I'm a new homeowner and pretty inexperienced with gardening. At the
beginning of Spring when my lawn was overrun with dandelions and
weeds, I ran out to Kmart and bought a 50lb bag of weed n feed. I
stupidly didn't read the instructions figuring I couldn't do much hard
because it was a "feed". Well, I was definitely wrong. I "spread" it
with a cup and dumped a whole cup on areas of large weeds. Well,
needless to say, and much to my horror, have many large patches of
brown dead grass!!! It just looks horrible!

At this point, is there anything at all I can do aside from digging up
the many dead patches and re-seeding? Is there any chance that the
grass will grow there again?

Please help!

Thanks,
Michelle

On Fri, 16 May 2003 07:28:58 -0700, MIchelle wrote:

I'm a new homeowner and pretty inexperienced with gardening. At the
beginning of Spring when my lawn was overrun with dandelions and weeds,
I ran out to Kmart and bought a 50lb bag of weed n feed. I stupidly
didn't read the instructions figuring I couldn't do much hard because it
was a "feed". Well, I was definitely wrong. I "spread" it with a cup
and dumped a whole cup on areas of large weeds. Well, needless to say,
and much to my horror, have many large patches of brown dead grass!!!
It just looks horrible!

At this point, is there anything at all I can do aside from digging up
the many dead patches and re-seeding? Is there any chance that the
grass will grow there again?


In my opinion, you'll have to dig the soil out of the affected areas and
replace the soil and seed it. If theres a lot of damage, it might be in
your best intrest to thatch the lawn, replace the affected soil and start
the lawn over again. Sorry you had such a bad time with the weed&feed.
Remember to Always read the bag and to Always follow the application
instructions. Generally, below the application directions you'll find a
listing of 'rules/guidelines. These are the federal laws that goveren the
use and application of the product.
--
http://yard-works.netfirms.com

On 16 May 2003 07:28:58 -0700, (MIchelle)
wrote:

I'm a new homeowner and pretty inexperienced with gardening. At the
beginning of Spring when my lawn was overrun with dandelions and
weeds, I ran out to Kmart and bought a 50lb bag of weed n feed. I
stupidly didn't read the instructions figuring I couldn't do much hard
because it was a "feed". Well, I was definitely wrong. I "spread" it
with a cup and dumped a whole cup on areas of large weeds. Well,
needless to say, and much to my horror, have many large patches of
brown dead grass!!! It just looks horrible!

At this point, is there anything at all I can do aside from digging up
the many dead patches and re-seeding? Is there any chance that the
grass will grow there again?

Please help!

Thanks,
Michelle

Spread it with a "cup?" Always use a spreader when applying granular
fertilizer. Wait for several rain washings to dissipate the burning
fertilizer--perhaps two months is enough. Remove the dead matter,
scratch the ground, seed, protect with straw, and keep moist for 2
weeks. Keep weed killers off the new grass (for at least a year).
Read and follow all directions for every product you use.

(MIchelle) wrote:

I'm a new homeowner and pretty inexperienced with gardening. At the
beginning of Spring when my lawn was overrun with dandelions and
weeds, I ran out to Kmart and bought a 50lb bag of weed n feed. I
stupidly didn't read the instructions figuring I couldn't do much hard
because it was a "feed". Well, I was definitely wrong. I "spread" it
with a cup and dumped a whole cup on areas of large weeds. Well,
needless to say, and much to my horror, have many large patches of
brown dead grass!!! It just looks horrible!

At this point, is there anything at all I can do aside from digging up
the many dead patches and re-seeding?

You have "nitrogen burn". Water THOROUGHLY to wash that crud
DEEP under the roots and wait it out.

Chalk it up to experience: too much fertilizer, too much
herbicide = dead grass.

Tsu

--
To doubt everything or to believe everything
are two equally convenient solutions; both
dispense with the necessity of reflection.
- Jules Henri Poincaré

(MIchelle) wrote:

I ran out to Kmart and bought a 50lb bag of weed n feed. I
stupidly didn't read the instructions figuring I couldn't do much hard
because it was a "feed". Well, I was definitely wrong. I "spread" it
with a cup and dumped a whole cup on areas of large weeds. Well,
needless to say, and much to my horror, have many large patches of
brown dead grass!!! It just looks horrible!

Always read the label.

With fertilizer, it is usually best to apply at 1/2 of the recommended
rate. The recommended rate is designed to give good results and sell
more fertilizer.

