Picture this: You just finished fertilizing your lawn, and you’re feeling pretty good about yourself. Your grass is going to be the envy of the neighborhood.
Some of your beautiful flower beds are looking… not so great. The petals are browning, leaves are wilting, and you’re starting to panic.
Will lawn fertilizer kill flowers? The short answer is: it depends on the type of fertilizer you used and how it was applied.
As a professional fertilizer production line manufacturer, let me break down everything you need to know about lawn fertilizer and its effects on your beloved flowers.
If you have both flowers and lawn in your yard, you may be wondering if you can safely use weed and feed products without harming your blooms. It’s a great question While weed and feed can make caring for your grass and beds easier, it does present some risks for delicate flowers
In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about using weed and feed around ornamentals. You’ll learn
- How weed and feed products work
- The potential risks they pose to flowers
- Safer options to use near blooms
- Best practices for protecting your plants
Arm yourself with information before reaching for that bag of weed and feed this season. Let’s dig in and explore!
Understanding How Weed and Feed Products Work
Weed and feed contains two active ingredients – fertilizer to nourish the lawn, and an herbicide to target weeds. When watered in, the fertilizer feeds grass while the weedkiller is absorbed by broadleaf weeds, injuring or killing them over time.
This dual-action formula sounds ideal in theory. But here’s the catch – many ornamental flowers and plants fall into the broadleaf category. This makes them vulnerable to damage from the weed killing component.
The Risks of Using Weed and Feed Around Flowers
While weed and feed is made to preserve grass, harm to nearby flowers is possible through several routes:
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Foliar damage – Granules scattering onto flower beds can damage leaves and blooms when watered in.
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Root uptake – Chemicals that leach into surrounding soil can be absorbed by plant roots, resulting in injury or death.
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Residual activity – Some herbicides persist in soil for weeks, posing ongoing risk.
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Delayed impacts – Plant damage may take days or weeks to become visible.
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Weakened plants – Even if flowers survive, the herbicide can make them more prone to other stresses and diseases.
For these reasons, most standard weed and feed products are not recommended for use around ornamentals you wish to preserve. The stakes are simply too high.
Choose Safer Weed and Feed Products for Flowers
The good news is that some weed and feed options are specially formulated to be gentle on established flowers and shrubs. Look for products that explicitly state “safe for use around ornamentals” on the label.
Two examples include:
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Preen Flower and Vegetable Garden Weed Preventer – Contains fertilizer and trifluralin, a pre-emergent herbicide that prevents new weeds but does not harm mature plants.
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Scotts Turf Builder Weed and Feed 3 – Uses 2,4-D, MCPP, dicamba and carfentrazone as the active ingredients, said to be safe on listed flowers.
While safer, it’s still smart to use caution when applying these products around ornamentals. Prevent granules from contacting foliage, and never use them on newly planted flowers or areas where seeds were recently sown. Do a test patch first to ensure safety.
Tips for Using Weed and Feed Around Flowers with Minimal Risks
If you opt to use weed and feed, here are some best practices for protecting ornamentals:
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Read and follow all label instructions carefully.
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Verify the product is labeled as flower-safe.
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Avoid scattering granules onto flower beds during application.
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Shield plants with boards or plastic sheeting if needed.
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Water in thoroughly after applying to minimize dust.
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Rinse any granules off flower foliage.
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Allow a few years between new plantings and weed and feed use.
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Spot treat weeds rather than blanketing areas with mixed plantings.
Smart Alternatives for Weed Control Around Flowers
The very safest options for managing weeds in ornamental beds include:
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Applying mulch to smother weeds.
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Hand pulling weeds.
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Spot spraying herbicides directly on weeds rather than broadcasting.
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Using cardboard as an organic weed barrier.
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Maintaining a dense, healthy lawn to outcompete weeds.
Avoiding weed and feed around delicate flowers removes the risk entirely. But if you must use these products, choose a flower-safe formula and take precautions to keep the chemicals away from ornamentals. With prudence and proper technique, the hazards can be minimized.
