Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
Types of Weed and Feed Products
Types of Weed and Feed Products. Controlling weeds and fertilizing the turf are two aspects of lawn maintenance most homeowners take on during the course of the growing season. Weed-and-feed products handle both tasks. Homeowners trying to decide which one of the several types available best suits their needs need to consider a number of factors.
Controlling weeds and fertilizing the turf are two aspects of lawn maintenance most homeowners take on during the course of the growing season. Weed-and-feed products handle both tasks. Homeowners trying to decide which one of the several types available best suits their needs need to consider a number of factors.
Pre-emergent weed-and-feed products are those with pre-emergent herbicides, which prevent weeds from sprouting before they emerge from the ground. Early springtime is often the best time for applying these products; you must apply them prior to weed germination for them to work. Pre-emergence herbicides work well against annual grass weeds such as crabgrass (Digitaria spp.) and annual bluegrass (Poa annua), and against certain broadleaf weeds such as chickweed (Stellaria media). In warmer parts of the country, an autumn application is needed to control winter annuals such as annual bluegrass. Only use pre-emergent products if you know you have a problem with certain weeds.
Unfortunately, the convenience of the product overshadows the considerations. Herbicide and fertilizers often require different application times. For example, a pre-emergent herbicide for crabgrass typically requires a mid-spring application, which is later than recommended fertilizer timing for many cool-season grasses. If you only have small patches of weeds, consider a separate herbicide and applying only to the affected area, advises North Carolina State Extension.
Looking at several weed-and-feed products will reveal that they use a variety of active ingredients and ingredient combinations. Atrazine, metsulfuron and dicamba can damage ornamentals; use them with caution near planted landscape beds. Also make sure the active ingredient is safe for your particular turf species. Atrazine is safe for St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), which grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 10, and Zoysia (Zoysia spp.), which grows in USDA zones 6 through 9, but not Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), which grows in USDA zones 7 through 10. Products containing 2,4-D, dicamba or mecoprop are never safe for St. Augustine grass.