With herbicides, you must be careful to read the label to see how
weather affects the performance. Usually dry herbicides like
weed-n-feed need to be applied to moist plants when no rain is expected
for 24 to 48 hours. That is a little hard to come by. Usually a
selective liquid weed killer based on 2-4-d selectively applied to the
weeds is preferable. Then you can get an inexpensive fertilizer and
apply at 1/2 of the recommended rate.

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Visit my Rhododendron and Azalea web pages at:
http://www.users.fast.net/~shenning/rhody.html
Also visit the Rhododendron and Azalea Bookstore at:
http://members.aol.com/rhodyman/rhodybooks.html
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA http://www.users.fast.net/~shenning

Stop buying poisons and learn to culture grass, dandelions are a sign
of poor cultural problem. Weed and Feed products simply make the
problems increasingly complex.

Topdress with quality compost, core aerate, apply compost tea and
convert to organic fertilizers. (oh and stop gardening with Martha)



On 16 May 2003 07:28:58 -0700, (MIchelle)
wrote:

I'm a new homeowner and pretty inexperienced with gardening. At the
beginning of Spring when my lawn was overrun with dandelions and
weeds, I ran out to Kmart and bought a 50lb bag of weed n feed. I
stupidly didn't read the instructions figuring I couldn't do much hard
because it was a "feed". Well, I was definitely wrong. I "spread" it
with a cup and dumped a whole cup on areas of large weeds. Well,
needless to say, and much to my horror, have many large patches of
brown dead grass!!! It just looks horrible!

At this point, is there anything at all I can do aside from digging up
the many dead patches and re-seeding? Is there any chance that the
grass will grow there again?

Please help!

Thanks,
Michelle



"Nature, left alone, is in perfect balance.
Harmful insects and plant diseases are always present,
but do not occur in nature to an extent which requires the use of poisonous chemicals.
The sensible approach to disease and insect control is to grow sturdy crops in a healthy environment."

Masanobu Fukuoka, One Straw Revolution--1978

Weed and Feed products are, for the most part, pre-emergent chemicals. That
means they prevent weed and any other type of seeds from germinating. It
doesn't necessarily kill grass. However, dumping chemicals on anything without
reading was not a good idea. You most likely burned the turf with way too much
fertilizer. Just mow it, keep it watered and try to learn to read.

By the way, you can kill trees with atrazine, which is in many weed and feed
products. All are junk, none help the soil biota and they don't guarantee what
the fillers are. They could use any toxic crap they want to carry the N-P-K in
the product.

All I do to my turf is water, mow, and core aerate. Maybe once a year I top
dress with compost, but I mostly do that for the trees. If you mow before weeds
go to seed, every time you do that you prevent more weeds. It can take a few
years, but it can be done.


On 16 May 2003 07:28:58 -0700, (MIchelle) wrote:

I'm a new homeowner and pretty inexperienced with gardening. At the
beginning of Spring when my lawn was overrun with dandelions and
weeds, I ran out to Kmart and bought a 50lb bag of weed n feed. I
stupidly didn't read the instructions figuring I couldn't do much hard
because it was a "feed". Well, I was definitely wrong. I "spread" it
with a cup and dumped a whole cup on areas of large weeds. Well,
needless to say, and much to my horror, have many large patches of
brown dead grass!!! It just looks horrible!

At this point, is there anything at all I can do aside from digging up
the many dead patches and re-seeding? Is there any chance that the
grass will grow there again?

Please help!

Thanks,
Michelle

On Fri, 16 May 2003 19:08:23 GMT, "Stephen M. Henning"
wrote:

With fertilizer, it is usually best to apply at 1/2 of the recommended
rate. The recommended rate is designed to give good results and sell
more fertilizer.


Why then buy a product, which by your description, is mislabeled?


"Nature, left alone, is in perfect balance.
Harmful insects and plant diseases are always present,
but do not occur in nature to an extent which requires the use of poisonous chemicals.
The sensible approach to disease and insect control is to grow sturdy crops in a healthy environment."

Masanobu Fukuoka, One Straw Revolution--1978

animaux wrote:

Weed and Feed products are, for the most part, pre-emergent chemicals.

No. Products labeled Weed-N-Feed are fertilizer and contact herbicicide.
The premergence products are labeled such things as Scotts Plus and are
for crab grass.

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA
http://www.users.fast.net/~shenning

Tom Jaszewski expounded:

Why then buy a product, which by your description, is mislabeled?

