Every year, we try to do the cycle of Scotts Fertilizers on our lawn (
Crabgrass Fertilizer, Weed Control Fertilizer, Summerguard Fertilizer,
Regular Fertilizer, and Winterguard Fertilizer), and usually have no
problems.


We usually do the "Scotts Weed Control" one around Memorial Day weekend
in May, but this year my husband didn't get around doing it until a few
days ago.


Because its so late into June, we were going to just skip the "Weed
Control", and just do the "Summerguard", but we opted to still do the
"Weed Control", because our lawn was OVERRUN by clovers this year.


We usually have clover throughout the yard every year, but this year was
the WORST, and we have never seen it this bad!!!! On one side of our
house, where we use to have nice grass, the clover spread like wild, and
the whole side of the house was just one big field of clover. When you
walked on the side of the house, you weren't walking on grass, you were
walking on pure clover.


But anyway, we watered the grass to get it nice and wet ( so that the
fertilizer sticks to the weeds ), just like the bag instructs, and we
set our "drop spreader" to the 5 1/2 setting like the bag says, and
applied the fertilizer.


Well, the next morning when we went to the window, we were horrified, as
we saw that not only was the clover dead, but all our beautiful Green
grass is now a Yellow eyesore!!!!!


The clover started to turn Brown, and slowly die off, but the grass was
all Yellow the next morning!!! Now all the neighbors have nice Green
lawns, and our lawn is all Yellow.


So, did the Scotts "Weed Control" kill the lawn?? So far, we have gotten
two different opinions.


We talked to a neighbor, and he told us that "clover" is high in
Nitrogen, and that the Nitrogen from the clover, and the Nitrogen from
the fertilizer was probably to much for the grass, and it just killed
everything.


The sales guy we talked to at our local hardware store, said that we
probably put down the Scotts "Weed Control" to late in the season, and
that the high temperatures ( mid 80's in our area ), caused the "Weed
Control" to burn the lawn. According to him, he said that "Weed Control"
is suppose to be applied BEFORE June 1st???


If this is true, then why do they still have it on the shelfs!?


So is there any truth to the above two explanations?? And now the
important thing, how do we fix/repair the lawn??? According to the
"Scotts" bag, you CAN'T put down new grass seed until 4 weeks after
applying the "Weed Control"???


What if we were to spread around some new topsoil ( Topdressing I think
they call it? ) first, and then reseed?? Or do we have to wait the full
4 weeks???


We have watered the lawn "deeply" for the past couple of days, but that
didn't really help. The grass is still all Yellow.


Any help and or suggestions about what to do now would greatly be
appreciated!!!


Thanks!

On the back of the bag, they have a little "calender" thing for when to
put down fertilizer, and for the Scotts "Weed Control, it says
April-June. So we figured that this meant ALL of June, as it doesn't say
a specific June date.


The monthly calender schedule reads as follows:


1) Early Spring: February - April

"To prevent crabgrass":

Scotts Turf Builder with Halts Crabgrass Preventer



2) Late Spring: April - June

"To kill weeds":

Scotts Turf Builder with Plus 2 Weed Control



3) Summer: June - August

"To kill bugs":

Scotts Turf Builder with SummerGuard



4) Early Fall: August - September

"For Fall root growth":

Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Fertilizer



5) Late Fall: October - November

"For a thicker greener lawn now, and next spring":

Scotts Turf Builder Winterizer



Also, just so you know, on the back of the Scotts "Weed Control" bag, it
says "Do not apply if temperatures are below 60 or ABOVE 90". When my
husband applied it last week, it was like between 82 and 84 degrees out,
plus it rained the next afternoon. So we followed all the directions
EXACT to the "T", but the next morning when we woke up, all the grass
was Yellow, less than 24 hours after putting down the Scotts "Weed
Control".

We try to keep the lawn the lawn as "natural" as possible, as last year
we ONLY did the Scotts "Weed Control", as we had a problem with
Dandelions EVERYWHERE throughout the yard. Not like 1 or 2 Dandelions,
but hundreds!!!

This year, there was hardly any Dandelions at all, just TONS of clover
growing everywhere at a rapid rate. Our whole side yard, was almost
nothing but pure clover.


2 years ago, we only used the Scotts "Weed Control" for the Dandelions,
and the "SummerGuard", to kill the fleas being brought into the yard by
chipmunks and squirrels constantly running through our yard.


Also, yes, the grass was wet when my husband applied the "Weed Control",
because the directions on the bag say that "the grass should be wet so
that the fertilizer particles can stick to the weeds".


My husband uses a "Scotts Accu-Green 1000 Drop Spreader", and its about
10 - 12 years old, so could it be possible that the spreader is
defective, and too much fertilizer came out???

On Jul 1, 7:56*pm, (MICHELLE H.) wrote:
We try to keep the lawn the lawn as "natural" as possible, as last year
we ONLY did the Scotts "Weed Control", as we had a problem with
Dandelions EVERYWHERE throughout the yard. Not like 1 or 2 Dandelions,
but hundreds!!!


