Catch-22 with Drop spreader and Scott's weed & feed

First, I use a drop spreader rather than a rotary spreader since I don't want the herbicide to hit the plantings bordering the yard.

So here is my paradox. The Scott's weed & feed says to wet the lawn before using (presumably so the herbicide granules can stick to the weeds better). However, when I wet the lawn, some wet grass inevitably ends up running against the drop-feeder slit which causes the fertilizer to cake-up and clog the slots.

In summary:

  1. If I don't wet the lawn first, then it spreads but it doesn't stick to the weeds, so the herbicide doesn't work
  2. If I wet first, then the drop spreader slits clog and I get neither fertilizer nor herbicide action (or I end up opening the slits wider by some random amount and get a random, uneven coverage)

So, what am I doing wrong and what should I be doing?

Reply to
blueman
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Can you replace the spreader wheels with larger diameter ones?

For instance:

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--Winston

Reply to
Winston

I'll tell you what, and this is the truth. NEVER - use a weed and feed product. The weed part, as you mentioned, is a herbicide. It can, and does far more damage to vegetation, including trees and bushes, that all the feed in the world does good.

I can think of no worse product on the market, and people fall for this hook line, and sinker.

I'm not trying to diminish your problem, but please check with a master gardner in your area before using this terrible product.

Bob-tx

Reply to
Bob-tx

I never wet the lawn first but, if you do spreading in the morning, grass here is usually wet with dew. I use weed and feed sparingly, maybe every other year or less if weeds become evasive. Otherwise it's pull them or spot spraying.

Reply to
Frank

cut grass very short.

although i think weed and feed products should be outlawed.

lots of stuff lives outdoors like birds rabbits groundhogs squirells bees etc etc.

my sister in law had her lawn treated, her dog developed a seizure disorder and has to be on pills for the remainder of its life. vet said this very common.

dandelions are retty and add a nice color to the lawn:)

Reply to
bob haller

pretty yellow flowers

Reply to
bob haller

If you don't have too many weeds, pull them with a Weed Hound. There's no danger of hitting good plants and the weeds are instantly and verifiably gone. It also aerates the soil a tad. It's best to do it when the soil is moist.

Don't tolerate weeds. Most people find them ugly and they rob moisture and nutrients from your lawn. And left alone, they can get out of control.

Reply to
mike

i assume you live in an apartment somewhere. At least I hope so since I don't want you for my neighbor. ;)

Reply to
Frank

Easy...stop using herbicide.

Reply to
Master Betty

Best advice! Every year the city tells us not to use weed and feed and every year Homedepot has it for sale in the isles as you walk in the store. People are so lazy. The best way to have a healthy lawn without weeds is to pull them. The grass grows stronger and blocks the weeds from coming back. It's not rocket science but idiots continue to buy weed and feed thinking they can get out of a little work. Meanwhile trees die and the water supply gets contaminated.

Reply to
Master Betty

nope own a home, some neighbors spray killer some dont.

Reply to
bob haller

That is the trouble with drop spreaders. There are broadcast spreaders with some having a side guard to prevent spreading the product on one side.

Weed-and-feed products are popular but very harsh on the lawn overall and rarely recommended. Get yourself a good garden sprayer with a brass wand and spot treat (on a windless sunny day) with Bayer, Weed-B-Gone or Spectricide. If you clean out your sprayer each time it will last a very long time. Eventually, if you are overseeding you'll see fewer weeds each year--weed treatments would disappear, but should become less time-consuming. Now, I just use a 32 oz trigger spray bottle for the few weeds I get on an entire 1/2 acre of lawn.

Reply to
Phisherman

I had some a big unused jug of Weed-B-Gone along with an unused pump sprayer in my garage for the longest of time. I finally used it and I was *amazed* with the results. It truly started making the clover wilt within just hours. Within a few days, there were just about not weeds left. I spot sprayed the remaining weeds and my lawn is now weed free. Works much better than the weed-and-feed.

Rather than having to mix up a full batch time and set up and then clean my pump sprayer, I'm thinking of just making up a gallon batch and putting it in an old Round-up sprayer bottle. (Of course, I will re-label it properly). That way I will always have it available and if the sprayer gunks up after a while, I'll just move it to another old bottle. This should work well for occassional spot treatments though if I find a need for a more extensive treatment at the beginning of the year, I can always just mix up a batch in my real pump sprayer.

Does that sound like a reasonable idea?

Reply to
blueman

First, as you've learned, doing spot treatment with a sprayer on your lawn is way better than the weed-n-feed. You minimize the herbicide used and deliver it far better right where it's actually needed. So, you are on the right track.

For convenience, I just keep 3 sprayers. One backpack with Roundup for big areas, like my stone driveway, one 2 gallon with Roundup for small areas, one 2 gallon with Weed B Gone for the lawn. As long as you just rinse them out at the end of the season they last fine. The only time I've had problems was when I failed to do that and left them sitting unused all winter. Freezing is obviously bad too

Reply to
trader4

Your problem is exactly my problem-iam a Master Gardener!! Can't believe the hateful comments! i am going to try to use cardboard and cable ties to make a shroud for the broad cast spreader.

Reply to
phyllisonmainstreet

If you're a Master Gardner, you would know that weed and feed is a joke

Reply to
ChairMan

Why? It does a great job of feeding the weeds.

Reply to
rbowman

True dat, but a terrible job killing 'em

Reply to
ChairMan

replying to blueman, Mike wrote: Ive had that problem too. I make sure to check and clear the hopper after each emptying. Unfortunately, I am forced to fill only a little bit at a time because of this issue. So instead of one fill for the front lawn and maybe

1.5 for my backyard, I fill 2 times for front and 3 for back. That way I can check the flow. Also, as I push I will occasionally peek down and make sure there is good flow. Lot of extra work. Wish Scott's would make one with larger diameter wheels to get the openings up off the grass. Alas, not to be.
Reply to
Mike

Best idea is to not use Weed-N-Feed. It's not very effective, it relies on granules sticking to wet weed leaves and for the typical lawn, you wind up using many times more herbicide than is needed. Much more effective and better for the environment to use a sprayer to deliver the herbicide directly and targeted to the weeds. That's what I do, as needed, just spot treat.

Reply to
trader_4

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