7 Best Weed and Feed Fertilizer for Grass Lawns (Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter)

Just like all plants, the grass in your lawn needs a regular supply of nutrients in order to grow and sustain itself.

Without these, weeds and moss will quickly take over, leaving your grass looking pale and patchy.

Here’s how to pick the best weed and feed lawn fertilizer so that your grass can enjoy all of the nutrients it needs, without having to compete with any weeds.

And the Best Weed and Feed Fertilizer is …

Let’s cut to the chase – for an effective weed and feed that can be used on all types of grasses, the BioAdvanced 709861F is what you need.

Not only does it contain a specialized, triple-action formula that will deeply nourish your lawn, but it’s also one of the few products on the market to be made with a significant amount of iron, which your lawn will absolutely love.

Best Weed and Feed Reviews

BioAdvanced 709861F Science-Based Solutions Lawn Weed and Feed

Features:

• Covers 5,000 sq. ft. of lawn
• Granular formula
• Each application provides 3 months of feed

What We Like

This formula contains a specialized micro-feed action that targets the grass, its roots, and the soil, giving you a much stronger and healthier lawn. Unlike most other products, it also contains 2.5% iron, which is crucial for a lush lawn – you’ll likely notice a difference in less than a week.

What Could Be Improved?

Due to this product’s unique formula, it’s one of the only weed and feeds out there that comes with an expiration date. After 5 years, this product won’t be quite so effective, but this won’t be a problem for most, since it will likely be used up before then.

Scotts Turf Builder Starter Food for New Grass Plus Weed Preventer

Features:

• Covers 5,000 sq. ft. of lawn
• Designed for new and young grass
• Weed killer lasts for up to 6 weeks
• Granular formula

What We Like

The fertilizer used in this formula is extremely effective. It’s one of the only products designed specifically for young grass, and will give your lawn a huge surge in growth.

The weed killer used in these granules is powerful enough to tackle common lawn weeds, without harming new grass.

What Could Be Improved?

Although one of the weeds this product has been designed to target is crab grass, don’t expect miraculous results.

You will likely notice a 50% reduction in your crab grass – those who want it fully cleared will need to also pull it up by hand or use an additional weed killer.

Ortho 9994110 Weed B Gon Plus Crabgrass Control

Features:

• Designed to eradicate more than 200 types of weeds
• Liquid formula that comes in a spray bottle, ready to be used

What We Like

This is one of the best weed killers to use on crab grass. It works in about a week, after which you’ll only need to spray it on new crab grass that appears.

Due to its handy spray bottle design, it can also be used as a spot treatment on problem areas, in addition to being used on your entire lawn.

What Could Be Improved?

Unlike some of the other weed killing products out there, this one takes a little longer to work – usually a week or so, rather than just a few days.

It also doesn’t affect any newly-germinated weeds, especially crab grass, requiring regular applications until you’ve got things under control.

Scotts Liquid Turf Builder with Plus 2 Weed Control Fertilizer

Features:

• Covers 6,000 sq. ft. of lawn
• Liquid formula that can be attached to a garden hose
• Fertilizer works in 24 hours, while weed killer works in just a few days

What We Like

The way in which this product can be attached to a garden hose makes application so easy, even for large lawns. It’s quickly absorbed and improvements in both lawn fertility and weed dominance can often be seen by the next day.

What Could Be Improved?

The bottle for this product was recently redesigned, with many of the new bottles being defective and not allowing the product to be used properly. If this happens to you, even after you have correctly followed all of the instructions, get in touch with the company for a replacement.

The bottle for this product was recently redesigned, with many of the new bottles being defective and not allowing the product to be used properly. If this happens to you, even after you have correctly followed all of the instructions, get in touch with the company for a replacement.

Keep in mind that those with Southern lawns will need to dilute this product more than those with Northern lawns.

Dow AgroSciences Grazon Next HL 2 Gallon

Features:

• Covers 1,000 sq. ft. of lawn
• Works on more than 100 types of weeds
• Liquid formula

What We Like

This is one of the few weed and feed products out there that is livestock-safe, making it ideal for those who need to treat both lawns and pastures. It takes about an hour to dry onto your lawn, after which it will effectively kill any weeds, while giving your grass a dose of feed.

What Could Be Improved?

Be careful when following the dilution instructions that come with this product. This formula is extremely strong, so you may want to dilute it down even further before using it on your lawn.

Start with a small area first until you have worked out the ideal concentration for what you need.

BioAdvanced 100532514 Lawn Fertilizer and Weed Killer

Features:

• Covers 5,000 sq. ft. of lawn
• Works with more than 200 different broadleaf and grassy weeds
• Granular formula

What We Like

Many granular fertilizers are quickly washed or blown away by wind or rain, but this one has very small granules that stick to the grass well. It tackles most weeds pretty much immediately, and you’ll notice a huge difference in just a day or two.

What Could Be Improved?

If you have large areas of weeds in your lawn, keep in mind that you will likely end up with some bare patches once this weed and feed has worked its magic.

However, wait a while and the fertilizer in this formula will encourage your grass to quickly take over, leaving you with a full and healthy lawn.

GreenView 2129267 Weed and Feed with Crabgrass Preventer

Features:

• Covers 5,000 sq. ft. of lawn
• Works with over 200 types of weeds
• Granular formula

What We Like

This is a professional-quality product designed for use on fairways, but it’s fantastic for home lawns too. The slow-release fertilizer feeds grass for up to 12 weeks, and the weedkiller not only tackles established weeds, but also prevents new seedlings from emerging.

