“Weed & Feed”
Welcome to our latest post of “How to talk to a landscape contractor” where we let you in on the definitions of common landscape contractor lingo. When we tell a customer that “Weed & Feed” needs to be applied to their lawn, we frequently get the question: “what is weed and feed?”
It is the commonly used name for a product that will kill most broad leaf weeds while simultaneously fertilizing the lawn.
What is Weed and Feed?
Weed and feed is an application process for lawns with dead patches and many weeds. First, check if your lawn has dead patches because of improper sprinkler coverage. You may need to take a look at your irrigation system if this is the case.
Next, your lawn may only have a few patches of weeds. In this case, it might be better to spot treat for weeds. Misusing weed & feed can actually result in more damage to your lawn! You should never apply more than twice a year. Contact your local lawn care professional with any questions you may have! Many lawn care professionals have different chemicals that can accomplish the same results.
How To Weed and Feed
The best time of the year is late spring; however, we will recommend that our customer also apply in the fall. It’s very important that you apply early in the fall. If night time temperatures drop too low, the application won’t work.
Apply weed & feed a couple of days after the last mowing. This way the weeds have a little growth to them which allows the weed killer to attach itself to the weed. The best practice is to water your lawn heavily on the nights before the application.
In the morning after application, apply a light watering. The water also allows the weed killer to attach to the weeds. This is the one step you don’t want to miss.
Next, shut the water down for 2 days. This allows the weed killer to burn up the weeds. After 2 days do another heavy watering. By failing to apply water after 2 days, you run the risk of burning up your grass. The water allows the fertilizer to release into the soil.
Once this process is complete, go back to your normal watering schedule. Within 10 days you’ll see the fertilizer working and all of the weeds should be gone. If there are still some remaining weeds, apply a small a amount of weed & feed on the remaining weeds. There is no need to apply weed & feed to the entire yard again.
Contact a licensed landscape contractor with questions or concerns. Even though many home owners apply weed & feed on their own, it’s important to follow the application process and to check what type of grass you have. Weed & feed will burn up several different types of grass. If this process seems to hard or you’re not a “green thumb” feel free to contact your local gardener.
Should I Weed and Feed during the drought?
In the current California drought, properly weeding and feeding your lawn is a huge luxury. If you are concerned about water usage, you should consider re landscaping with a drought-tolerant landscape. Properly done, a drought tolerant landscape can stand out and look very nice. Many Orange County landscapes are turning to this environmentally friendly alternative.
Or, you can completely avoid the need to weed & feed with the installation of synthetic turf. Our modern synthetic turf looks way better than the AstroTurf of the past, lasts, and helps with water conservation. Summer is a bad time to weed and feed anyway, because of the likelihood your yard will burn. Best to wait it out until the beginning of fall or even late spring.
You have the knowledge of a licensed landscape contractor!
Now, if anyone asks “what does weed and feed mean?” You have a very complete answer for them. They’ll probably think you’re a landscape contractor and hire you on the spot! Okay, maybe that’s a little crazy, but if it does happen, be sure to point them our way.
TRU Landscape Services, your Orange County Landscape Contractor is just a phone call away: 1-866-487-1359