Weed and feed didn't seem to work!

[dconklin]

We have been doing work for my aunt and uncle with their yard and their garden lately. A couple weeks ago we used a weed and feed that was supposed to take out weeds but yet feed the grass. I noticed that it didn't break down into the lawn (the pellets were still there after it rained) and the weeds were now out of control! For some reason it didn't seem to feed the grass all that well, but it almost looked like it fed the weeds nicely - they were seriously out of control.

It was Scotts too which is usually a good product. Anybody have this happen before?

 

[ChanellG]

I've read similar stories recently, though I am not sure if it's the same product. The best thing is always to pull "weeds" up and get the roots so they don't regrow and to do it before they are out of control. How noticeable are these plants when the lawn is cut? Unless they are taking over and choking out the grass, is it really worth it to take such an aggressive action?

 

[dconklin]

I've read similar stories recently, though I am not sure if it's the same product. The best thing is always to pull "weeds" up and get the roots so they don't regrow and to do it before they are out of control. How noticeable are these plants when the lawn is cut? Unless they are taking over and choking out the grass, is it really worth it to take such an aggressive action?

Once the lawn is cut they are not real noticeable, but of course they grow taller before the grass needs to be cut! They have taken over in some parts of the yard and we don't know where these weeds are coming from. Maybe birds dropping seeds from something? There are a lot of new weeds this year that we have never seen before in their yard and even in our yard we have weeds that we have not seen before. But then again Hurricane Sandy blew so much stuff around last October that maybe we ended up with new weeds from that.

 

[ChanellG]

I am starting to see some of that now, (grass was cut Tuesday) but I think I could go around with a pair of scissors and keep it under control - as long as I didn't have a whole lot of other tasks to take care of.

Wild plants go to seed just like grass and the seed gets dispersed easily by the wind. If there has been any flooding in the area it's possible that plants and seeds have been washed through the area that way as well. After Katrina we saw sunflowers popping up all over town and we now see a variety of lizard we hadn't been seeing before.

 

[Steve Denning]

Lawns are really not a natural thing, you know, they are something we have created. They are sterile environments that are not good for wildlife (apart from those that are grass adapted). Also, as we hardly ever let the grass grow to seen, the flowers are never pollinated, which impacts bee populations and we know how threatened they are! Would it not be better to embrace the weeds? Create a meadow garden, or a wild-flower garden that is filled with the plants that grow locally in your area. They are much more interesting to look at and are much better havens for local wildlife too.

 

[Shellyann36]

In our yard we use to consider dandelions as weeds and Keith hated it. However, since I have learned that they are very beneficial if we find them we let them live. Unfortunately, on our current property we don't have any dandelions!!! We don't really suffer from weeds persay in the grassy area and we are fortunate.

 

[dconklin]

I am starting to see some of that now, (grass was cut Tuesday) but I think I could go around with a pair of scissors and keep it under control - as long as I didn't have a whole lot of other tasks to take care of.

Wild plants go to seed just like grass and the seed gets dispersed easily by the wind. If there has been any flooding in the area it's possible that plants and seeds have been washed through the area that way as well. After Katrina we saw sunflowers popping up all over town and we now see a variety of lizard we hadn't been seeing before.

They are uphill from the river (we are not on the shore, but on the river) so their yard didn't actually flood. Our yard is high enough that it doesn't flood either and the river didn't actually flood it's banks after Sandy. It has high banks and does have to come up almost 20 feet to flood. But the wind was so strong that it was blowing roofs right off of houses, trees snapped off every where and transformers blew out every where. Most of the state was without power and some parts for a couple weeks. So I can imagine the wind brought new seeds here!

 

[dconklin]

In our yard we use to consider dandelions as weeds and Keith hated it. However, since I have learned that they are very beneficial if we find them we let them live. Unfortunately, on our current property we don't have any dandelions!!! We don't really suffer from weeds persay in the grassy area and we are fortunate.

We had dandelions last year, but haven't really seen them much this year. We are getting weird weeds and some of these weeds have very strong roots and thick stems! I also had to pull a lot of baby trees out (even tho they are cute) this year because our yard is just too small.

