How practical it would be if you could combine lawn fertilizing and weed killing. We inform you here about the benefits and risks.
Lawn fertilizers with weed killers are offered by various manufacturers and advertise a more beautiful lawn in just one step. Hobby gardeners in particular like to use this chemical club, while many experts advise avoiding the use of pesticides in order to protect the environment. In the following, we will weigh up the benefits and risks for you and point out alternatives.
The promise is simple: wild herbs are damaged, lawn grasses are strengthened. In the following explanations you will find out whether lawn fertilizers with weed killers can keep this promise, what disadvantages they also entail and what prevents weeds in the lawn more sustainably.
Does lawn fertilizer with weed killer make sense?
What actually causes weeds in the lawn and what are the more environmentally friendly options for removing them? Before resorting to weed killer, these questions should first be answered. We have summarized for you what promotes the establishment of wild herbs in your lawn and what you can do about it. You can also find more detailed information on weeds in the lawn in this special article.
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Nearby seed source | Shield the garden in the direction of the source with a hedge that is as dense and high as possible |
| Soil heavily covered with weed seeds | When preparing for sowing, replace the soil or steam the soil to kill the weed seeds (ask your local specialist company for more information) |
| Pruning too low leads to the establishment of rosette-forming wild herbs (daisies, dandelion, plantain) | Avoid pruning too early and too deep (less than 4 cm) at the beginning of the year. The vertically growing lawn grasses also shade rosette-forming wild herbs and force them to also grow vertically. In this way, they can be removed from the mower during the first few mowing passesbe captured and weakened to the point of death |
| Grass that is too thin/gaps gives wild herbs light and space to grow | Can have various reasons, which are named in the following columns |
| Soil pH favors wild herbs | Test soil pH and optimize towards optimum for lawn (5.5 - 6.5) |
| Soil compaction favors wild herbs | Avoid beaten tracks. Scarify the soil deeply and then sand or (in the case of heavy and deep compaction) aerate and sand. Using organic fertilizers to keep soil loose with humus |
| Lawn area too shady | Use regular seed mixes for shade lawns, planning for future location and size of buildings and trees |
| Too dry soil | Use of suitable regular seed mixtures for dry grassland; regular application of compost and organic fertilizer to promote water storage capacity through humus; if necessary watering |
| Nutrient deficiency (especially nitrogen) | Regular and needs-based fertilization in order to create optimal conditions for the severely depleting lawn |
| Incorrect soil preparation at installation | Optimal soil preparation ensures that grass emerges evenly, dense turf develops quickly and narrows the time window for wild herbs to emerge |
| Use of unsuitable standard seed mixture (RSM) | Use of a seed mixture adapted to the location in order to achieve the best possible lawn growth |
| Too rare cut | Regular mowing ensures a dense turf that prevents weed seeds from reaching the ground and deprives wild herbs of the light they need to grow |
Tip: Raising a lawn's pH is a lot easier than lowering it. Therefore, you should always use lime with caution and knowledge of the current pH value. In this special article you can find out everything about liming your lawn. If the pH value is too high, only a few things help: Fertilizing with ammonium, watering only with rainwater and a compost made of coffee grounds, oak leaves, pine wood shavings and ammonium lead to a drop in the pH value.
As you can see, there are many approaches to avoid weeds in the lawn: During theLawns and also with existing lawns. Only when all these options have been exhausted and when you do not want to tolerate the ecological benefits of a low weed population in the lawn should herbicides be an option.
Disadvantages of mineral lawn fertilizers with weed killers
As already mentioned, mineral lawn fertilizers with weed killers have some disadvantages, which we explain below:
- Pesticides can be harmful to wild and domestic animals and of course the user. After the application of lawn fertilizer with weed killer, the lawn area should not be walked on according to the manufacturer's instructions. Keeping the native, partly protected shrews, songbirds or house cats away is almost impossible.
- There is a risk that the application will become a habit: The prophylactic use of weed killer directly when fertilizing the lawn can sound tempting for some. However, this creates a thoughtless and irresponsible environmental impact.
- Weed grasses remain unaffected by the application of the herbicides: In order to protect the lawn grasses, these act only selectively against dicotyledonous (two-cotyledonous) plants. However, all grasses are monocotyledonous plants.
- If handled carelessly, various other dicotyledonous garden plants can also be damaged. All garden plants except grasses belong to this group.
- Using only mineral lawn fertilizers leads to a loss of soil quality and can disturb the soil chemistry in such a way that the pH value changes. This in turn can encourage the growth of wild herbs. So, in the long run, using mineral lawn fertilizer with weed killer will help keep weeds from being a problem.
- The packaging of the fertilizer containing pesticides must be disposed of properly in order to pollute the environment as little as possible. Storage should also be safe - i.e. out of the reach of children and animals. Dealing with pesticides therefore means a certain amount of effort and always a residual risk.
Conclusion: Are lawn fertilizers with weed killers useful?
From lawn planning to maintenance care, there are various ways to prevent heavy weed growth. Mineral lawn fertilizers with weed killers only ensure this in the short termSome weeds die, but at the same time they pose risks to the soil, environment, animals, the user and even beloved garden plants. Rather than solving the problem, they exacerbate the problem. Unfortunately, lawn fertilizers with weed killers are therefore not a sensible long-term solution on the way to a uniformly weed-free lawn. You can also find out more about mineral fertilizers here.
Separate lawn fertilizers and weed killers: fertilizer recommendation
Precisely to avoid using weed killers and to be able to choose the best lawn fertilizer from the whole range on offer, you should separate the treatment of the weeds and the lawn fertilization. In this way, you can also use soil-friendly organic lawn fertilizers or organic lawn fertilizers, which promote the lawn grass instead of the undemanding wild herbs by maintaining or increasing the soil quality. Our Plantura organic lawn fertilizer is one of the primarily organic and bio-certified lawn fertilizers, which not only protects the animals in your garden, but all animals: The organic material it contains consists of purely natural raw materials and can also be used in organic farming.
Using a fertilizer like this and following the weed avoidance tips listed above in the table are guaranteed to save you from an invasion of dandelions and clover. And if one or the other meadow herb finds its way into your garden: Realize that ecological diversity is extremely valuable and try to enjoy the variety in the uniform green. Even most specialist gardeners advise such a view in the private sector.
You can find more information about the different lawn fertilizers here. You can also find out more about the big topic of "fertilizing the lawn" in our overview article.