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weed and feed fertilizer

18 years ago

I was given about 700 lbs of weed and feed fertilizer and really didn't have any use for it (on my vegetable garden or broadleaf ornamentals.. (They were broken bags from a hardware store of high nitrogen grass feeding fertilizer from different manufacturers including Scotts etc).. I had read in several posts not to use it on bamboo but was tempted to try it anyway so as not to waste it.. I started off using it on several less cherished bamboos and it didn't hurt them.. (they greened up nicely).. That gave me the confidence to use it on all of them.. This is just to report that I have used it several times these past two years on about 30 different varieties and over 100 different individual plants (mostly different phyllostachys but also bambusas, pseudosa, sasa and semiarundinaria).. These are plants that were planted about two years ago and they seem to benefit well from the fertilizer... It wouldn't be my first choice to use this type of fertilizer but since it was free I did and it has worked out well.. I was wondering if anyone had actual experience of it harming their bamboos?

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Comments (5)

bamboobob
18 years ago
I'm not surprised. The "herbicide" in grass fertilizers is usually a pre-emergent. These actually do not harm any actively growing plants, even weeeds. They prevent weed seeds (or any seeds) from germinating. If you had fertilizer with an herbicide actually designed to selectively kill actively growing plants, I would not use it myself on bamboo. There is a disinclination among people on this board to use fertilizers with pre-emergent control, but like you, I've used it with great success.
bambooo
18 years ago
Turfgrass weed and feed by law here in the states is to be applied on turfgrass. Ever see the "It is a violation of federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistant with it's labeling" ?
And weed and feed is usually a broadleaf herbicide not a pre-emergent, pre-emergents are primarily for crabgras control.
In any case does the groundwater need more misused herbicides?
Best scenario would be to trade with someone who would use it properly for a formulation without herbicide.
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5 INCHES? Yikety yikes! I used to be in the finish grading biz with my brother in law. He was the tractor driving pro with me doing the detail work up against the buildings. Look at your last picture - see the area where the shovel is? There is about 2 inches TOO MUCH soil right there sloping up to 4 inches too much soil over by the concrete slab. The part of the house which sticks outward away from the slab at the base is called the sill. There is supposed to be 4 inches visible below the sill of the house to ensure you don't get rot and a termite invasion. The sill is made of wood, so when it is buried under soil or mulch or what have you, you are asking for moisture and related problems. Just for grins, lets say you have 4 inches too much soil over an area of 60 feet by 30 feet. That amounts to 22 cubic yards too much soil. We're talking about a big 18-wheeler load of TOO MUCH soil which should be hauled away. I'm going to recommend you get some professional landscapers to come take a look at your situation. You might look for a professional grader also. The grader is not in the landscaping business and might have a different perspective on the situation. In any case, whoever looks at this, the preferred equipment for grading or regrading is a tractor with a box blade on it. Landscapers call it a landscaper's blade. Here's a picture. They make blades for skid steers and Bobcats, but those machines have too small a wheelbase and too high a center of gravity to do the work quickly. A tractor driver can do 5 acres in a morning while a Bobcat driver might take weeks to do 5 acres.
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bamboobob
18 years ago
As I said, I would not use broadleef herbicide on bamboo. The stuff I have used when I had a little to spare is the stuff that contains pre-emergent, for instance the "Step 1" of the Scott's program.

bambooo, ignoring any potential harm to the bamboo from the broadleaf herbicide, why would it be any environmentally sounder to use these chemicals on turf grass rather than bamboo. I'm not picking an argument. I just notice you're a master gardener and I suspect you know way more about this than I do.
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bambooo
18 years ago
"ignoring any potential harm to the bamboo from the broadleaf herbicide, why would it be any environmentally sounder to use these chemicals on turf grass rather than bamboo"

On the turfgrass there is the potential benefit of weed control. In addition the rate of application is quite likely different.
My two cents worth.
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Bernard_Bruxelles
18 years ago
I have found a way to get fertiliser for free:
{{gwi:412250}}
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