Lawn fertilizer with weed killer – products and application

Roughly speaking, the various products fulfill the task of supplying nutrients to the lawn in connection with weed killing to a largely uniform extent. Of course, if you take a closer look, there are some clear differences in composition.

Beckmann premium lawn fertilizer with weed killer

• Concentrated destruction of dicot weeds.
• Composition: NPK 20+5+8 plus dicamba (1 g/kg).
• Price for 12 kg: from 60 euros.

Excellent effectiveness against thrift, tomentosum, hawkweed, pearlwort, most species of plantain, creeping buttercup, chickweed and knotweed. Good results against yarrow, daisies, bedstraw, trefoil, sorrel, dandelion and small clovers. Less good against buttercups, cranesbill, grove rushes, trefoil.

Compo UV Rasen Floranid

• With Isodur long-term fertilization that releases nitrogen for 3 months.
• Killing weeds via leaves and roots.
• Toxic to aquatic organisms.
• Composition NPK 15+5+8 and 1 g dicamba per kg.
• Price for 12 kg: from 55 euros.

The fine granules are excellently suited for spreading with a spreader. It is effective against daisies, dandelion, alfalfa, cinquefoil and the like. Ground elder, yarrow, speedwell and low-growing sorrel are less effectively combated.

Dehner weed killer plus lawn fertilizer

• Proven product in gardener quality for the hobby garden.
• Composition NPK 22+5+5 plus dicamba.
• Price for 8 kg: from 40 euros.

The long-established garden center has developed its own product based on more than 65 years of experience. In particular, it counteracts hornwort, knotweed, common yarrow and shepherd’s purse. On the other hand, it is ineffective against daisies, buttercups or dandelions.

Manna Dur UV weed killer with lawn fertilizer

• Combination preparation for immediate and long-term effects.
• Composition NPK 20+5+8 plus dicamba.
• Price for 15 kg: from 70 euros.

The high-quality agent also takes on yarrow, tomentosum, hop clover and types of thistle as well as all conventional lawn weeds. It is less effective against buttercups, common prunella, daisies, sorrel or horsetail.

Scotts Landscaper Pro lawn fertilizer with weed killer

• Special product from England for connoisseurs.
• Composition NPK 22+5+5.
• Cannot be used in the year of sowing.
• Price for 15 kg: from 53 euros.

A bestseller among products from the motherland of dreamy, weed-free lawns. Helps against all common weeds in ornamental and sports lawns. However, the manufacturer is keeping a low profile on which types of weed the preparation is less effective at counteracting.

Substral lawn fertilizer with weed killer

• Controlled release of the active ingredients over 100 days.
• Composition 22+5+5 (nitrogen+phosphate+potassium oxide).
• Suitable for spreaders and quickly effective.
• Price for 9 kg: from 54 euros.

Eliminates in particular yarrow, tomentosum, shepherd’s purse, knotweed. Satisfactory control of daisies, dandelions, plantain, ranunculus and white clover. Not suitable for autumn dandelion, bugle, sorrel and speedwell.

Wolf-Garten LQ 400 weed killer plus lawn fertilizer

• Long-term fertilization sufficient for 100 days.
• Composition 15+5+8+3 (nitrogen+phosphate+potassium oxide+magnesium oxide).
• Double effect on leaves and roots within 3 weeks.
• Price for 12 kg: from 62 euros.

This product has the same spectrum of activity as Substral Lawn Fertilizer but with a lower nitrogen content. Environmentally conscious hobby gardeners will appreciate the resulting lower risk of nitrate release into the groundwater.

Benefits of dicamba

As part of the development of lawn fertilizer with weed killer, the scientists were faced with the challenge of devising a combination that counteracts typical weed growth while strengthening the growth of the blades of grass. Conventional herbicides do not differentiate between weeds and lawns, but destroy all greenery that comes under them. They discovered the solution to the problem in an auxin called 3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid, or dicamba for short. This active ingredient targets only dicot weeds while leaving monocot grass unmolested. Dicamba penetrates the plants through the leaves and roots and triggers such accelerated growth that they die from a lack of nutrients. Accordingly, if the weeds shoot up in the first few days after application, there is no need to worry, because this process is part of the mechanism of action. Another advantage of this herbicide is that it is not harmful to bees as long as the prescribed dosage is observed.

application

The products differ in composition and effectiveness. However, this does not apply to the application. In this regard, largely uniform guidelines apply, compliance with which is essential both for effectiveness and for the protection of health and the environment.

dosing and application

The exact dosage of lawn fertilizer with weed killer depends on the individual composition of the product. Accordingly, it varies between 20 g and 30 g per m². It is strongly advised to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the packaging exactly, because an overdose can have fatal consequences, such as a large-scale burning of all green plants. The application is carried out using different methods:

• spreading by hand.
• With the hand spreader.
• Using a spreader.
• Using a universal centrifugal spreader.

