On Jul 8, 9:34*pm, blueman wrote:
First, I use a drop spreader rather than a rotary spreader since I
don't want the herbicide to hit the plantings bordering the yard.

So here is my paradox.
The Scott's weed & feed says to wet the lawn before using (presumably
so the herbicide granules can stick to the weeds better). However,
when I wet the lawn, some wet grass inevitably ends up running against
the drop-feeder slit which causes the fertilizer to cake-up and clog
the slots.

In summary:
1. If I don't wet the lawn first, then it spreads but it doesn't stick
* *to the weeds, so the herbicide doesn't work
2. If I wet first, then the drop spreader slits clog and I get neither
* *fertilizer nor herbicide action (or I end up opening the slits
* *wider by some random amount and get a random, uneven coverage)

So, what am I doing wrong and what should I be doing?

If you don't have too many weeds, pull them with a Weed Hound.
There's no danger of hitting good plants and the weeds are instantly
and verifiably gone. It also aerates the soil a tad. It's best to do
it when the soil is moist.

Don't tolerate weeds. Most people find them ugly and they rob
moisture and nutrients from your lawn. And left alone, they can get
out of control.