[FRUSTRATED IN CHARLOTTE]

Mt lawn care guy came today and one of the things he was to do was put down pre emergent and fertilizer. I told him we wanted a split application and we would put down the second application in 6 wks.

I gave him a bag f Dimension and Concord Mix. It contained enough for a 10,000 SF lawn. My lawn is 5,000 sf. The fertilizer numbers are 19-0-6.

About an hour ago he tells me he used the ENTIRE bag. I kind of freaked. He thinks I'll be fine while I think it could burn out my lawn.

I ran my irrigation system but it's on an irrigation well with a holding tank that holds 1,200 gal. I exhausted the water supply in the tank so I've purchased some hoses and sprinkler heads to run.

My thinking is I need to "wash" off most of what he put down.

So my questions are:
1. Am I right in thinking that too much pre-emergent and fertilizer will burn my lawn

2. is watering this the right thing to do

3. how much water or how long should I run the water

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

 

[betmr]

Who's responsible for calibrating the spreader, you or the guy you gave all the stuff too? Is he licensed to do this stuff? Does he even have a clue what you mean by split app.? I guess NO ONE took the time to READ THE LABEL. That's what you get for cheap! It's the wasted over applied TOXIC pre-emergent you had HIM put down, that is the issue. If you were able to buy this stuff (Without a License) because you are a home owner, then YOU are supposed to apply it. Are you or the Lawn Company Licensed to apply Pesticides? Now you know why they have laws controlling this kind of activity. Actions such as this are what give us Licensed Professionals a bad reputation. This is exactly the kind of thing that stirs activists to yell for BANNING Pesticides.

Which one of you, do you think should have known what they were doing?

Water it and hope for the best, you should be reported, you handed over Pesticides to someone who didn't have a clue (Obviously) what he was doing. Next time Hire a Licensed Pesticide Applicator, and save us all a lot of head aches. That's my thought on that.

PS: The Law is: No one can apply pesticides for hire, without a license for the type of application they are doing. That means the guy who sprays your house for roaches CAN NOT spread Pesticides on your lawn, unless he is Licensed in that catagory. Do you understand why, Now?

 

[FRUSTRATED IN CHARLOTTE]

Betmr:

As a licensed professional in two different fields ( law and real estate) I have learned time and again that a license to practice is NOT a guarantee of competency. And if you believe that a licensed individual or company never screw up then you are naive.

So to answer your question, yes the person who applied the chemicals is licensed. As for my buying the product -the distributor sells it to me since I have a corporate account to ensure that my contractors only apply quality products as opposed to the inexpensive generic and inferior contractor grade products most companies use.

Yes, I read the label - I read all of the labels so that I know what is going on my lawn. I own dozen of properties and spend literally thousands of dollars every year in lawn care. So it isn;t a matter of being cheap.

Who do I think is responsible for this - I think my licensed contractor is responsible. I do expect him to read the label and follow directions.
Does he know what a split application is - the first question he asked this morning was if I wanted a split application. So yes he obviously knows what it is.

I don't know why he screwed up today except that he obviously wasn't paying attention to what he doing. On the other hand I don't really care why. At this moment I am more concerned about finding a way to salvage a bad situation rather than placing blame. There's plenty of time for finger pointing later. My immediate concern is that I don't have a lot of time to try to rectify the damage.

 

[betmr]

Just water it and hope for the best, It should work out fine. Tell your guy to get more sleep at night. Please, don't try to wash it down the street. Just water it in a few times, I think it will be OK.

 

[DuallyVette]

Since you applied 9.5 lbs of Nitrogen on 5,000 sq. ft. If the grass doesn't burn up (probably not, depending what the nitrogen was derived from) It will grow like hell as the temperatures rise. MOW the grass as high as you can 4 inches+. I would bag the grass, which I never recommend,. This will remove some excess nitrogen, and slow down the growth. As for the Dimension...I doubt that it will burn up your lawn. I looked at the label for my sprayable Dimension...without reading the whole thing...it says " .5 lb per acre active ingredient for a single application, OR .33 lb per acre..twice...3.3 lb per acre 3 times a year looks like the maximum. ( 8 to 12 weeks later- we do 8 weeks)

Watering won't hurt, but you can't put toothpaste back in the tube.

Blame...did you lawn boy use your spreader or his? ( He may not know the area of calibration on your spreader) How old is he? Did you see his license? ( you can look up his name on the NC department of Agriculture's web site) We all try to save money...this worked out well for me...tell your friends.

 

[FRUSTRATED IN CHARLOTTE]

"Please, don't try to wash it down the street. Just water it in a few times, I think it will be OK."

I;ve been watering it steadily for that past 3 hours. Do you think that is enough for now and should I repeat this for the next few days? if this has damaged the lawn how long would it take to show up?

thanks for your help.

 

[DuallyVette]

Pre-emergents are designed to stay in place for a long time. They don't wash easily. You've watered it in, it's probably ok. Pre's break down from sunshine and moisture and time. The cool night time temperatures will reduce the stress on the lawn. Read the whole label. I don't see anything about turf damage on the label..but I didn't read it all.

