Thursday, May 03, 2007

Feeding and Weeding Your Lawn With Chemicals

Lawn care, chemicals, organic, gardening,

Hi Guys, here in the UK we are having Local Government Elections today. Last chance to kick Mr Blair in the goolies before he retires to the multi-million dollar lecture circuit. Or possibly he will con some poor bastard into funding his Messianic programme to save the World. Last chance guys. Get out there and vote!

On to nicer subjects, I came across this Article on Chemical feeding and weeding, which I will recommend to you. The Article comes from www.gardenaction.co.uk and is worth a read. Pity we couldn't have used the process to weed out the so-called (allegedly) Government graft.

"There are three readily available lawn feed compounds, each designed for a specific purpose. These are:

1. Spring and summer feed compound. This is rich in nitrogen with a small amount of phosphates. This should be applied in spring when the grass begins to put on some growth.
2. Autumn / fall feed compound. This is rich in phosphates with little nitrogen. This should be applied in autumn when the grass starts to grow more slowly.
3. Lawn sand. This is a mixture of ammonium sulphate, iron sulphate and fine sand. it is used to kill a wide variety of weeds and is especially good at preventing and killing moss in lawns. Additionally it provides a long term tonic for your lawn and has a definite 'greening' effect. It is normally applied in late spring but where moss is a problem it can also be applied in summer.

Study the instructions carefully before applying any of the above treatments because over-application will result in damage to your lawn. If the lawn suffers from over-application, water it very well for a day and in all likelihood it will recover.

Apply the treatments when the weather is dry but there is the prospect of rain in a day or so. If rain does not appear, water well for a day. Do NOT apply any of the above to a new lawn - wait 12 months for a seed sown lawn and 6 months for a turf / sod laid lawn.

When choosing any of the above, go for a well-known name and you will be OK. In general, all the brands are the same, they merely vary the balance of the chemicals slightly. One exception however is that some brands have slow release formulas which release the chemicals into the lawn over a longer time than standard varieties. It is well worth paying the extra money for these brands.

How To Apply Fertiliser

Whichever method you choose, it is essential that the treatment is applied evenly to avoid scorching the lawn in places.

APPLICATION BY HAND
First rule is use gloves and wash your hands afterward - remember, you are using dangerous chemicals. The best method is to use half going up and down the lawn then use the other half going crossways across the lawn.

LIQUID APPLICATION
Normally this means adding the treatment to a specific amount of water in a watering can. Sometimes, there are attachments for hoses. This method is quick acting and less likely to cause scorching.

MECHANICAL APPLICATION
The treatment is added to a container in a wheeled trolley which dispenses the chemicals evenly as the trolley is moved along. If the instructions are followed, this method ensures even distribution."

Terry Blackburn. Internet Marketing Consultant, living in South Shields in the North-East of England. Author and Producer of blog http://www.lawnsurgeon.blogspot.com Author of "Your Perfect Lawn," a 90 Page eBook devoted to Lawn Preparation, Lawn Care and Maintenance. Find it at http://www.lawnsurgeon.com

I would be very interested to have your comments on this Article.

Article Source: www.gardenaction.co.uk.com

lawn care, chemicals, organic, gardening

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