Weed-and-feed products are a victory of marketing over common sense. A
weed-and-feed product really amounts to an indiscriminate and unnecessary
use of pesticides -- if your lawn is in such bad shape that you need to put
a weedkiller over the entire lawn maybe you should start over --

Since the atrazine also stresses your turfgrass especially St. Augustine),
the manufacturers make the "feed" part of it a very high nitrogen
fertilizer, to hide and counteract the effect of the nitrazine.

You wouldn't use an unbalanced fertilizer such as 29-3-3 by itself --
especially one with high amounts of soluble nitrogen, nor would you go out
and spray your turfgrass with atrazine -- but somehow the manufacturers have
sold the idea that if you put the two out together it's all right.
Weed-and-feed are significant contributors to the existence of high levels
of pesticides and nitrogen in the ground water, plus there is some evidence
that atrazine is hazardous to both dogs and cats.

You'd be better off to spot treat weeds where they exist, and use a better
fertilizer for your turfgrass, lower in nitrogen and lower in soluble
nitrogen. Plus your pets, your azaleas and your local water resources would
be better off. -- Regards --



"James" wrote in message
...


In the Spring of each year, I put down a weed and feed product. I have
many Azalea beds. Some years they bloom well, others they don't. I try
to
fertilize them separately with a product formulated for them.

It has occurred to me that when I fertilize my lawn with weed and feed, I
go
up adjacent to my azalea beds. These are very old azaleas (25 years), so
I
guess their roots extend out quite a bit. I wonder if the weed and feed
(Atrazine) is going to the outside roots of the azaleas, and stunting them
some ? I don't think any of the weed and feed gets closer than 3 feet
from
the main trunk of the bushes, but if the feeders come out more than 3 feet
then in a way I may be giving them some weed and feed which is not my
intention.

Any comments, or thoughts ??


--James--