The Bottom Line
Not all weed and feed products are created equal when it comes to plant safety. Standard formulations pose real risks of damage to nearby ornamental flowers and beds. However, certain weed and feed products are specially designed to be gentle on established blooms when used as directed.
Arm yourself with knowledge, read labels carefully, and take precautions during application. Weigh the benefits against potential downsides when making decisions for your own yard and gardens. And when in doubt, reach for a more flower-friendly weed control method to keep your blossoms beautiful all season long.
Why Regular Fertilizer Can Also Harm Flowers
Even fertilizers without herbicides can cause problems for your flowers.
Here’s why:
Most lawn fertilizers are heavy on nitrogen (that first number in the N-P-K ratio).
Grass loves nitrogen. It makes the blades grow thick and green.
But flowers? Not so much.
Too much nitrogen causes plants to put all their energy into growing leaves instead of producing blooms. You’ll end up with big, leafy plants that refuse to flower.
Apply too much fertilizer (or apply it when plants are stressed), and you can literally “burn” your flowers.
The high salt content in synthetic fertilizers can dehydrate plant tissues, causing:
- Brown, crispy leaf edges
- Wilting despite adequate water
- Stunted growth
- Complete plant death in severe cases
What to Do If Fertilizer Gets on Your Flowers
Okay, so the damage is done. Your flowers got hit with lawn fertilizer. What now?
DON’T Use Weed & Feed!!! *USE THIS INSTEAD*
FAQ
Is there a weed killer that won’t kill flowers?
Can I kill weeds without killing my flowers?
An effective way to remove weeds without killing plants is to pull them out by hand. Be sure to grab the weed at its base and pull the roots out, too. It’s not uncommon for weeds to break off at the stem with the roots still intact. If that happens, you need to dig them out.
Will weed and feed kill other plants?
NO! Weed and feed products are intended for lawns…nowhere else!! The herbicides in these products cannot distinguish between a weed or a plant you consider valuable so can kill off anything that is not a grass-like plant.
What is the problem with weed and feed?
Skin and eye irritation: Weed and feed products can irritate the skin and eyes. Environmental risks Harm to aquatic life: 2,4-D is toxic to aquatic life. Harm to beneficial soil organisms: Weed and feed products can harm the beneficial fungi and organisms in the soil.
Do weed and feed products kill flowers?
The short answer is it depends. Some weed and feed products are fine on established flowers, while others contain chemicals that could injure or kill delicate blooms and plants. Read on to learn more about using weed and feed safely in landscaping areas that mix flowers and lawn. How Do Weed and Feed Products Work?
Can you use Weed and feed on flowers?
These would almost surely hurt your flowers. If you used the latter product, dig up your plants, wash the soil from their roots, plant in a new spot and keep your fingers tightly crossed. Q: Can you use “weed and feed” on flowers?
Does weed and feed kill weeds?
As a homeowner, you take pride in your lush green lawn and vibrant garden. To keep them healthy and weed-free, you may have considered using a weed and feed product. These products promise to kill weeds and fertilize your plants in one convenient application. However, the question remains: is weed and feed safe for your plants?
Are weed and feed products bad for plants?
While weed and feed products are designed to promote healthy plant growth, they can actually have the opposite effect. Over-Fertilization: The fertilizers in weed and feed products can over-fertilize your plants, leading to weak and leggy growth. This can make your plants more susceptible to disease and pests.
Does fertilizer kill weeds?
Weed and feed fertilizers usually contain 2,4-D as their herbicide. Although this chemical is effective in getting rid of plants like dandelions, weed control on the other hand is somewhat questionable. Bindweed, black medic, clover, and ground ivy are not easy to control if you don’t apply an effective herbicide.
Can weed killer kill plants?
Weed killer can damage or kill non-targeted plants, but you may be able to save plants from injury if you act quickly. Whether or not you can save the plant depends largely on the type of weed killer used and the extent of the damage. Recognizing the signs and helping the plant grow stronger can save it from dying. How Does Damage Happen?