Using the Scotts multi step program is about as far from "natural" as
possible. What they propose is constantly treating your lawn with
chemicals, whether you have a specific problem requiring them or not.

Given that you think the Scotts weed n feed killed your lawn over
night, the first thing I would do is call Scotts. Getting opinions
from the store or a neighbor is worthless. The neighbor spoting off
about the clover is clueless. There is no way the clover nitrogen
cycle has anything to do with your problem. Also, you put down a
slow release nitrogen, not Amonium Nitrate. Also, putting down
hebicide when it's in the 80's is not a good idea, as it can indeed
damage the grass. But if you applied it anywhere near the correct
rate, there is no way it would turn the whole lawn yellow over
night. For that to happen suggests something was wrong with that
bag.

I'd keep the lawn well watered and see what happens. Just because
it's yellow doesn;t mean it's dead. It's possible it may come back,
however the fact that whatever happened occured so quickly suggests it
may indeed be kaput.

If you want to start reducing the chemicals you are using, start by
not using weed n feed. With a 2 gal tank sprayer, you can apply a
minimal amount of herbicide directly to the weeds. This does 2
things. It minimizes the amount used and it delivers whatever is
used directly to the weeds instead of broadcasting it everywhere.

I also would not be putting down nitrogen hot weather either, as it
promotes fungus and disease. The best times to fertilize are Spring
and Fall.

Finally, if clover is your main concern, I doubt a weed n feed product
is going to do much, if anything to eliminate it. Clover is much
tougher to kill than broadleaf weeds. Look in the lawn/garden center
for products labeled for clover and apply it with a sprayer. That
is assuming you have so much that you want to get rid of it. The
"natural" folks acually prefer clover.

wrote in message
...
On Jul 1, 7:56 pm, (MICHELLE H.) wrote:
We try to keep the lawn the lawn as "natural" as possible, as last year
we ONLY did the Scotts "Weed Control", as we had a problem with
Dandelions EVERYWHERE throughout the yard. Not like 1 or 2 Dandelions,
but hundreds!!!


Using the Scotts multi step program is about as far from "natural" as
possible. What they propose is constantly treating your lawn with
chemicals, whether you have a specific problem requiring them or not.

Given that you think the Scotts weed n feed killed your lawn over
night, the first thing I would do is call Scotts. Getting opinions
from the store or a neighbor is worthless. The neighbor spoting off
about the clover is clueless. There is no way the clover nitrogen
cycle has anything to do with your problem. Also, you put down a
slow release nitrogen, not Amonium Nitrate. Also, putting down
hebicide when it's in the 80's is not a good idea, as it can indeed
damage the grass. But if you applied it anywhere near the correct
rate, there is no way it would turn the whole lawn yellow over
night. For that to happen suggests something was wrong with that
bag.

I'd keep the lawn well watered and see what happens. Just because
it's yellow doesn;t mean it's dead. It's possible it may come back,
however the fact that whatever happened occured so quickly suggests it
may indeed be kaput.

If you want to start reducing the chemicals you are using, start by
not using weed n feed. With a 2 gal tank sprayer, you can apply a
minimal amount of herbicide directly to the weeds. This does 2
things. It minimizes the amount used and it delivers whatever is
used directly to the weeds instead of broadcasting it everywhere.

I also would not be putting down nitrogen hot weather either, as it
promotes fungus and disease. The best times to fertilize are Spring
and Fall.

Finally, if clover is your main concern, I doubt a weed n feed product
is going to do much, if anything to eliminate it. Clover is much
tougher to kill than broadleaf weeds. Look in the lawn/garden center
for products labeled for clover and apply it with a sprayer. That
is assuming you have so much that you want to get rid of it. The
"natural" folks acually prefer clover.

Michelle - So far you've gotten a lot of bad information, mixed with a
little decent advice.

The fertilizer part of the Scott's weed control program is a 28-2-4, which
means several things --
a. It's got a LOT of nitrogen in it, and probably a lot of that is
ammonium nitrate, just as you said. Trader is wrong in his comments about
slow release - to be effective, a lot of the fertilizer in a weed-and-feed
is water soluble to provide near-instant greening that will mask the
herbicide effects of the product.. There's probably a lot of ammonium
nitrate that you spread, but Scotts website does not list the specific %s of
ammonium nitrate and other nitrogen sources, probably intentionally.
b. He's right, however, that the ammonium nitrate shouldn't have made
your lawn yellow (unless it was really overdone in very hot weather)-- but
the herbicide in the product might. This effect is magnified if you used a
product intended for cool weather lawns on a warm-weather grass such as St.
Augustine grass, or vice versa. Scott's weed control is not for use on
certain types of grasses, and it's probably significant that Scotts has
chosen not to put the chemical analysis of its product on its web site.
c. It's also possible that you have so much clover and dandelions in
your turf that what you are seeing is the impact of the herbicide that
you've spread around, magnified by using the product during the hot weather
instead of spring or early fall as the instructions dictate.

