Temperatures are rising; hours of sunshine increasing. St. Augustine-grass is slowly coming out of dormancy. Last years chinch bugs left some lawns nearly bare ground and the ugly faces of weeds dominate. A weed is any plant that ain’t supposed to be there, whether it’s a grassy or broadleaf variety.
Faced with the unsightly mess, homeowners purchase some brand of “weed and feed” in hopes of accomplishing two goals with one pass of the spreader. Multi-tasking has its place, but this isn’t one of them. The herbicide – “weed” component in the mix - cannot differentiate between a dandelion and a begonia. Further, the commonly-included herbicide Atrazine has some residual effect in the soil that will kill new runners of St. Augustine attempting to move into the bare areas. Most fertilizers recommend immediate, heavy watering: Atrazine is very water soluble chemical. If applied near a tree or shrub it will leach into soil or mulch and damage those plants.
The recommended strategy for dealing with the problem is: (1) mow the lawn; (2) three days or so later, apply a slow release nitrogen fertilizer with a 3-1-2 ratio and micronutrients; (3) apply a selective liquid herbicide directly to the weeds. Don’t spray weed killer over the entire lawn: the same problems as with the granular product may occur, amplified by wind-drift onto foliage. Attack the weeds one-by-one, using a pump sprayer with something as simple as a paper cup to prevent drift of the liquid mixture onto non-targeted plants.
Promoting a healthy and dense lawn is the best prevention for weeds; next September, use a preemergent herbicide to reduce the number of spring weeds.
Using the services of a licensed lawn care professional such as JNJ Pest Control and Grounds Care will eliminate your bothering with the chemistry and give you the desired beautiful green lawn.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Deweed Weed and Feed
Temperatures are rising; hours of sunshine increasing. St. Augustine-grass is slowly coming out of dormancy. Last years chinch bugs left some lawns nearly bare ground and the ugly faces of weeds dominate. A weed is any plant that ain’t supposed to be there, whether it’s a grassy or broadleaf variety.
Faced with the unsightly mess, homeowners purchase some brand of “weed and feed” in hopes of accomplishing two goals with one pass of the spreader. Multi-tasking has its place, but this isn’t one of them. The herbicide – “weed” component in the mix - cannot differentiate between a dandelion and a begonia. Further, the commonly-included herbicide Atrazine has some residual effect in the soil that will kill new runners of St. Augustine attempting to move into the bare areas. Most fertilizers recommend immediate, heavy watering: Atrazine is very water soluble chemical. If applied near a tree or shrub it will leach into soil or mulch and damage those plants.
The recommended strategy for dealing with the problem is: (1) mow the lawn; (2) three days or so later, apply a slow release nitrogen fertilizer with a 3-1-2 ratio and micronutrients; (3) apply a selective liquid herbicide directly to the weeds. Don’t spray weed killer over the entire lawn: the same problems as with the granular product may occur, amplified by wind-drift onto foliage. Attack the weeds one-by-one, using a pump sprayer with something as simple as a paper cup to prevent drift of the liquid mixture onto non-targeted plants.
Promoting a healthy and dense lawn is the best prevention for weeds; next September, use a preemergent herbicide to reduce the number of spring weeds.
Using the services of a licensed lawn care professional such as JNJ Pest Control and Grounds Care will eliminate your bothering with the chemistry and give you the desired beautiful green lawn.
Faced with the unsightly mess, homeowners purchase some brand of “weed and feed” in hopes of accomplishing two goals with one pass of the spreader. Multi-tasking has its place, but this isn’t one of them. The herbicide – “weed” component in the mix - cannot differentiate between a dandelion and a begonia. Further, the commonly-included herbicide Atrazine has some residual effect in the soil that will kill new runners of St. Augustine attempting to move into the bare areas. Most fertilizers recommend immediate, heavy watering: Atrazine is very water soluble chemical. If applied near a tree or shrub it will leach into soil or mulch and damage those plants.
The recommended strategy for dealing with the problem is: (1) mow the lawn; (2) three days or so later, apply a slow release nitrogen fertilizer with a 3-1-2 ratio and micronutrients; (3) apply a selective liquid herbicide directly to the weeds. Don’t spray weed killer over the entire lawn: the same problems as with the granular product may occur, amplified by wind-drift onto foliage. Attack the weeds one-by-one, using a pump sprayer with something as simple as a paper cup to prevent drift of the liquid mixture onto non-targeted plants.
Promoting a healthy and dense lawn is the best prevention for weeds; next September, use a preemergent herbicide to reduce the number of spring weeds.
Using the services of a licensed lawn care professional such as JNJ Pest Control and Grounds Care will eliminate your bothering with the chemistry and give you the desired beautiful green lawn.
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