Vegetables – Weed ‘n Feed Products

Q: I know they make fertilizers with weed killers that you can use on grass but is there a fertilizer/herbicide combination you can use on vegetables?

A: Sure! Just firmly attach a hoe to your bucket of 10-10-10, swing it vigorously, and you’ll have the latest “Weed and Feed” for a garden!

But seriously, folks….here’s the real scoop.”Weed ‘n’ Feed” products are manufactured in two forms. Some products fertilize and prevent weeds, some fertilize and kill weeds. If you used a fertilizer/weed preventer combination, your corn, bean and squash seed wouldn’t come up. If you used a fertilizer/weed killer duo, all of your broadleaf vegetables (tomato, pepper, pea, etc.) would be destroyed. Add to this the danger of inappropriate chemicals getting into your food and you realize that a “Vegetable Weed and Feed” is not very common.

In fact, only one herbicide is labeled for use on home gardens: trifluralin (click for sources). This chemical suppresses weed seed growth. It can be shallowly applied to the top of the soil and garden seeds can be planted under it. The product can not be used on all vegetables so read and follow the label carefully if you choose to use it.