Experienced hobby gardeners spread the lawn fertilizer with weed killer in half the dosage by hand, once lengthways and once across the surface. The procedure is less complicated when a spreader is used. The dosage is set and the preparation is filled in. The garden lover then pushes the device across the area at a walking speed of 1 meter per second. In order to ensure optimal application, it is essential to avoid overlapping the spreading surfaces. Otherwise, despite the precisely set values, there will still be an overdose. It is important to note that this is a toxic substance that should only be touched with gloves.

preparation

If the lawn is to be fertilized and weeds destroyed at the same time, the current weather forecast becomes more important for the hobby gardener.

• The temperature is also constantly above 10° Celsius at night.
• Warm, humid, growing weather prevails, albeit without constant rain.
• At least for the next 1 to 2 days no rain is announced.
• Mow the lawn and leave 2 to 3 days before spreading.

Time window and sequence of work

The first application will not take place before May. Since lawn fertilizer with weed killer is largely applied to the leaves, the biomass should be as large as possible when the first granules fall.

• Useful application in the months of April/May to August/September.
• Scatter the product on damp, dewy lawns.
• If necessary, wet with the lawn sprinkler beforehand.

Ideally, the lawn fertilizer with weed killer can stick to the weed leaves for 1 or 2 days to develop its full power. However, subsequent washing for a maximum of 10 minutes has a beneficial effect on the process. The lawnmower is usually used again for the first time 5 to 7 days later at the earliest. Until then, it is strongly recommended not to step on the grass area or even to use it as a playground or sunbathing area.

Precautions

Whichever product is used, all lawn fertilizers with weed killers are only approved for ornamental and sports lawns. Improper use results in significant pollution of the groundwater because the toxic components are washed out.

• Never apply to destroy weeds on bed areas.
• In the event of an overdose, the products have a life-threatening effect on bees.
• Keep a safe distance of at least 5 meters from the garden pond or stream.
• Do not use the grass clippings from the first two mowing passes for mulching.
• The grass clippings are generally not suitable for feeding pets and livestock.

Environmentally conscious gardeners leave it at one application per year, as the ingredients ensure the supply of nutrients for a period of 100 days and keep the weeds in check. Experience has shown that autumn is just around the corner at the end of this period. At this point in time, fertilization with such a high proportion of nitrogen is counterproductive anyway, because the maturation of the grass is impeded. If you want to strengthen the winter hardiness of the lawn, you can use special autumn fertilizers that have a higher potassium content.

weeds and moss

Lawn fertilizers with weed killers usually leave moss in the list of their effectivenessmiss. This circumstance is a little surprising, because in practice, hobby gardeners are usually confronted with stubborn moss when tending to the lawn. Regular scarifying keeps the green felt under control to some extent, but it does not completely eliminate the nuisance. An alternative is the personal combination of lawn fertilizer with weed killer and lawn fertilizer with moss killer. However, this conceals the danger of overdosing the proportion of fertilizer. A few manufacturers have now discovered this gap in the range and are offering triple combination products. Although these are a bit more expensive to buy, they give you the security of not unknowingly doubling your nutrient intake with all the negative consequences.

HIGH TECH lawn fertilizer and moss killer and lawn weed killer

• Liquid preparation for 300 m²
• Application in 2 steps.
• Price for 300 ml: 39.90 euros.

Effective against moss and many types of weeds, such as speedwell, dandelion, Grundermann or wood sorrel. Only use on dry lawns that have not been fertilized for at least 3 months. In the first step, the fertilizer component is applied with the weed killer. After a waiting period of 5 to 7 days, the moss destroyer follows in the second step.

Conclusion
Since lawn fertilizers with weed killers have been available to hobby gardeners, the dream of a perfect lawn is within reach. The combination preparation promotes the growth of the blades of grass while it kills unwanted weeds. The range of products is huge. However, there are significant differences in terms of effectiveness on various typical lawn weeds. For example, some preparations reliably combat dandelions, while others fail in this regard. It is therefore important to take a close look at which weed species are spreading in your home lawn in order to select the appropriate product in a targeted manner. When using the product, it is strongly recommended to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use exactly, because even small deviations can have disastrous consequences.