Weed and feed is a time period used to explain a mixture weed killer and garden feed product. The thought of mixing these two garden jobs is after all to save lots of effort and time.
Nevertheless there are a couple of elements to concentrate on earlier than happening this route along with your garden. There are some garden specialists who imagine that weeding and feeding in tandem reduces the effectiveness of every job, and in addition that merchandise like this will hurt the well being of your garden concepts over time.
Along with this there are environmental implications that you have to be conscious of earlier than utilizing weed and feed merchandise.
What’s weed and feed?
Having mixture merchandise saves on house within the shed(Picture credit score: Peter Jordan_NE / Alamy Inventory Picture)
“Weed and feed is a mixed weed killer and fertiliser. It’s designed to save lots of you effort and time in taking care of your garden,” explains backyard professional at MyJobQuote Fiona Jenkins.
“Utilizing particular herbicides, it kills weeds in grass. As well as, a mixture of nitrogen and potassium boosts the expansion and well being of your garden. Some weed and feed merchandise additionally include iron to kill moss in a garden and grass seed to assist fill out lawns,” she says.
Store weed and feed merchandise
Professional-Kleen 4 in 1 Weed and Feed Garden Remedy with Moss Killer – Greens Grass, Kills Weeds & Moss & Fertilises Grass 5kg
Westland Garden Revive – 150m²
Easy methods to apply weed and feed to your garden
If you happen to determine that weed and feed is for you then it is necessary to use it accurately, and make sure you observe the directions on the packet, so that you don’t overfeed your garden.
“All the time put on gloves whenever you’re measuring out and dealing with weed and feed, to keep away from contact along with your pores and skin,” says Fiona Jenkins.
She provides her tips about find out how to weed and feed beneath:
Weed and feed merchandise may kill moss in lawns(Picture credit score: Kalki / Alamy Inventory Picture)
Fiona Jenkins
A landscaper and gardening professional with over 25 years of expertise within the business. Presently she works for MyJobQuote as their resident professional on all issues gardening. She is very educated and her experience have featured in lots of respected publications.
To get the most effective outcomes, time your garden mowing with the finest cordless garden mower or finest petrol garden mower fastidiously. It’s finest to depart your garden to develop for a couple of days earlier than utilizing weed and feed. This offers the product extra floor space to stay to.
Select a day when it’s forecast to rain, to save lots of you the job of watering in your weed and feed. If the climate is heat, it’s finest to weed and feed in the course of the morning, whereas the temperatures are cooler. This ensures that the product sinks in quite than evaporates.
You’ll must examine the directions on the packet for when you must mow afterwards, however it’s normally finest to attend till about three days later. This ensures the weed killer has likelihood to work.
Conserving a weed-free garden is one thing we attempt for(Picture credit score: kodachrome25 / Getty Photographs)
The disadvantages of weed and feed
There are a selection of disadvantages to utilizing weed and feed merchandise in our backyard landscaping concepts, from their destructive environmental impression to being much less efficient than different strategies.
Some garden weeds are nice for native wildlife(Picture credit score: Botany imaginative and prescient / Alamy Inventory Picture)
Harms habitats: “In case your backyard has a pond or is near a river or stream, you’ll want to remember that these chemical substances can leach into the water, harming these habitats,” says Fiona Jenkins.
Poisonous to pets: “Though there are pet-friendly merchandise, most weed and feed options are poisonous to animals. So, you might must hold canines, cats and rabbits off the garden till you’re certain it’s been absolutely watered in,” warns Fiona.
No mulching: “After weeding and feeding you gained’t be capable to use your first set of grass clippings for mulching,” says Fiona.
Causes brown patches: “Weed and feed can include excessive ranges of nitrogen. This may scorch your grass and go away brown patches if it’s utilized too closely or to younger lawns. So, you do have to be cautious,” says Fiona.
Weakens your garden: “In the long term, overusing and counting on weed and feed merchandise could cause a cycle of dependency. Utilizing these merchandise an excessive amount of could cause weed resistance and soil imbalances,” says garden care professional at Allan’s Gardens Jane Dobbs.
