to be effective, a lot of the fertilizer in a weed-and-feed
> is water soluble to provide near-instant greening that will mask the
> herbicide effects of the product.. There's probably a lot of ammonium
> nitrate that you spread, but Scotts website does not list the specific %s of
> ammonium nitrate and other nitrogen sources, probably intentionally.
> b. He's right, however, that the ammonium nitrate shouldn't have made
> your lawn yellow (unless it was really overdone in very hot weather)-- but
> the herbicide in the product might. This effect is magnified if you used a
> product intended for cool weather lawns on a warm-weather grass such as St.
> Augustine grass, or vice versa. Scott's weed control is not for use on
> certain types of grasses, and it's probably significant that Scotts has
> chosen not to put the chemical analysis of its product on its web site.
> c. It's also possible that you have so much clover and dandelions in
> your turf that what you are seeing is the impact of the herbicide that
> you've spread around, magnified by using the product during the hot weather
> instead of spring or early fall as the instructions dictate.
I would give the poster credit for being able to tell the difference
between their grass and the weeds. Also, I have yet to see a weed/
feed product that kills clover overnight. In fact, they are usually
marginal in controlling clover at all.
> In any case, about all you can do now is regular watering to encourage the
> turfgrass to recover. There's a good likelihood that you've done enough
> damage to the turfgrass that you've left open spaces for more weeds and that
> your weed problem may become even more pronounced as the summer progresses.
> Both the herbicide and the water-soluble fertilizer parts of your treatment
> are going to be gone within days, making this a really expensive way to have
> done minimal short-time work on your lawn.
> In my experience as a Master Gardener, many people over obsess about their
> lawns, spending too much money and time for little, if any, good. With
> normal soil and care, obsessing about pH levels or instant weed control is a
> waste of time and money.
And for good measure, Mr, Master Gardener doesn't believe that a
correct PH range is of value in turfgrass management. I'd encourage
the poster to do a little googling and see how many turf grass
experts, universities, agricultural extension services, etc say
otherwise.
> As you've seen, there are a lot of ways to spend
> time and money without getting good results. Ideally, with just a little
> water and perhaps some fertilizer a lawn can be grown that will crowd the
> weeds out.
Ideally, we'd have a perfect economy and world peace too.
> I've reached the point with my lawn that I no longer fertilize
> and no longer pull weeds, but simply use a mulching mower to return modest
> levels of nutrients from the cuttings, the weeds are gone and each year the
> lawn gets better and better.
If it continues to improve at that rate, eventually it can sink all
the CO2 and solve global warming too.
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> > We try to keep the lawn the lawn as "natural" as possible, as last year
> > we ONLY did the Scotts "Weed Control", as we had a problem with
> > Dandelions EVERYWHERE throughout the yard. Not like 1 or 2 Dandelions,
> > but hundreds!!!
> >Using the Scotts multi step program is about as far from "natural" as
> >possible. What they propose is constantly treating your lawn with
> >chemicals, whether you have a specific problem requiring them or not.
> >Given that you think the Scotts weed n feed killed your lawn over
> >night, the first thing I would do is call Scotts. Getting opinions
> >from the store or a neighbor is worthless. The neighbor spoting off
> >about the clover is clueless. There is no way the clover nitrogen
> >cycle has anything to do with your problem. Also, you put down a
> >slow release nitrogen, not Amonium Nitrate. Also, putting down
> >hebicide when it's in the 80's is not a good idea, as it can indeed
> >damage the grass. But if you applied it anywhere near the correct
> >rate, there is no way it would turn the whole lawn yellow over
> >night. For that to happen suggests something was wrong with that
> >bag.
> >I'd keep the lawn well watered and see what happens. Just because
> >it's yellow doesn;t mean it's dead. It's possible it may come back,
> >however the fact that whatever happened occured so quickly suggests it
> >may indeed be kaput.
> >If you want to start reducing the chemicals you are using, start by
> >not using weed n feed. With a 2 gal tank sprayer, you can apply a
> >minimal amount of herbicide directly to the weeds. This does 2
> >things. It minimizes the amount used and it delivers whatever is
> >used directly to the weeds instead of broadcasting it everywhere.
> >I also would not be putting down nitrogen hot weather either, as it
> >promotes fungus and disease. The best times to fertilize are Spring
> >and Fall.
> >Finally, if clover is your main concern, I doubt a weed n feed product
> >is going to do much, if anything to eliminate it. Clover is much
> >tougher to kill than broadleaf weeds. Look in the lawn/garden center
> >for products labeled for clover and apply it with a sprayer. That
> >is assuming you have so much that you want to get rid of it. The
> >"natural" folks acually prefer clover.
> Michelle - So far you've gotten a lot of bad information, mixed with a
> little decent advice.
> The fertilizer part of the Scott's weed control program is a 28-2-4, which
> means several things --
> a. It's got a LOT of nitrogen in it, and probably a lot of that is
> ammonium nitrate, just as you said. Trader is wrong in his comments about
> slow release