In any case, about all you can do now is regular watering to encourage the
turfgrass to recover. There's a good likelihood that you've done enough
damage to the turfgrass that you've left open spaces for more weeds and that
your weed problem may become even more pronounced as the summer progresses.
Both the herbicide and the water-soluble fertilizer parts of your treatment
are going to be gone within days, making this a really expensive way to have
done minimal short-time work on your lawn.

In my experience as a Master Gardener, many people over obsess about their
lawns, spending too much money and time for little, if any, good. With
normal soil and care, obsessing about pH levels or instant weed control is a
waste of time and money. As you've seen, there are a lot of ways to spend
time and money without getting good results. Ideally, with just a little
water and perhaps some fertilizer a lawn can be grown that will crowd the
weeds out. I've reached the point with my lawn that I no longer fertilize
and no longer pull weeds, but simply use a mulching mower to return modest
levels of nutrients from the cuttings, the weeds are gone and each year the
lawn gets better and better.

On Jul 15, 10:01*pm, "JimR" wrote:
wrote in message

...
On Jul 1, 7:56 pm, (MICHELLE H.) wrote:





We try to keep the lawn the lawn as "natural" as possible, as last year
we ONLY did the Scotts "Weed Control", as we had a problem with
Dandelions EVERYWHERE throughout the yard. Not like 1 or 2 Dandelions,
but hundreds!!!
Using the Scotts multi step program is about as far from "natural" as
possible. * *What they propose is constantly treating your lawn with
chemicals, whether you have a specific problem requiring them or not.

Given that you think the Scotts weed n feed killed your lawn over
night, the first thing I would do is call Scotts. * Getting opinions
from the store or a neighbor is worthless. * *The neighbor spoting off
about the clover is clueless. * There is no way the clover nitrogen
cycle has anything to do with your problem. * Also, you put down a
slow release nitrogen, not Amonium Nitrate. * *Also, putting down
hebicide when it's in the 80's is not a good idea, as it can indeed
damage the grass. * But if you applied it anywhere near the correct
rate, there is no way it would turn the whole lawn yellow over
night. * For that to happen suggests something was wrong with that
bag.

I'd keep the lawn well watered and see what happens. * Just because
it's yellow doesn;t mean it's dead. * It's possible it may come back,
however the fact that whatever happened occured so quickly suggests it
may indeed be kaput.

If you want to start reducing the chemicals you are using, start by
not using weed n feed. * With a 2 gal tank sprayer, you can apply a
minimal amount of herbicide directly to the weeds. * This does 2
things. * It minimizes the amount used and it delivers whatever is
used directly to the weeds instead of broadcasting it everywhere.

I also would not be putting down nitrogen hot weather either, as it
promotes fungus and disease. * The best times to fertilize are Spring
and Fall.

Finally, if clover is your main concern, I doubt a weed n feed product
is going to do much, if anything to eliminate it. * Clover is much
tougher to kill than broadleaf weeds. * Look in the lawn/garden center
for products labeled for clover and apply it with a sprayer. * *That
is assuming you have so much that you want to get rid of it. * The
"natural" folks acually prefer clover.

Michelle - So far you've gotten a lot of bad information, mixed with a
little decent advice.

The fertilizer part of the Scott's weed control program is a 28-2-4, which
means several things --
* * a. *It's got a LOT of nitrogen in it, and probably a lot of that is
ammonium nitrate, just as you said. *Trader is wrong in his comments about
slow release

Scotts product most definitely does contains a large portion of slow
release fertilizer. Your misleading statement would lead the poster
to believe that it is ALL quick release, which it is NOT. And it is
NOT comparable to straight ammonium nitrate, which is indeed all quick
release, which is why I offered it as a comparison. Scotts is a
combination of quick release and slow release. If you put down 28%
ammonium nitrate, all that nitrogen is quick release. In the Scotts
product, a significant portion of it is slow release, so you don't get
anywhere near 28% nitrogen release immediately. Most importantly
the nitrogen will not burn the lawn and cause it to go yellow
overnight when put down at the correct rate. Which was the point, was
it not?



to be effective, a lot of the fertilizer in a weed-and-feed
is water soluble to provide near-instant greening that will mask the
herbicide effects of the product.. *There's probably a lot of ammonium
nitrate that you spread, but Scotts website does not list the specific %s of
ammonium nitrate and other nitrogen sources, probably intentionally.
* * b. *He's right, however, that the ammonium nitrate shouldn't have made
your lawn yellow (unless it was really overdone in very hot weather)-- but
the herbicide in the product might. *This effect is magnified if you used a
product intended for cool weather lawns on a warm-weather grass such as St.