Broadleaf weed killer failure?

[IthacaJeff 151]

Hi all;

Two weeks ago I did some spraying on my lawn to kill the weeds and spare the grass. Typical

weeds. . . clover, broadleaf weeds, etc. Used Ortho weed killer (supposedly kills 250 types of

weeds). Mixed the concentrate according to instructions, applied in the late afternoon after

work, and two weeks later hardly a dead weed.

I expected a bunch of brown spots throughout the yard. What should I have expected? The

instructions said the grass should be moist, but mine wasn't (hadn't rained in two weeks). Could

that have made the difference?

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Jeff

[Tap53 57]

Sometimes it takes awhile, you will see it work, ground moisture has alot to do with it, if its to dry the weed wont take it in very fast, maybe by saying "wet grass" was meaning good soil moisture..

Sometimes when I have sprayed weeds, I would see reaction in 3 days, (with 2'4,D amine) and other time 3 weeks..

It will work for you..

Have you tried 2'4,D amine, instead of Ortho weed killer??

Tim

[bk-scouter 93]

I've used the regular Round Up to kill everything with good results for starting a garden. I waited about two weeks before I tilled.

-BK

EDIT- Woops, I missed the part of you TRYING to keep your grass, and that this had nothing to do with starting a garden. Please disregard my post. Don't use Round Up on your grass, unless you want it dead......

-BK

[Prater 75]

I used ferti-lome. It took about a week and a half then all of a sudden all the weeds turned over dead. It is safe on Fescue.

[1maidenfan 202]

I use a product called "eliminate" it is a Lesko product and works excellent. My neighbors yards are all yellow and mine is the only GREEN lawn around. :twocents-mytwocents:

[jones and son 6]

at what rate did you apply? I spray for my local township, and our chemicals have a proper mixture like you said , but that amount is meant to cover a certain size area, like say 250sq ft. if you sprayed double that area , then you didnt apply enough chemical to do the job. Also wind plays a big factor, early morning and late afternoon is the best times to spray.(less drift).drift=less chemical applied where you intended it to be.

[Butch 194]

I use generic brands with a sticker and have good success. Look at the main ingrediant in what you're using and buy the generic of it. It's much cheaper and you can usually get larger bottles. I buy most of my chemicals off Ebay.

[jcb857 161]

they say that the weed or weeds should be wet when spraying them because it opens up there poors that take in the water so if the poors are open when putting your spray down they will take more of the spray in and die faster. I was always told the best time to spray weeds is just after a rain. give it one more week to see what happens and if they are still green spray again but spray some water on the area first this time and see what happens.

[Jeremy Watson 22]

Best time to spray weeds is going to be when plants are dry. Spraying wet weeds dilutes your spray and makes it less effective. Here in MI it's still a little cool and takes longer for the weeds to die. So for best result hot dry weather. My two cents

Jeremy

[Tap53 57]

By the time the right answer is found, The Weeds Will Be Dead... hahaha <_<

[IthacaJeff 151]

Well, it's been two solid weeks and some are dead, some are not. All in all, pretty disappointing. Jones&Son

mentioned the application rate, and that is a good question that I cannot answer. I used a regular 2-gal garden

pump sprayer with a wide swath spray setting. I practiced my spraying technique with water on the gravel

driveway to see if my technique coated the entire area I was spraying. It did cover it, but certainly not

saturated. I did spray in the early evening after work when the wind was calm.

I think a different brand is in order, after a bit of rain. Or perhaps after a heavy morning dew.

Thanks for the help folks.

Jeff

[dcrage 628]

Jeff

The application rate really is important -- Just make sure you are in the ballpark on this factor by measuring the area you are spraying (Just walk it off and estimate at 3 ft per step) -- The idea is to make sure you aren't off by a factor of 10 (being off by a factor of 2 or 3 you are probably OK) -- The further off you are on the "application rate" the more of the hard to kill weeds will break thru or never show any effect -- And going to another brand won't help IF application rate is the problem

Just as an aside -- You can put down too much broadleaf and damage your turf -- Again knowing the size of your yard (applicaton rate) is your protection -- And my guess is again you might worry if you apply 10X above the recommended rate -- 2X or 3X no problem

[IthacaJeff 151]

Dave, thanks, I'll have to be more careful on the application rate.

