Yes, you will have to leave the granulated products out. Study carefully which products can be used as post-emergent sprays for both broad leaf and grassy weeds.....on your kind of grass. There are some techniques that you can employ to encourage infiltration of water at the top of a slope, but I would still avoid pre-emergent (weed and feed products are horrible!) herbicides or anything that needs to be absorbed through the soil. Post-emergent products should be misted on the foliage, never drenched into the soil.

Dan There is a rich literature in the psych, marketing, communications and soc disciplines that explains the fact that information 'being available for years' has little relevance to information being understood, compelling and actionable. In addition, it is the responsibility of the federal government to incorporate valid limits on chemicals proven to be destructive to life and the environment, which you've already mentioned. If the EPA has the research and at one time set standards pertaining to Atrazine but then ignored them for the past several years, many people are going to ignore whatever information IS published that they have access to, "confident" that the government is carrying out its responsibilities. It doesn't matter what reports are published from one perspective. If the feds ignore the poisoning of America's water supply, there's no other agency with the legal authority to act against companies that are selling these products. The responsibility then falls to individuals, most of whom are unaware of the research and not part of a political entity that could have much influence even if they did know. If I recall correctly, American individuals or groups of individuals cannot sure agribusiness or anyone else for polluting the earth. The Superfund sites are still sitting there, polluting everything around them. There's no more action on them as far as I know. So, maybe the only thing that responsible people can do is keep publicizing the research and hope that the public eventually catches on and demands that Congress develop a backbone and do something.

Sorry. This will be a long one. It always is with me. (blushing) I'm with the OP on this one. Even if no one but me ever saw my lawn, I would want it to be dark, rich green GRASS...and nothing else. (I'm known for wanting everything to be beautiful. I'm also a bit of a home body, and enjoy spending time in my yard. Many guests have remarked that, no matter where they look (on my property), there's always something beautiful. I'm always taken aback by those comments, since while that was MY goal, I never expected others to pick up on it.) Case in point about the intentional act of putting down grass, and not other (lower maintenance) plants. I own a small, remote island. I made the decision to create a lawn area and, once you include the slow-moving barge fees (3 days to get from its port to the island), labour, equipment, and materials, that lawn cost me $14,000. That obviously begs the question, why, on earth, would anyone spend a nickel putting in expensive, high-maintenance grass, only to let it be taken over by clover and other weeds??? My husband and I recently purchased a 19th century farmhouse in need of roof-to-foundation renovation. As such, I inherited a lawn that is EASILY 70% weeds, including clover so thoroughly interwoven, it would be impossible to pull by hand. I pride myself on my beautiful lawns and gardens, and can spend/have sent hours, each day, ensuring everything is healthy and how I want it. At my last home, I developed a bit of a reputation for being out weeding my lawn by hand for hours, plus how awesome my expansive lawn was. My point is, I want my lawn and gardens to be a certain way; plant the plants I want; pull the plants I don't want; unafraid to put-in the effort to achieve that. I prefer not to use any kinds of "chemicals", other than the ammonia and mild soap I include in my homemade fertilizer recipe. (My last home was a beach house. So, that only reinforced my desire to go chemical-free.) But this new-to-me house is demoralizing me...practically to the point of tears, much of it because of the state of the (laughing) "landscaping". Sure, mowing can cut off 60% of the sea of clover flowers that make my lawn look white (or dying...can't decide which). But there are still lower flowers that seem to sprout up to full height within the next 24hrs after a mow. These flowers last from late spring to fall. In short, I'm plagued by clover flowers throughout the entire season I want my lawn to look great. It's just such a shame the previous owners didn't nip the clover in the bud, when each plant was jut a little, round cluster. I love catching them early, knowing I've stopped additional infiltration. But I'm helpless, overall. Looks like I'll have to replace the entire lawn; start from scratch; do what the previous owners SHOULD have done, and pulled weeds when I first see them. I'm not really buying the whole "benefits of clover" thing, amidst a grass lawn. If I wanted a clover lawn, I would plant a clover lawn. Putting down and maintaining grass is an expense in time and resources. Clover is virtually free (since it shows up on the wind), and is seemingly mantenance-free. Since most sod and grass seed are sold with some guarantee of being weed- (and clover-) free, I just don't believe that most people who spend the money and effort to put in a grass lawn, are okay with losing any percentage of it to other, invasive, undesirable plants. I kind of liken it to suggesting that a Ferrari owner would be okay with someone switching it with a Cavalier, and just saying, 'They both get me from point A to point B, so I don't mind.' I can fully envision putting in other kinds of ground cover, and have considered it at past properties. Not being my first rodeo, I already have substantial plans to reduce the amount of lawn area, and increase planting beds. But much of this current property begs for a beautiful, thick, dark green lawn...of grass. No dandelions. No clover, but particularly no clover flowers. (I'd be more okay with clover, if not for the flowers.) The desperation was so great, I did something I thought I'd never do, and tried the iron-based WEED-B-GONE product. (Harsh, chemical herbicides have been banned in my area for years...resulting in public parks being taken over by weeds, for the most part. It's such a shame, in the sense that a healthy, well-maintained lawn is not only beautiful, but fantastic underfoot.) That is really my philosophy, beyond the aesthetic. A lawn should be cool, soft, and luxurious under bare feet. Weeds, even overgrown grass, also tend to make barefoot walking less than a joy. So far, I haven't found a way to get rid of mats of clover. The WEED-B-GONE did nothing I could notice. I'm at my rope's end on ths matter, and likely will have to pull up the entire lawn, to put down new, almost-weed-free sod, where I can physically manage pulling individual weeds as they appear. I guess I'd plead with people to pull unwanted clover plants when they're small... if not for yourself, then for the next property owner. Sure, it means time, every day, or every few days, combing the lawn, looking for weeds. Yes, it can be back-breaking and time-consuming. But that grass lawn didn't get there by accident. A grass lawn is intentional.

"Herbicides That Damage Roses Herbicides containing glyphosate are extremely dangerous for roses. Glyphosate can be absorbed by rose leaves and stems. Post-emergent herbicides used to kill broad-leaf weeds are also very dangerous for roses. Such herbicides commonly contain 2,4-D, triclopyr or dicamba." "Care After Damage Herbicide exposure is not necessarily a death sentence for roses. They commonly survive and eventually grow normally. Excellent care can help them recover. Water the affected roses once or twice per week during dry periods, but do not overwater them. Excessive water can be just as damaging as insufficient water." See: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/grass-weed-killer-kill-roses-accidentally-sprayed-them-87628.html