I fired TruGreen because the ended up killing my grass rather than making it beautiful.
I want to do this myself and bought a broadcast speader and a bag of weed 'n feed.
The instructions tell me how to apply it, but not the frequency or WHEN.
So I ask:
When do I apply this ( I live in San Antonio, Tx, and have St. Augustine grass) And How frequently do I do it?
Thanks
ER
Rule #1. Most of the time the best time to apply weed control is not the best time to apply the feed. Combination products are seldom your best bet.
Sorry you are not in my area so my guess as to the best time is going to be worthless. However you do have a local county extension service and they can help you out with really good local information.
I recommend that you do not follow the instructions on the packages. Those instructions are designed to sell product, not give you the best lawn. Most often those instructions and products are designed to give you a quick green burst, but not a lasting healthy lawn.
A soil test would not be a bad idea. The county extension office can help you out there, they may even tell you it is not needed due to the uniformity of the area. They don't make a profit off you so they will give you good advice.
If TruGreen killed your grass, it's dead! Why fertilize dead grass???
Get ahold of your county extention office, they will advise you as to whe is the best time to apply chemicials to your lawn.
Tom
St. Augustine in Texas! You sure it's not Bermuda? I suspect the weed and feed you're using is incompatible with St. Augustine, if that is what you have. Check the labels on the weed and weed. Most are good for fiscue, bermuda, and kentucky blue.
Thunder
I live in Florida, have St. Augustine. Worked hard with hubby for two years to rehab a badly neglected lawn in our condo. In general, weed and feed products are not a good choice, and certainly not good for continuous use. If a lawn is full of broadleaf weeds, a broadleaf weed killer is best to use when the lawn has been fertilized and watered properly, and not under stress from heat or lack of water. Your county or state probably has an extension service website, and experts on hand to help identify weeds and other lawn problems. The best, most cost effective plan is to first learn how to water and cut the grass properly, as that is the best weapon to fight weeds, disease and insect problems.
We first used Weeb b' Gone for Southern Grasses, by Ortho. Seems like it was specifically safe for SA grass. Some products are ok for SA, but not for Floratam variety. I think that Ortho has changed their formulations, and sell a variety of similar products for southern grasses. Some contain atrazine, which I believe is more toxic to wildlife. Atrazine is useful as a pre-emergent for crab grass and similar weed, but very specific as to timing of application and precautions.
Everything on a label is important, as to precautions and application. One app. of a broadleaf weed killer should do the trick - after that, proper maintenance and spot treatment often do the trick. Here is a link to one Ortho prod., but local resources may have better information about safe products, specific problems, etc. You will save time and money, in the long-run, by learning good practices and being consistent.
I don't ever recall buying a lawn product without this information. Since I have no idea what you used, it might be wise to call the manufacturer or visit their web site. Generally, weed and feed is not beneficial to most lawns. I treat weeds, but I spot treat using a garden sprayer, in the spring to early summer.
Everyone has St. Augustine here. I bought "St. Augustine Weed n feed"
Thanks
ER
precautions.
St. Augustine, when growing well, crowds out weeds, and obviates the need for weed killer. Here in California, St. Augustine in dormant from October through February. I notice that weeds have more opportunity to come up in that period, but that ends when the grass comes out of dormancy.
I agree with those who suggest NOT using a weed-and-feed product. Weed-and-feed is a victory of marketing over common sense and amount to an indiscriminate use of pesticides. Why spread a pesticide everywhere, regardless of whether there's a weed to be killed or not. Better to spot treat the weedy areas and fertilize with an appropriate fertilizer.
For St. Augustine grass, the weed-and-feed weed killer is normally atrazine, which also is harmful to the grass. To get around that problem, the "feed" part is a fertilizer that is very high in soluble nitrogen, which helps prevent the atrazine from doing too much damage -- but also results in leaf growth without root growth and has the potential for excessive nitrogen runoff into the water table. For Florida St. Augustine, the preference is for a lawn fertilizer with low amounts of soluble nitrogen, and a ratio of chemicals with the nitrogen (1st number) being no larger than 2x the second number. Too much nitrogen will encourage soft leaf growth and make the plant more vulnerable to attack by insects, fungus, etc.
The best readable reference is the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods (FYN) handbook, which is available at the University of Florida website, at
Living in TX, you should've bought imported fertilizer. You just make the call, a van pulls up, a dozen Mexicans jump out and shit all over your yard. Presto, your yard is fertilized.
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