The combined products are generally bad idea. You end up putting one or the other one at the wrong time.
If your weather is not (and is not going to be) too hot and dry, then you should be fine using the product now. If you use now remember that it is going to cause the grass to start growing faster then normal and if it dries out or gets too hot it will be bad for the grass. Fertilizing is usually best in the early to mid spring and mid to late fall. More nitrogen in the spring less in the fall. Weed killer is a little late, but it should not be too bad right now and should knock down some of the weeds.
This guy is in Northern Virginia, so it is likely he has a cool season lawn (fescue, ryegrass or possibly bluegrass), therefore nitrogen is much more important in the fall, not spring. The recommendation for established lawns is 2 lb. actual nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. in the fall, 1 lb or less in spring.
You want a HIGH NITROGEN fertilizer at this time. Cool season grass needs lots of N in October and November to build roots and to store carbohydrates for the winter.
This myth about fertilizing in spring has ruined more than a few lawns.
Typical spring/summer fertilizer would be something like 30-3-4, while a winterizer fertilizer intended for fall use would be more like 20-5-14. Lower in nitrogen, but higher in potash, and much higher in potassium. A "starter" fertilizer would be more like 20-30-5, which is even lower in nitrogen.
Nitrogen encourages top-growth, which is not what you want when you're trying to establish a lawn. Before you can work on the top, you need to work on the bottom. Part of the reason why the nitrogen percentage is still higher than potash or potassium in all but the "starter" (where it still is higher than the potassium) is that the nitrogen is more soluble. You may also find that the nitrogen in these fertilizers is bonded into time-release particles, so the entire amount of nitrogen is not really added at the same time.
High nitrogen that isn't time-release will give you a flash of green, unless it's too high, in which case you'll just burn it all. You don't need a flash of green in the fall, especially if you've been leaving your clippings on the lawn. Rather than work towards that flash of green before the lawn is covered in snow, it is more sound to work on the roots. High nitrogen is not the right course for fall.
Funny, I live in a like area with cool season grass and the advice has always been as I gave it. While VA may allow for a little more nitrogen in the fall than in my area, the idea is to avoid a lot of new soft growth going into winter when it may be damaged by the cold.
Scott's is full of shit. I fertilize my lawn one time a year in April or early May. I use slow release organic fertilizer. Fertilizer in itself is not going to suppress weeds. However, if you use weed and feed products you are putting atrazine in the soil and atrazine can kill old growth trees, or other plants. If you read the label you will not use it again.
Of course they want you on a four bag a year cycle. They make money that way. It's so much better to spend that extra money once a year to have the turf core aerated, use organic fertilizer once in spring, again in June (spring starts in Texas end of Feb. early March and we fertilize in April) I use one fertilization in spring, then if I remember I do another in the fall to sustain the continuous growth of turf in Texas. Roots grow in winter. Feed the soil, not the turf and you won't have those indicator weeds.
Thanks for all your feedback! I do have one of the better lawns on the street thanks to the previous owner of my house. I've been there
2 years and did the Scotts thing last year (Spring, Summer and Fall). Have not done anything this year. Between the time I moved into this house and now, I've seen more weeds and a type of thick grass grow all over the lawn in large patches.
Will what you described be available as a service in most areas? I'm a first time home owner and don't have a lot of experience with this type of stuff.
The fall fertilizer is the most important for cool season grasses. Winter root growth will help your lawn. Most lawn fertilizer is slow release, and that's what you want. In Tennessee we get much more summer drought damage than winter damage, but it is looking like this year there is no drought--rain,rain,rain.
Not in my experience. Most commerical lawn fertilizer is fast release, which we agree is not what anyone wants, especially in the fall. Maybe you wanted to say most FALL lawn fertilizer is slow release? There does seem to be more slow release products which are indicated for fall use.
I don't have bermuda grass. In the front which is mostly shade from a live oak with a canopy of 100 feet wide is St. Augustine. In the back I have buffalo grass. I don't feed buffalo anything.
Since you said requirements are different, lets hear what you know?
Tibetans are still living in exile in India and their culture dies another death each day that passes. But thanks for asking.
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