 

[ChanellG]

They are uphill from the river (we are not on the shore, but on the river) so their yard didn't actually flood. Our yard is high enough that it doesn't flood either and the river didn't actually flood it's banks after Sandy. It has high banks and does have to come up almost 20 feet to flood. But the wind was so strong that it was blowing roofs right off of houses, trees snapped off every where and transformers blew out every where. Most of the state was without power and some parts for a couple weeks. So I can imagine the wind brought new seeds here!

I am in a similar situation here, only the river is held back by a levee and I am a very short walk away from it. We've been very fortunate with the hurricanes and I hope that luck never runs out.

We have a lot of clover in the lawn during the spring, not so many dandelions.I have been thinking of growing culinary dandelion though, so I can use it in salads and teas. I also have to deal with a lot of baby trees - right now there is a loquat tree between the little deck porch in the driveway and the side of the house. I would like to relocate it, but there is not a lot of room between the porch rail and the house wall.

 

[Gina145]

Some weeds can be a real nuisance and we have the same problem with our lawn because the people who look after our garden don't take the time to remove them but simply mow them with the grass. But it breaks my heart to hear people talk about killing baby trees when they could be dug up and grown in pots.

I also have to deal with a lot of baby trees - right now there is a loquat tree between the little deck porch in the driveway and the side of the house. I would like to relocate it, but there is not a lot of room between the porch rail and the house wall.

How big is your loquat tree? I just had a look at one of my bonsai books and loquat is one of the trees they list as suitable from growing from seed, so if you've already got a little tree that could go into a pot, it might be fun to experiment with it.

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

Trust me, sometimes you just have to pull up the trees because there aren't enough pots in the world! We back on to a forest, and we have so many seedlings growing in our (reasonable facsimile of a) lawn and gardens that it is just crazy. Some of them send out seed pods in the spring. Others propagate by suckers. Many the birds or squirrels bring to our yard in seed or fruit form, because they are too far away to reach our yard by themselves. Our lawn soil is very poor and pretty much non-existent (1/2 " on rocky fill) so the seedling roots go down deep trying to get water, which makes removal a real pain if we are diligent in pulling them out when they are tiny. They love my gardens and try to choke the plants out. It would be good if I wanted to start a tree nursery! I love trees, but there is a limit

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

oops - typo above - should be "if we aren't diligent in pulling them out"

 

[ChanellG]

Trust me, sometimes you just have to pull up the trees because there aren't enough pots in the world!... They love my gardens and try to choke the plants out. It would be good if I wanted to start a tree nursery! I love trees, but there is a limit

So true! Not only that, trees steal water from other plants with shallow roots. I would gladly put seedlings in soil and give them away if someone wanted them.

How big is your loquat tree? I just had a look at one of my bonsai books and loquat is one of the trees they list as suitable from growing from seed, so if you've already got a little tree that could go into a pot, it might be fun to experiment with it.

It's less than a foot. I guess I am going to have to move everything on the side of the porch (I have another set of steps propped up to the side as a plant stand) and just crawl under there to get it out. The side rail on the little deck porch makes anything else impossible as an option. My mom has a lot more space and she wants the tree, so I just have to get it out of the spot where it is now.

 

[Gina145]

Trust me, sometimes you just have to pull up the trees because there aren't enough pots in the world!

I would gladly put seedlings in soil and give them away if someone wanted them.

I agree that one can get too much of a good thing. I'm terrible when it comes to rescuing trees that come up as weeds as well as propagating new trees when I prune my bonsai and pre-bonsai trees. I'm lucky enough to be able to give away the excess on my bonsai club's monthly raffle table. I just hate parting from them, so I keep far more than I should.

Oh, and Chanell, good luck moving that loquat tree. It sounds like it's going to be quite a business. I'm glad your mother wants it.

 

[ChanellG]

. I'm lucky enough to be able to give away the excess on my bonsai club's monthly raffle table. I just hate parting from them, so I keep far more than I should.

Oh, and Chanell, good luck moving that loquat tree. It sounds like it's going to be quite a business. I'm glad your mother wants it.

Thanks! You've given me an idea. When things settle down a bit I'll have to see if there is a bonsai club here.