Weed and feed is a pre-made mixture that includes herbicides and fertilizer. The idea behind lawn weed and feed is convenience: you can both fertilize your lawn and kill weeds at the same time!
However, there are a number of issues associated with lawn weed and feed. One of the biggest issues is that a lot of these products are still made with horrendously toxic herbicides.
In this article, we’re going to help you decide whether or not it’s a good idea to use lawn weed and feed to improve your lawn.
What Is Lawn Weed and Feed?
Lawn weed and feed is a combination of herbicide and fertilizer that you apply to your entire lawn.
In other words, you’re dumping poison and medicine in the same place at the same time. The idea is that you’ll save time by having to avoid making separate applications.
Should I Use Lawn Weed and Feed?
Realistically, there are a lot of reasons that you might want to avoid using lawn weed and feed. These are some examples that may help you make a decision regarding the use of weed and feed.
- You’re excessively applying herbicides all over your yard. The point of a herbicide is to kill weeds – not your entire lawn. If you want to get rid of weeds, then apply the herbicide to the weeds – nowhere else. Weed and feed distribute herbicides all over your yard which can be disastrous for the health of your grass.
- Granular lawn weed and feed can hurt the ecosystem. Many of these herbicides come in granular ‘pellet’ form. In an ideal situation, they’ll be soaked into your lawn with rain or sprinkler water. More realistically, many of these chemicals may make their way into drainage systems, sewers, or the bellies of unsuspecting animals.
- You might end up with herbicides indoors. If you’re using a granular-based herbicide product, it’s pretty easy to track inside. This puts any children or pets living with you at risk.
- There are safer alternatives that won’t harm your lawn. There are plenty of natural alternatives out there that can help you kill weeds without damaging your lawn. On top of that, there are tons of fertilizers that you can apply separately. Sure, you might have to go over your lawn twice instead of just once – but considering you’re vouching for the long-term health and safety of your lawn, your pets, and your children, this is a small price to pay.
In Conclusion
Lawn weed and feed is a product that’s really just designed for one thing: convenience. Unfortunately, the cost of that convenience is risking the health of your lawn, your local ecosystem, and your pets or children.
Fortunately, there are lots of other alternatives that won’t put you or your lawn at risk.
One of the best things that you can do is learn how to make your own, eco-friendly herbicides. We’ve put together a guide on how to do that right here. You might also want to put some time into learning how to use a weed whacker like a professional.