 

[piste]

I woulldn't sweat it. It's down and you watered...nothing else you can do really and I'm betting it'll be fine. Often the stated coverage in sq feet is a range anyway..with a marketing bias toward stating larger numbers. I almost always don't get 10K coverage out of a so-marketed bag as I go a little heavier with great results.

As for licensed professionals...well in every field there's lot of folks with licenses who are hacks...a much higher percentage in lawn care in my experience. Some even lecture you about things and they seem to not even know the difference between a pesticide and herbicide.....
Good luck.

 

[betmr]

I woulldn't sweat it. It's down and you watered...nothing else you can do really and I'm betting it'll be fine. Often the stated coverage in sq feet is a range anyway..with a marketing bias toward stating larger numbers. I almost always don't get 10K coverage out of a so-marketed bag as I go a little heavier with great results.

As for licensed professionals...well in every field there's lot of folks with licenses who are hacks...a much higher percentage in lawn care in my experience. Some even lecture you about things and they seem to not even know the difference between a pesticide and herbicide.....
Good luck.

Oh yes, the old Pesticide vs Herbicide, ploy...with Hacks on the side. There is a difference between Insecticides and Herbicides, but as a group they are both PESTICIDES. Is a Roach a Pest in your house? Is a weed a Pest in the lawn? Yes to both questions. So let's take the Suffix "Cide" from Latin -cida or cidium = Killer. As in Insect-killer...Vegetation (Herb)-killer... or in General "Pest-Killer". Now maybe??? You understand the difference in the words Insecticide, Herbicide & Pesticide. If you go to the store and ask for Pesticide, what do you think the dealer will do? Just give you a bag of Insecticide, or ask you what for? I think the latter. Then if you say ants, he'll give you Insecticide, But...if you say Dandy lions, he'll give you Herbicide...Get it? We apply Pesticides...We Kill Pests....some are bugs, & Critters, and some are weeds. That brings up the point, What Pesticide do we use to kill Rats, Mice, Moles ,and Voles....Insecticide???? or Rodenticide..Or maybe just buy some Pesticide? So who might know these tiny technical terms....an NJEPA Licensed Commercial Pesticide Applicator, or someone who knows "the difference between a pesticide and herbicide"

Perhaps you can tell us what a weed is, since there is such a large percentage of hacks in the Licensed Lawn Care Chemical business, perhaps you could enlighten us with more of your wisdom.

 

[FRUSTRATED IN CHARLOTTE]

This morning I called Shemin Nurseries where I purchased the product and explained about the excess application and my trying to flush the excess of f with copious amounts of water.

They advised the water applied early was the best approach and now it's all I can do is wait and see if the lawn turns yellow in the next 3 to 4 days which means my lawn has burned out. However, he advised that I apply some barricade with no fertilizer now and then apply more fertilizer in 6 weeks. He also recommended that I get a soil test done immediately to see how much of the fertilizer and pre-emergent was absorbed so we'll know how to proceed if my lawn survives this misadventure.

I then called AL-Labs-Eastern (who I normally use for my soil tests) to inquire about which tests I needed to order to see the level of pre-emergent and fertilizer present in the soil. The lab advised not to apply any more chemicals right now and to hold off on the soil test for at least 7 to 14 days. They also said that it would take a week to 10 days to see of the lawn had burn out. Their advise was to wait 6 weeks before applying more pre-emergent and fertilizer as though it was the second half of the split application.

So now I have two conflicting recommendations. As lawn care professionals which one do you feel I should follow or would you approach it differently?

By the way as of this morning the lawn looks fine. The only yellow I'm seeing is on the chickweed that is lightly scattered throughout some sections of the lawn.

 

[betmr]

The labs recommendation sounds better to me. You already have a lot of "N" on there, I would back off on it for a while. Besides if it did not burn, you're gonna be mowin' yer kiester off, once that "N" kicks in. And also consider the form of N you put down...Slow release? you may not have to fertilize for a while. Let your soil test be your guide. In 14 days, send them your sample and see what they say then. For now, it's a waiting game.

All the best, I hope for you.

PS: You might think about some Selective Herbicide, as a lot of broadleaf weeds LOVE Nitrogen rich soil, especially Chickweed. And pre-ems are mostly for grassy weeds & stuff that has NOT germinated.

 

[FRUSTRATED IN CHARLOTTE]

Betmer:

I'm inclined to agree with you. Since I have no way of knowing how much, if any, of the chemicals were absorbed I'm reluctant to add anything right now.

I looked at the bag again and it doesn't indicate if the N is slow release or not. I'll have to call Shemin to find out.

As for the mowing often - it will be my pleasure given the alternative.

Thanks for your help. It's appreciated.

 

[betmr]

It's a pleasure, Luck & ggod nite.

