Should I Weed & Feed?
Should you use a Weed & Feed product on your lawn? It sounds convenient—fertilizer and weed control combined into one application—but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best choice for every East Texas lawn.
The biggest issue is simple: the best time to fertilize your lawn isn’t always the best time to control the weeds you’re dealing with. Treating those two jobs separately gives you more control over what you’re applying and when you’re applying it.
What Is Weed & Feed?
Weed & Feed products combine fertilizer and an herbicide in the same product. Depending on the formulation, the herbicide may be designed to prevent weeds before they emerge or control certain weeds that are already growing.
Because Weed & Feed products vary considerably, it’s important not to assume that every bag controls the same weeds or should be applied at the same time.
Why Might Separate Applications Be Better?
Your lawn should generally be fertilized when the turf is actively growing and can use those nutrients. Weed-control timing, however, depends on the particular weeds you’re trying to prevent or eliminate.
Combining the two can sometimes mean applying fertilizer when your lawn doesn’t need it—or applying an herbicide over the entire lawn when only a small portion actually needs weed treatment.
Separating the applications allows you to choose the right fertilizer for your turf and the right herbicide for your weeds rather than treating both problems with one product simply because they’re packaged together.
What About Granular Weed Killers?
It’s not accurate to say that granular herbicides are automatically less effective than sprays. Different herbicides work in different ways.
Some products are designed to work through the soil and need to be watered in after application. Others target existing broadleaf weeds through their foliage, and certain granular Weed & Feed products may need the weed foliage to be damp so the herbicide particles adhere properly.
The key is to follow the particular product’s label rather than treating all granular or liquid herbicides the same way.
A Better Approach to Spring Lawn Care
Instead of trying to accomplish everything with one application, consider treating each lawn-care need individually.
• Pre-emergent: Apply an appropriate pre-emergent before the targeted annual weed seeds begin germinating. In East Texas, timing should be based on the weeds you’re targeting, soil temperatures, weather, and the product label—not simply a fixed calendar date.
• Existing broadleaf weeds: If weeds such as clover or dandelions are already growing, use a post-emergent herbicide labeled for those weeds and for your particular turfgrass. Products containing ingredients such as 2,4-D may be appropriate for certain lawns and weeds, but temperature restrictions and turfgrass sensitivity vary, so always follow the label.
• Fertilizer: Wait until your warm-season lawn has actively resumed growth in spring rather than fertilizing simply because a particular date has arrived. The appropriate fertilizer and application rate should be based on your turfgrass, growing conditions, and ideally the nutrient needs of your soil.
So, Is Weed & Feed Always Bad?
Not necessarily. A properly selected Weed & Feed product can be used successfully when the turf, weeds, timing, and product label all line up.
The problem is that those needs don’t always occur at the same time. That’s why treating weeds and fertilizing separately can often provide a more targeted approach to lawn care.
Whatever method you choose, identify the weeds you’re trying to control, know what type of grass you have, and read the entire product label before applying any fertilizer or herbicide.