Its lawn care season - read the labels

[Donald]

With the snow almost off my grass its time to put on something to prevent crabgrass. And I really hate spending a lot of $$ on that stuff. I have only a small area of lawn out of 26 acres.

At Walmart today two products:

1) Expert fertilizer and crab grass preventer, $48 for 15K sq ft. with the active chemical for crabgrass 0.29%
2) Scotts fertilizer and crab grass preventer, $56 for 15K sq ft with the active chemical for crabgrass 1.29%

The fertilizer is about the same for both. The active chemical for them is the same chemical. Which is the better buy?


For broadleaf lawn weeds, the main active chemical is 2-4-D, and the percentages are all over the place for the stuff you spray with a hose end sprayer.

 

[volk06]

Originally Posted By: Donald
With the snow almost off my grass its time to put on something to prevent crabgrass. And I really hate spending a lot of $$ on that stuff. I have only a small area of lawn out of 26 acres.

At Walmart today two products:

1) Expert fertilizer and crab grass preventer, $48 for 15K sq ft. with the active chemical for crabgrass 0.29%
2) Scotts fertilizer and crab grass preventer, $56 for 15K sq ft with the active chemical for crabgrass 1.29%

The fertilizer is about the same for both. The active chemical for them is the same chemical. Which is the better buy?


For broadleaf lawn weeds, the main active chemical is 2-4-D, and the percentages are all over the place for the stuff you spray with a hose end sprayer.




The Scotts one sounds like the better buy if you have a bad problem. If your going off of the crabgrass chemical, your getting more chemical per dollar spent.

Just go buy a quart of Gordon's Amine 2-4d and mix/use your own spray. This way you know your exact concentration and its a lot cheaper. But I've had a lot of chemical experience and know my way around them and how to use them safely.

 

[JHZR2]

So is this one of those ploys by Walmart to make people think they sell for less when they sell a "watered down" product?

Alternately, Im not a fan of spending huge money and lots of chemicals so that every last blade of grass is identical. Will the lower dose work? The least chemicals is the best way if possible, especially if you have kids/pets playing in/on the grass, IMO. We have a large organic vegetable garden in our back yard, so I dont use any of this stuff. It the "grass" is green, Im good. Im happier overseeding the yard and just trying to keep grass, but not worrying.

Good question!

 

[doitmyself]

Do both products contain the same crabgrass herbicide? Something seems amiss.

If both products claim to get the same result on 15K sq. ft., then the cheaper one is good enough. Maybe it has a more potent herbicide that gets the same result at less active ingredient.

There's really just not enough information to tell.

Also, if you study your state land grant university's turfgrass fertilization guidelines, it should tell you that a very early fertilizer application (especially N) is not good, unless your are nursing a severely stressed lawn back to life.

Grass stores "energy" in its roots during the fall. In spring, the grass jumps out of the ground feeding on those stored reserves. To add N in very early spring is like feeding lots of sugar to a child just before bed time. The grass "overgrows" and becomes more subject to disease and other problems, opening up a can of worms, no pun intended. Most northern turf fertilizer recommendations are to not put N on until after 4 - 5 mowings. Up north, a common target is just before memorial day, +/- weeks - depending on your climate.

Here's some Cornell wisdom: http://blogs.cornell.edu/horticulture/about/lawn/lawn-fertilizing/

And, here's some crabgrass control info from the premier turf grass school in the nation

.....no bias here:

http://www.turf.msu.edu/crabgrass-control-in-home-lawns

And, I agree with JHZR. Maintain a healthy lawn and you will reduce the need for chemicals. IPM....integrated pest management. Think of it like prescription drugs...use them wisely and only when absolutely needed, relying on maintaining overall good health to more naturally fight the demons.

 

[Coprolite]

I use spreadable corn gluten as a pre-emergent. It also gives a little nitrogen and is "organic" to the extent that it was a plant recently, but no guarantee that it wasn't grown with hydrocarbon based fertilizer.

I would also echo doitmyself's comments. Nothing like getting your soil tested by the co-op extension and tailoring your lawn food to what is needed and educating yourself so that you can do what is right for you.

 

[TWG1572]

Herbicide aside, if you want to get technical (which we love here at BITOG) you need to look at the type of N in the fertilizer. Is is slow or fast release?

Cheap N is typically fast release, where the products that release N more slowly (a good thing) are typically more expensive. Slower release is typically a good thing.