Lawn weed control / fertilizer

[cwarrix]

I've been using a 2-4D to control weeds in my lawn for the last few years. Probably one application per year on average. Mainly been using stuff from TSC called LV400 if I remember right.

Any thoughts on this stuff, should I be worried about safety issues with it? Is there a better way? I priced out the Scotts stuff, and even have a friend that works there, and it is too expensive in my opinion for my 2+ acres of lawn. Ideas welcome. Anyone know of a good lawn fertilizer, also cheap?

Thanks!

[turnagerg]

I assume you're asking about the "weed 'n feed" type products? I've read in a few places that these can cause genetic mutations and other problems if used near flower beds, hedges, or trees so I don't use them. We just have a "yard", about 4 acres that I mow, but the grass isn't maintained well enough to qualify as a "lawn" I guess. I just use generic ag fertilizer, and you can generally buy the NPK mix you need.

[Pat]

Remember that in general nitrogen feeds the foilage (above ground) and nitrogen alone is not a ballanced "diet." The P and K content feed the root system.

Cheap fertilizer. Muck out some stalls or clean some coops.

In Ag products the cheapest nitrogen (for greening the foilage and supporting above ground growth) may be urea. It is more costly per lb but yields more nitrogen per lb by a large enough margin to more than compensate. By law there is an analysis on the labeling. Figure the price per lb of nitrogen which is what counts not the $ per lb of fertilizer.

For example if you buy 0-0-13 then 13% of the net weight of the package contents is nitrogen. So for example 0-0-5 may be 1/2 the cost per lb of 0-0-13 but 0-0-13 is the better buy as it is cheaper for the nitrogen you get.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[GAFarmer]

TSC has some pretty cheap general lawn fertilizer.