Soil Lawn Weeds etc need advice

[stevew]

I live in Michigan, lower part of the state. Front yard has 55/45 weed to grass ratio. I purchased Shultz Premium Weed & Feed 28-3-3. It says 64% of the ingredients are 2-4-D. I applied it a week and half ago. What should I do now ? Cut it(getting long), rake it, or seed it ? It appears the weeds are still present but they are drooping over, with this treatment I put on, is it like apply it...wait 2 weeks and just seed it then water it correctly? Or do I need to rake( dont have a tiller or arator) it to get some of the weeds out then seed it ?

If it doesnt involve hard work i.e. spread weed/feed then spread grass seed I get suspicious. Any advice appreciated.

 

[DGG]

Don't seed it. If long, cut it. The weed & feed you used is a very unbalanced fertilizer (high nitrogen) that should stimulate the weeds to grow themselves to death if they absorbed the weed killing ingredients.

Did you water the lawn before applying it or was it a spray weed & feed (spray works better)? Grass should be wet/damp (early morning works) when you apply weed killer.

I would give the grass/weeds a couple more weeks and if the weeds are still thriving give it another treatment. When I bought my house it took me about three years of treatment and weed pulling to get rid of all the wild onions, dandelions, and other exotics that were competing with my grass. The soil's was very out of balance and it needed several good aereations to break it up. It still isn't perfect yet but a thousands times better than it was.

Did you talk to the local nursery guys about treatment in your area? You want to talk to the experienced guy, not the part-time high schooler.

 

[stevew]

I am dealing with a local well respected nursery in my immediate area. They said to use the Shultz product and wait 2 weeks to seed.

When I applied it(it is grannual not liquid) it was afternoon and has not been windy. It rained about a day later...I have not watered it...but it has not been above 62 degrees since spreading it.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Welcome local Lansingite.

The thing about granular weed control is the weeds need to be wet before applying. If they arent wet, the granuals wont stick to the leaves.

What local Nursery are you dealing with?

Best to apply just about any weed control as a liquid. 2,4-D is an excellent broadleaf control. You can also buy it straight at TSC.

 

[stevew]

I been using Hammond Farms on old 27. If I make a 2nd application of the Weed/Feed stuff I will do it when its moist to wet condition. Just wish there was fast way to get it done, short of hydroseed or Sod.

 

[Dixie1]

did you make sure the product you are using actually controls the weeds you are trying to kill? drooping is a good sign. it can take several weeks for weed killers to be effective. give it a little bit, then try again with a liquid form of 2,4-D. you will need a different product if trying to control grassy weeds.

 

[CaseyForrest]

I been using Hammond Farms on old 27. If I make a 2nd application of the Weed/Feed stuff I will do it when its moist to wet condition. Just wish there was fast way to get it done, short of hydroseed or Sod.

You can simulate wet conditions by hosing your lawn down first.

If you are looking for a quick kill, spot spray with round up. Use a small hand pump sprayer and keep the stream narrow so you can control where you are spraying.

Otherwise look for a weed control in liquid form. Ive used the RTU products from HD with good success. Usually weeds are gone within 7 days.