Catch-22 with Drop spreader and Scott's weed & feed
blueman
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?
Winston
> 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.
(...)
Can you replace the spreader wheels with larger diameter ones?
For instance:
http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=2009070823513210&item=1-3089&catname=
--Winston
Bob-tx
"blueman" <NOS...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:m2bpnup...@consult.pretender...
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
Frank
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.
bob haller
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:)
bob haller
>
> - Show quoted text -
pretty yellow flowers
mike
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.
Frank
>
> - Show quoted text -
i assume you live in an apartment somewhere. At least I hope so since
I don't want you for my neighbor. ;)
Master Betty
Easy...stop using herbicide.
Master Betty
"Bob-tx" <bobw...@suddenlink.net> wrote in message
news:4a55ba59$0$23740$bbae...@news.suddenlink.net...
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.
bob haller
>
> - Show quoted text -
nope own a home, some neighbors spray killer some dont.
Phisherman
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.
blueman
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?
tra...@optonline.net
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
phyllison...@gmail.com
Bob F
treat the weeds with weed-b-gon, and not broadcast poisen over every inch of the
lawn. Or, punch some holes in a jar lid, tape a 2 foot dowel to the jar to
extend past the bottom as a handle, fill the jar with weed and feed, and walk
around the lawn using the jar as a pepper shaker to shake a little W&F on the
weeds. A bag of W&F will last you for years.
ChairMan
feed is a joke
rbowman
> If you're a Master Gardner, you would know that weed and
> feed is a joke
ChairMan
rbowman <bow...@erewhon.com> belched:
Mike
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.
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trader_4
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.
nospam77
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