Gro) to my yard. However, I discovered too late that the device on the spreader was broken and I had been applying the product way too heavily, probably over twice as heavily as called for.
Is there an antidote?Over Applied K-Grow Anti-Crabgrass
Last weekend I applied a crabgrass preventer/lawn food (K-
Gro) to my yard. However, I discovered too late that the device on the spreader was broken and I had been applying the product way too heavily, probably over twice as heavily as called for. Is there an antidote?
Gro) to my yard. However, I discovered too late that the device on the spreader was broken and I had been applying the product way too heavily, probably over twice as heavily as called for.
Is there an antidote?Ordinarily, over-applying herbicides won't do much harm except cause temporary chlorosis. The yellowing might become severe but it usually doesn't kill the grass plants. That is provided it is labeled for use on the type of grass you applied it. Hopefully, you read the label to make sure you can use that particular herbicide product on your type of grass.
I'm not familiar with K-Gro, so I don't know what type of fertilizer is used in it, but the only antidote for inorganic fertilizer is water. Lots and lots and lots of water. You'd have to irrigate 2-3 times a day for 2-3 hours each time for several days in a row in hopes of flushing it through and past the root zone before the grass plants have a chance to absorb it. And, still there is no guarantee, especially since the accident was a week ago.
If the lawn has not gotten wet yet - neither by irrigation nor rainfall - you might try vacuuming it to remove the product. I fear this advice is too late since most fertilizers require being watered in, and I expect you did that after the application.
If these were not chemical products and organic equivalents instead, such as corn gluten meal and an organic fertilizer (with the exception of blood meal), then I expect no harm will be done at all. On second thought, I can't be sure the amount you applied did not smother the grass. Over-applying organic fertilizer won't kill it but smothering the grass will.
I'm not familiar with K-Gro, so I don't know what type of fertilizer is used in it, but the only antidote for inorganic fertilizer is water. Lots and lots and lots of water. You'd have to irrigate 2-3 times a day for 2-3 hours each time for several days in a row in hopes of flushing it through and past the root zone before the grass plants have a chance to absorb it. And, still there is no guarantee, especially since the accident was a week ago.
If the lawn has not gotten wet yet - neither by irrigation nor rainfall - you might try vacuuming it to remove the product. I fear this advice is too late since most fertilizers require being watered in, and I expect you did that after the application.
If these were not chemical products and organic equivalents instead, such as corn gluten meal and an organic fertilizer (with the exception of blood meal), then I expect no harm will be done at all. On second thought, I can't be sure the amount you applied did not smother the grass. Over-applying organic fertilizer won't kill it but smothering the grass will.
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I didn't research all of the ingredients in kgro, however one of them (dicamba) has a half life of one to six weeks. You definitely don't want kids rolling around in the grass for the next month or two because there are warnings about absorption through the skin.
It's also possible that it could harm your grass if applied in high enough doses.
You may want to consider more organic methods for lawn care. For instance, vinegar with a high acid level is effective when applied directly on crabgrass. About.com has the following [url=https://landscaping.about.com/od/weedsdiseases/qt/kill_crab_grass.htm]organic methods for killing crabgrass[/url].
It's also possible that it could harm your grass if applied in high enough doses.
You may want to consider more organic methods for lawn care. For instance, vinegar with a high acid level is effective when applied directly on crabgrass. About.com has the following [url=https://landscaping.about.com/od/weedsdiseases/qt/kill_crab_grass.htm]organic methods for killing crabgrass[/url].
Fertilize (compost is fine) more heavily in autumn than spring. By autumn, frosts will have already killed any crabgrass.
Don't let bare spots remain uncovered for long, else opportunistic crabgrass will take root. In the fall, fill in those bare spots by overseeding.
When irrigating the lawn, water more deeply and less frequently. Crabgrass is a notoriously shallow weed.
Mow "high", leaving the lawn grass at a height of 2 1/2"-3". This will allow the lawn grass to "protect its own turf" better, depriving crabgrass seeds of the light they need to germinate.
Final Notes on Crabgrass Control
A great organic "weed and feed" product is corn gluten. An organic preemergent herbicide, corn gluten will suppress crabgrass germination, while fertilizing your lawn.