Will not at all times work: “Some formulations aren’t appropriate for sure sorts of grass or require particular functions, so it is necessary to decide on the suitable product. You’ll be able to’t at all times belief weed and feed merchandise to work on all weeds,” says Jane.
Decreased effectiveness: “With all gardening duties, timing is every thing, and the most effective time to feed isn’t the most effective time to weed. It is the proper time to fertilise in April, however weeds like clover do not absolutely seem till late Could, so making use of weed killer along with your feed in April misses many of the weeds, provides pointless chemical substances to the bottom and wastes cash. You’ll be able to’t additionally seed as a result of most merchandise counsel a 2-month hole between use and planting,” says Jane.
Jane Dobbs
Chargeable for main the gardening crew at Allan’s Gardeners, a landscaping and backyard upkeep, enterprise who do garden care and set up. She has 10 years expertise as a gardener.
FAQs
Does garden weed and feed work?
Garden professional and Chair of the Garden Affiliation David Hedges Gower is staunchly against utilizing weed and feed merchandise, believing them to be ineffective and unhealthy environmentally.
“When you have two contradicting merchandise in a single granule (i.e. weed and feed), it should usually imply you’ll be getting about 50% effectiveness from every,” says David.
“Firstly, your herbicide can be a weakened model, which means it will not kill or hurt many weeds. It is because all pesticides have an utility price when sprayed accurately. When that’s accomplished on via a feed and weed, the herbicide is sprayed onto that granule, which means you do not know what price you apply at,” says David.
David means that weeding and feeding the garden is more practical when accomplished individually. “To feed a garden, use a devoted feed akin to Truegrass. Meals for the garden and the soils,” says David.
Earlier than turning to weed killers attempt to kill weeds naturally eradicating undesirable weeds by hand. “Ought to the necessity ever come for herbicides, then spot deal with particular person weeds utilizing a sprig for finest effectiveness,” says David.
David Hedges-Gower
David is among the UK’s main garden specialists, with over 30 years’ expertise within the business. He’s Chairman of the Garden Affiliation, an academic platform for householders and professionals, and based the world’s first garden care qualification.
Is weed and feed unhealthy for the atmosphere?
Weed and feed merchandise use chemical herbicides to kill weeds. These could cause harm to surrounding crops and will also be poisonous in the event that they circulate into close by rivers and streams.
Fiona Jenkins, backyard professional additionally explains to us that weed and feed merchandise can negatively impression pollinators. “Utilizing weed and feed in your garden will kill broad-leaved weeds together with dandelions, clover, daisies and buttercups. The flowers of those weeds assist to draw pollinators together with bees and butterflies, into your backyard,” she says.
“So, killing the weeds won’t be the most effective transfer. That is very true if you wish to create an eco-friendly backyard or attempt natural gardening you’re rising fruit and greens akin to apples, raspberries, courgettes, tomatoes and peppers, which depend on pollination.”
How do you apply weed and feed?
“Weed and feed is available in granular and water-soluble liquids and powders. So, the way you apply it should rely upon what kind of product you’ve gotten,” explains backyard professional Fiona Jenkins.
“For granules, it’s finest to make use of a wheeled spreader, to make sure you get an excellent distribution over your garden. If you happen to’re utilizing a water-soluble product, combine it in a watering can to the directions on the packet. And use a rose on the top of your can, to make sure a light-weight and even protection over your garden,” she says.
When ought to I put weed and feed on my garden UK?
“You’ll be able to apply weed and feed in spring after which reapply it each six to eight weeks in the course of the rising season. Sometimes the primary feed and weed might be utilized between March and April and the final in Autumn, between September and early October,” says backyard professional Fiona Jenkins.
A good way to get your garden wanting good in addition to wholesome is to attempt some new garden edging concepts to create clear strains round your grass areas.
Jane Dobbs
Chargeable for main the gardening crew at Allan’s Gardeners, a landscaping and backyard upkeep enterprise based mostly in London. She has 10 years expertise as a gardener.