What Could Be Improved?

Although effective on a wide range of weeds, this product struggles to deal with crab grass, meaning an additional weedkiller may be required.

This formula is also too strong for certain types of grasses, such as St. Augustine, carpet grass, and dichondra – using it on these varieties will lead to serious burns in your lawn.

Lawn Weed and Feed Buying Guide

Types of Weed and Feed Fertilizer for Grass Lawns

Weed and feed fertilizers come in 2 main forms, with each one having its own advantages and disadvantages:

Liquid Feeds

Also known as quick-release fertilizers, liquid feeds are commonly poured or sprinkled onto a lawn. They are usually purchased as a concentrated solution that can be mixed with water, although powdered forms, which also need water added, are available too.

The main advantage to a liquid fertilizer is that the nutrients are quickly released into the lawn, making them instantly available. They soak into the soil, meaning that the wind isn’t able to carry them away.

However, the nutrients that are released from a liquid feed don’t stick around for very long. They usually last for about two to four weeks, after which your lawn will need another dose.

Liquid feeds can also be a little inconvenient to use. Granted, if you’ve got an applicator to attach to your garden hose, then using a liquid feed is easy enough. However, if you’re diluting in a watering can, then you may need several fills before your entire lawn is covered, especially if your garden is on the large side, which can end up being quite cumbersome.

While getting the dosage right is important for all weed and feed products, it matters even more if you’re using a liquid fertilizer. Although they’re great for giving your lawn an instant burst of green, use too much and you’ll end up burning your grass.

Granular Feeds

Otherwise known as slow-release fertilizers, granular feeds are usually applied dry, although some can also be mixed with water.

Since granular feeds release a slow and steady supply of nutrients over a longer period of time, you won’t need to use them quite as often. 8 weeks in between applications tends to be sufficient, although this does depend on the exact product you’re using, as well as the weeds that you’re tackling.

One downside to granular feeds is that it can be difficult to ensure that you’re spreading them evenly over your lawn. A fertilizer spreader may be required if your lawn is large.

Unlike the way in which liquid fertilizers immediately sink into the ground, granular fertilizers remain on the surface. This makes it more likely for them to be blown or scattered away, meaning a higher amount of waste.

Choosing the Right Nutrients

Most weed and feed products will contain a balanced level of nutrients, with the main ones being:

• Nitrogen
• Phosphorus
• Potassium

They will likely also contain a range of different micronutrients, which are also crucial for a healthy lawn.

While balanced products suit most lawns, those who want to go the extra mile should do a soil test on their lawn first. These are inexpensive yet extremely helpful – they’ll tell you if your soil, and therefore your lawn, is lacking in any nutrients.

Deficiencies are more common than you’d think, and knowing about them means that you can pick a product that helps to treat that deficiency, leaving your lawn looking healthier than ever.

Type of Weeds

Some fertilizers are better than others when it comes to certain weeds, making it important to understand exactly what you’re dealing with before purchasing any lawn products.

Most formulas will do well with common weeds, such as dandelion, crab grass, and chickweed. However, if you have less common weeds dominating your lawn, then make sure that the weed and feed product you choose is able to target these.

Type of Grass

Grass comes in many different types. Just like with all plants, each one has its own unique requirements.

In order to pick the best fertilizer for your lawn, you need to choose a formula that has been created for the type of grass you have.

For example, if you have Southern grass varieties, you’ll need a strong fertilizer rich in nutrients. However, if your grass is still quite new and young, then you’ll need a lighter formulation to prevent burning your lawn.

Time of Year

The needs of your lawn, as well as the types of weeds appearing in it, will change with the season. This means that any fertilizer you use needs to be suitable for the time of year that you plan on using it in.

• Spring – this is the best time of year to use a combined weed and feed product. Your lawn will be slowly fighting back from winter damage, so it could do with balanced nutrients. Nitrogen is especially important during your lawn’s growing season.
• Summer – you can use a lighter fertilizer in the summer, especially if you’re also mulching your lawn with grass clippings.
• Fall – look for a weed and feed designed to strengthen and toughen up grass, since this is what your lawn needs to survive the winter months with the least amount of damage. A potash or phosphates-based formula is perfect for this.
• Winter – you don’t need to fertilize or weed your lawn in the winter months. At this time of year, it’s best to leave it alone.

Child-Friendly/Pet-Friendly

You’ll notice that many of the available weed and feed products out there claim to be both child- and pet-friendly.

However, what those products don’t tell you is that some animals, such as cats and dogs, absorb lawn chemicals in through their paws, where they then remain in the body for an extended period of time.

Other pets, such as rabbits and guinea pigs, depend on grass for nutrition, so you need to be very careful about the products you use around them.

The same applies to young children. It might be safe for them to play on a newly-fed lawn, but what happens if they put some of that grass into their mouth?

If you’ve got animals or kids using your lawn, it’s always worth doing a little bit of extra research into any chemical product that you’re considering.

Let’s see how to use weed and feed fertilizer for your lawn:

Frequently Ask Questions

Conclusion

While the BioAdvanced 709861F is definitely one of the best weed and feed products out there, don’t forget to also keep your specific needs in mind.

From the age of your grass to the types of weeds you’re dealing with, find a product that meets your exact requirements, as this is what will give you a lush, thick lawn.

Last update on 2024-06-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API