Jeff

[6wheeler 641]

I use ortho on the lawn and use the hose applicator for concentrate with dial adjust. It works well. In a drought or very dry situation the weeds won't absorb it as well because they are going somewhat dormant. They slow their metabolism down like a bear hibernating. That is why they stay green when your grass isn't. If it doesn't work, wait for rain and treat a day after. They kind of wake up to grab what they can. Beat em at their own game.... It works.

[WheelHorse_of_course 99]

Well, it's been two solid weeks and some are dead, some are not. <SNIP>

I did spray in the early evening after work when the wind was calm.

I think a different brand is in order, after a bit of rain. Or perhaps after a heavy morning dew.

Thanks for the help folks.

Jeff

Always read the label, but generally speaking herbicides should be sprayed during periods of bright sunlight (noon day sun)

[sscotsman 171]

another possible issue, that hasnt been mentioned yet..temperature.

I know roundup needs it warmer (they say 60F or above on the directions) to be the most effective.

if its too cool, the plants arent as "active" and might not take up the poison into their systems very well..

check the directions, and see if it mentions temperature..could have been a factor in this case..

another thing about Roundup..the directions dont mention this, but I read about it on-line,

could be a myth, but it makes some sense:

Some have said not to use roundup if its *really* hot..like 90 degrees or warmer.

the theory is the roundup might then evaporate, vaporize, and travel up to plants you dont want to die.

as I said, not sure if that is true or not, but its something to consider..

I always spray roundup in the evenings, around sunset, when the breeze dies down

and the temp is 65 to 80..always works well that way.

Scot

[dcrage 628]

OK -- Since I am a long time Monsanto employee, spending lots of my work career working on glyphosate (Roundup) products, I am going to have to chime in on Scott's comment about Roundup volatilization -- That is NOT a concern for Roundup -- The salt forms used in the Roundup products have really low volatility -- High temperature is not a problem for Roundup efficacy, as long as the plant is actively growing -- Now lots of time hot weather is going to be dry and the weeds won't be doing much (growing); then you can have a problem -- The weed needs to take the glyphosate into the plant and then move it to the root system where the plant pathway that glyphosate works on (kills the weed) is located

Now there are lots of broad spectrum herbicides for the homeowner that would volatilize -- Any product containing 2,4-D or dicamba (real common broad-leaf herbicides) do have volatility issues

The best course of action is to read the label on your herbicide and try to follow its directions

[Fun Engineer 859]

Well, it's been two solid weeks and some are dead, some are not. All in all, pretty disappointing. Jones&Son

mentioned the application rate, and that is a good question that I cannot answer. I used a regular 2-gal garden

pump sprayer with a wide swath spray setting. I practiced my spraying technique with water on the gravel

driveway to see if my technique coated the entire area I was spraying. It did cover it, but certainly not

saturated. I did spray in the early evening after work when the wind was calm.

I think a different brand is in order, after a bit of rain. Or perhaps after a heavy morning dew.

Thanks for the help folks.

Jeff

Jeff

I'm thinking that your application rate is off. Using your method (2 gallons sprayer) this is best for spot spraying weeds, not the entire lawn. What you should be using is a Dial-A-Sprayer that you pour the concentrate into and attach to the end of your hose. The directions will tell you what to set the dial at for the size lawn you have. You need to know your square feet of lawn. The sprayer will distribute the proper amount of chemical for the size lawn. Given the time since you first sprayed, I think its your method and tools, not the product. I just did my lawn which is exactly 5000 square feet. Okay may plus or minus 5000 sf. I think that it takes 32 oz of Ortho Weed B Gone for 5000 sf. Hope this helps.

PS I recommend that once you get your weeds under control to use the 2 gallon sprayer and spot treat only the weeds, not the entire lawn. This is better for the environment, people and pets.

Dave

[Terry M-(Moderator) 2,177]

I spot spray useing the ortho weed killer from the hardware store . takes about 5 days to see good results. Overall takes me 2-3 applications to get them dead overall.

[IthacaJeff 151]

The part I sprayed looks better than the rest of the lawn, but I believe it should be better. I'm thinking a combination

of application rate and the hot dry weather at the time made success difficult. I've since sprayed another part of the

yard, taking care to apply a certain amount to a certain area, and doing it after a rain. Seems to be working better.

I'm going to end up doing about 1.5 ac with a 2 gal handheld pump spayer. Inefficient, I know, but my only option is

to take the time to rent some other sort of equipment, just when the time is right. With the handheld I can mix up

a batch and do some spraying after work, doing a section at a time when the conditions are right.

Jeff