 

[piste]

Oh yes, the old Pesticide vs Herbicide, ploy...with Hacks on the side. There is a difference between Insecticides and Herbicides, but as a group they are both PESTICIDES. Is a Roach a Pest in your house? Is a weed a Pest in the lawn? Yes to both questions. So let's take the Suffix "Cide" from Latin -cida or cidium = Killer. As in Insect-killer...Vegetation (Herb)-killer... or in General "Pest-Killer". Now maybe??? You understand the difference in the words Insecticide, Herbicide & Pesticide. If you go to the store and ask for Pesticide, what do you think the dealer will do? Just give you a bag of Insecticide, or ask you what for? I think the latter. Then if you say ants, he'll give you Insecticide, But...if you say Dandy lions, he'll give you Herbicide...Get it? We apply Pesticides...We Kill Pests....some are bugs, & Critters, and some are weeds. That brings up the point, What Pesticide do we use to kill Rats, Mice, Moles ,and Voles....Insecticide???? or Rodenticide..Or maybe just buy some Pesticide? So who might know these tiny technical terms....an NJEPA Licensed Commercial Pesticide Applicator, or someone who knows "the difference between a pesticide and herbicide"

Perhaps you can tell us what a weed is, since there is such a large percentage of hacks in the Licensed Lawn Care Chemical business, perhaps you could enlighten us with more of your wisdom.

Meh..good try but no sale. Pests are creatures or people. Plant life is not. That's why the subforum on here is called "Pesticide and Herbicide Application". Everyone is entitled to earn a buck and market their profession..but not with inappropriate alarmist and sensationalist tactics.

You made a comment/assumption the guy didn't read the label...he did.

You made an assumption his guy wasn't licensed...(he was)...and chastised him for it.

"Wasted, overapplied toxic pre-emergent" indeed...shame on you. For all we know the application RANGE was 5K to 10K square feet...which would mean not wasted, not overapplied, and not toxic. Maybe it was ..maybe it wasn't..but you came down hard on the guy without knowing.

Many so called lawn care professionals give their profession a bad name all by themselves...unfortunately to the detriment of the good ones out there.

You tell the guy he should be reported (to who and for what?) and that his lawn guy doesn't have a clue....based on what??

"Save us all a lot of headaches"??? What does that mean? You make it sound like the average homeowner is incapable of spreading fertilizer on his own lawn. It's the Homeowner Assistance Forum...not Homeowner Insult Forum. The guy posted cuz he was obviously worried about damage to his lawn and you jump all over him...and his lawn guy.

The real lesson the OP should take away here is if he wants it done a certain way..best off doing it himself. It ain't rocket science. There still is not enough info in this thread that anyone did anything improperly nor that there is any issue at all. Maybe when the lawn guy heard "split application" he assumed the owner would get him a second bag for the second app...as opposed to splitting the single bag across two apps....depends on EXACTLY what was communicated. Likely just an innocent understandable misunderstanding here.

 

[betmr]

Just so you know:http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/What-Is-A-Pesticide.htm

 

[KeenanD]

Meh..good try but no sale. Pests are creatures or people. Plant life is not. That's why the subforum on here is called "Pesticide and Herbicide Application". Everyone is entitled to earn a buck and market their profession..but not with inappropriate alarmist and sensationalist tactics.

You made a comment/assumption the guy didn't read the label...he did.

You made an assumption his guy wasn't licensed...(he was)...and chastised him for it.

"Wasted, overapplied toxic pre-emergent" indeed...shame on you. For all we know the application RANGE was 5K to 10K square feet...which would mean not wasted, not overapplied, and not toxic. Maybe it was ..maybe it wasn't..but you came down hard on the guy without knowing.

Many so called lawn care professionals give their profession a bad name all by themselves...unfortunately to the detriment of the good ones out there.

You tell the guy he should be reported (to who and for what?) and that his lawn guy doesn't have a clue....based on what??

"Save us all a lot of headaches"??? What does that mean? You make it sound like the average homeowner is incapable of spreading fertilizer on his own lawn. It's the Homeowner Assistance Forum...not Homeowner Insult Forum. The guy posted cuz he was obviously worried about damage to his lawn and you jump all over him...and his lawn guy.

The real lesson the OP should take away here is if he wants it done a certain way..best off doing it himself. It ain't rocket science. There still is not enough info in this thread that anyone did anything improperly nor that there is any issue at all. Maybe when the lawn guy heard "split application" he assumed the owner would get him a second bag for the second app...as opposed to splitting the single bag across two apps....depends on EXACTLY what was communicated. Likely just an innocent understandable misunderstanding here.

Technically, in professional terms, a pest is any unwanted living organism. So, yes weeds are pests and therefore herbicide is a form of pesticide. If you are licensed to apply herbicide you know this.

 

[hal]

You are new just so you know this is 10 years old, dates on the lower left...

 

[KeenanD]

You are new just so you know this is 10 years old, dates on the lower left...

I know my post is ten years late, but that matter about pests was bugging me, and the link doesn't work anymore, lol.