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ailidespain

help landlord is going to apply weed and feed next door

AiliDeSpain
9 years ago

I live in a duplex of sorts and the neighbors recently moved out and the landlord has been working on their place. .. Well this morning he informed me they are going to be spraying their yard with weed and feedand asked if I wanted my side done. Ummmmm no thank you. Now I'm paranoid about drift. It's windy today and If they spray in front it may drift on my flower bed. My garden is in the back and I'm worried about it to. What can I do to protect my plants?

Comments (10)

  • mrdoitall
    9 years ago

    Get some row cover and cover the plants... Or run a over head water sprinkler, that way it will dilute the spray and wash it off. Sorry that's all I could think of... Good luck... Let us know what you do and the out come...

  • digdirt2
    9 years ago

    First you need to know exactly what they are using - name. Then how it will be applied - spray or spreader. Most all Weed and Feed products are applied with walk behind spreader and poses no problems for your gardens.

    Spray can depending on exactly which it is and the only protection from them is plastic covers - roll plastic, large trash bags, etc.. It passes through row covers.

    Dave

  • nancyjane_gardener
    9 years ago

    Talk to the landlord and ask him to let you know beforehand so you can cover your plants!
    He should be happy that you're taking care of the yard! Many tenants don't! Nancy

  • AiliDeSpain
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    He just said weed and feed. I text him after our conversation to ask him to warn me before spraying but he must not have seen the text as when I was pulling up from picking up my daughter his wife was already spraying the front of the neighbors yard. She was using a hose and a container of something. I was mainly concerned about an area over the fence of my veggie garden that is a side yard for the other unit. I asked him in my text not to spray that area but I'm not sure if they did or not as he never replied. Ugh. I will be looking for signs of herbicide damage. .. Good thing I have back ups. Along that fence I have tomatillos and tomatoes planted, but I only planted half of my starts. Would herbicide affect garlic as well?

  • nc_crn
    9 years ago

    It's most likely MCPA dominate with Triclopyr or Dicamba (sometimes both) if it was sprayed or 2,4-D dominate (especially if it was granule based)...these are the most common "weed and feed" formulations for weeds.

    Unless the drift is a wall of a drift residue they generally don't do a lot. They work best with a direct soaking contact.

  • AiliDeSpain
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    So far no symptoms of any damage to either garden :)

  • planatus
    9 years ago

    Persnickety point: It takes a perfect storm of conditions, but it is possible for the 2,4-D in granular weed and feed products to vaporize into a "cloud" that moves to nearby areas and causes drift damage to broadleaf plants.

    Corn gluten is a natural alternative to use in spring, when crabgrass is germinating. If you can find a local source, perhaps your landlord will consider a change?

  • teabag43
    9 years ago

    Don't believe it corn gluten doesn't work.


  • jnjfarm_gw
    9 years ago

    Dicamba will drift even on a calm day. What is he trying to control. 2,4-d is good on dandilions and clovers. dicamba will control crabgrass. the drift will damage nearby trees and is deadly to tomatoes. in my area, weed and feed should have been done in late march. I have used granular in early spring and a gain in September to kill off lawn weeds. I now have good thick grass an don't weed only feed.

  • laceyvail 6A, WV
    9 years ago

    Well, corn gluten does work if applied at the right time for the seeds you're looking to exterminate. I have used it for years. But it does degrade, and if the seeds germinate much later than the application, then it doesn't work.