Once I was crawling a gardening forum randomly, I found a fellow gardener to come up with the following query- “I started noticing exceptional weed growth in my backyard. So, I bought weed and feed and applied it according to instructions.
After a while, I noticed dead spots in my yard. I could only narrow It down to exceeding use of weed and feed. What am I to do now?”
Another gentleman from another part of the world writes- “I didn’t notice the amount of weed and feed I used in my lawn. After a few weeks, I found my grass was dying out. I noticed yellow dead spots.
Then, as I went to enquire about the packaging, I found that the area per feed was larger, 10000 Sq. feet to be exact. And I accidentally applied the whole pack on 2000 sq. feet of area. What should I do now?”
We took a moment to realize- this is a problem that deserves a full-fledged discussion anyway. If you’re one of those people who have faced a similar situation, then you’re in luck. Because today, we will be discussing with you about the methods by which you can keep things in order.
Weed and Feed Overdose: The Basics
Before getting into the remedy, it is crucial to know the cause of burned grass in the lawn. The phenomenon when weed and feed turned grass yellow is simple enough to understand. Saving your dying sod is simple but you need to have patience.
First of all, you need to understand one thing. And that is the application of fertilizer.
When you apply fertilizer, the salt composition of the formula creates a void of water. And if you apply too much, then the dehydration becomes severe.
And because of the dehydration, the grass in a certain area turns yellow or brown.
The resultant effect is known as weed and feed overdose. Fortunately, if the phenomenon is in the early stages, then you can reverse the process.
But if the color is significantly darker, then you can’t do much.
So, you can see that dealing with an overdose of weed is quite different than other gardening chores like keeping the birds away from feeders or so.
Over applied weed and feed: How much is too much
We believe the answer to the question “can too much weed and feed kill grass?” is clear from the previous section.
Now, why don’t we try and determine how much weed and feed is too much?
The indication of the answer is in the introduction. Did you notice one gentleman had used too much weed and feed?
He didn’t take a look at the instructions. Also, he did not know how much area the weed and feed he bought would cover.
And we all know the result.
So, knowing about the square footage is an important criterion. Also, there are some other aspects that you may want to keep in mind as well. Such as:
1. The ingredients of the weed and feed.
2. The soil structure of your lawn or yard.
3. Weed growth and its frequency.
You don’t need to have any doctorate degree to figure out these things (no pun intended!).
Weed and Feed: The Common types
It’s a good idea to know what kind of weed killers you can find out there. In general, there are two major types of weed killers in the market:
Pre-emergent weed exterminators
These types of weed killers prevent the biological growth of weeds. You need to pre-apply this before the rainy season starts.
Post-emergent weed exterminators
Exterminators of such kind are applicable during the weed growth. The usual application time is at the end of the year. Also, you may need to apply them multiple times.
Too much weed and feed on grass: What should I do
Now, we will be taking you through the steps as to how you can tackle this situation. The steps are very easy to understand. But the timely application is necessary. If you can spread peat moss then you can get this done as well.
Step 1: Remove the granular parts
If you use granular fertilizer, then you may want to attempt and remove them manually. You can either use your hand or whatever equipment you have around.
Step 2: Water application
Applying water is the one and only way to get rid of the grass burns.
When you first notice the problem and apply water, you will see that the ground is still very dry and flat. And that happens because of the excessive saltiness of the soil.
So, water will need to be applied for at least one week. After that, you will start seeing improvements.
Step 3: Be patient before replanting
One important part of lawn care is replanting. You don’t want to rush and start replanting straight away.
Wait at least 2-3 months to see if the condition improves. Fertilization burns are very stubborn to get rid of.
We would recommend that you wait out till the next planting season and replant them. It’s the safest way to remedy the situation.
Too much weed in lawn: Prevention for the obvious
It’s often inevitable to get around weed and feed grass burns. But, if you can follow a few simple rules, then you can prevent it from happening.
Always read the label
“I have too much weed on my lawn. After applying the weed killer, the grass is dying.
What could I have done to avoid it?”
The very first thing you should do is to read the label on the packaging. It contains the coverage area, including ingredients and more.
So, if you had read the label, then you could have saved your lawn and maintained minimal weed growth.
Know your soil type and weed type
It’s one of the essential parts of preventing grass burns.
If you don’t have a clear idea about the soil type, then using any random exterminator may do more harm than good.
And the same goes for weed type as well. Without knowing it, using a random solution will not be effective at all.
Following the instructions carefully
It is another one of those things that many people try to avoid.
Without following the instructions properly, hoping for proper results is a wild dream. Make sure not to miss any information and follow the instructions to the letter.
Safety comes first
Keep the fertilizer away from your children and pets. Also, using protective gloves is always a good idea when dealing with such products.
Talking about safety, there are times when the neighbor’s CCTV cameras have you in their vision. This may be intentional or unintentional, so you may as well speak to them about it.
Too much weed control on lawn: Gypsum and CGM
Gypsum, although a very effective soil quality enhancer, has a couple of weak points. One of the weak points is that it plays a role in changing the soil chemistry completely.
So, though it brings back the surface to its original state, you shouldn’t use it without a proper soil test.
As for CGM or Gluten meal, it can be an effective natural solution to fertilizer burn. But, due to the high cost and selective nature, it’s not the greatest alternatives out there.
Our Favorite CGM/Gluten Meal: Gerbs Ground Pumpkin
Final thoughts
Although too much weed and feed on the lawn may not treat you well, there are ways to get back.
But it’s better to avoid the pit rather than falling into it.
So, we would like you to take the precautionary measures and try to avoid grass burns as well as you can. A few simple steps can save a lot of trouble.
Good luck!