Why twist the description into mislabeling? He's right, they're
trying to sell fertilizer, and advise putting on too heavy a coat.

--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
********************************

animaux expounded:

Weed and Feed products are, for the most part, pre-emergent chemicals.

No they aren't, they're full of weedkiller to knock off the
dandilions, plantains, etc. Pre-emergents are a totally different
product, albeit with fertilizers, sometimes, that are applied earlier
than the weed and feed products. If you use weed and feed around here
in March it'll do nothing but spread unnecessary chemicals and
fertilize the lawn (excessively). Fertilizer with crab grass control
is spread then. The weed and feed comes in the second feeding.

At least that's how it works on chemical feeder's lawns. Not mine.

--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
********************************

I'm a new homeowner and pretty inexperienced with gardening. At the
beginning of Spring when my lawn was overrun with dandelions and
weeds, I ran out to Kmart and bought a 50lb bag of weed n feed. I
stupidly didn't read the instructions figuring I couldn't do much hard
because it was a "feed". Well, I was definitely wrong. I "spread" it
with a cup and dumped a whole cup on areas of large weeds. Well,
needless to say, and much to my horror, have many large patches of
brown dead grass!!! It just looks horrible!

At this point, is there anything at all I can do aside from digging up
the many dead patches and re-seeding? Is there any chance that the
grass will grow there again?

What were you thinking using a chemical product without reading the label?

You've burned the grass out. You need some good, hard rains to wash this
further into the soil (or a few weeks of heavy sprinkler work). In the
spots where you "dumped a whole cup" you may want to take off the top couple
of inches of soil, throw it out and replace it.

After the fertilizer has been thoroughly washed down (probably 4 or 5 HEAVY
and prolonged rains or a few weeks of thorough sprinkler action every other
day) go out and buy several bags of compost to spread about the property.
Spread it thinly -- we're not looking to build an inch layer here, just add
to the soil a bit. Then get some Scot's Sun & Shade mix (or another quality
grass) and overseed the lawn. Water regularly and the grass will appear.

You need to mow this new grass regularly -- as in every time it gets to
about 4 inches in height. Keep it at about 3 inches. Do not let it grow
more than 4 inches before you mow -- you'll stress the plant and may kill
it.

Another option is to simply resod the yard or to hire a contractor to come
out and handle the reseed.

And FWIW -- stay away from chemicals, you rarely truly need any such thing.
They're really no good for the soil or plants, certainly no good for you and
your family, and all you really do is ensure that you'll need to keep
applying chemicals. Each year, spread some compost on your lawn, mow
regularly, and pull weeds by hand -- you'll be happy you did.

James

On Sat, 17 May 2003 13:04:00 GMT, "Stephen M. Henning" wrote:

animaux wrote:

Weed and Feed products are, for the most part, pre-emergent chemicals.

No. Products labeled Weed-N-Feed are fertilizer and contact herbicicide.
The premergence products are labeled such things as Scotts Plus and are
for crab grass.

I said "for the most part." I didn't say all the time. I will say it again.
For the most part, weed and feed products are pre-emergents.

On Sat, 17 May 2003 09:57:45 -0400, Ann wrote:

Tom Jaszewski expounded:

Why then buy a product, which by your description, is mislabeled?

Why twist the description into mislabeling? He's right, they're
trying to sell fertilizer, and advise putting on too heavy a coat.


I agree with Ann. It is better to apply at half the rate, wait a
month and apply again. Fertilizers tend to give the lawn a big huge
meal at once, them there's very little food left after 6 weeks. The
time-release fertilizers help smooth out this effect, but two small
applications is still better. The lawn weed killers really punish
the healthy grass and really should be used in rare cases. I spot
kill the few weeds I get with very good results, although I have a
thick lawn that chokes out most of the weeds anyway.

From my perspective overselling a product by labeling a higher than
needed rate IS mislabeling, not a twist by me!



On Sat, 17 May 2003 09:57:45 -0400, Ann wrote:

Tom Jaszewski expounded:

Why then buy a product, which by your description, is mislabeled?

Why twist the description into mislabeling? He's right, they're
trying to sell fertilizer, and advise putting on too heavy a coat.



"Nature, left alone, is in perfect balance.
Harmful insects and plant diseases are always present,
but do not occur in nature to an extent which requires the use of poisonous chemicals.
The sensible approach to disease and insect control is to grow sturdy crops in a healthy environment."

Masanobu Fukuoka, One Straw Revolution--1978