Scott's Weed & Feed & Vincas

21 years ago

Hello. I'm fairly new to gardening.

Last year we had lots of hot pink vincas growing very successfully in front of my otherwise perennial garden. Really loved the look.

This year my husband applied scott's weed in feed to the grass directly adjacent to this bed, which is edged. He said he was very careful not to apply to flowers.

Then I planted my annuals--same as last year--exact same type--hot pink vincas--and they slowly shriveled up and died. All of them. Then I planted again, being very careful to water them in and pulled off all old mulch before planting. Died again. This was a lot of work because large area.

Okay, since I was getting a little irritated, I asked my husband to dig up the soil and replace with miracle grow soil from a bag, then re-plant third batch of vincas.

I came out when he was almost finished. Instead of digging up the soil as I had requested, he dug up just a tiny amount and mainly just applied miracle grow on top of the old soil. He replanted and they died again.

I'm at my wits end. I really want vincas to grow in this location. They looked great last year. Lots of compliments and they face the road.

My idea is to dig up ALL of the soil in that area and replace with soil from a bag. Will this work? How deep do we need to dig? And how wide? Do we also need to dig up the soil on the other side of the edging? (Vincas will be planted just along the inside edge of the edging--maybe a few inches from the edge.) Is the Scott's Weed & Feed the likely problem?

Thanks for any repies.

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Comments (11)

Kathy46
21 years ago
I would recommend laeaving that spot vacant this season.

After many rains/ waterings you should be ok for next year though.

DH has done it to me too !
Kathy
pinkclogs
Original Author
21 years ago
It really needs more color. I may have to leave that space empty, but I'm just wondering if anyone has tried digging and replacing the soil in a case like this?

I guess I could also try replanting the annuals in one-gallon containers and then planting the actual containers in the bed, but I'd prefer to dig up the soil.

Maybe I'll just have to leave the darn space empty. We now have a "rule" that DH cannot spray anything without my prior approval!!!
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lindac
21 years ago
Plant in pots for this year....set them around....and remember,,,,if you want a garden and weed and feed applied to your lawn....YoU apply the weed n feed!
I griped and Bi%$#%ed and my husband finally said "you do it!"...I said "buy me a good spreader"...and he did and I did....and there was once again peace in the family! LoL!
Linda C
Now can anyone tell me why I can't get anything when I hit shift and o????
pinkclogs
Original Author
21 years ago
I guess no one is buying my dig up the soil idea, including my husband. :(

I should be able to trust him with the stuff, but he's such a brute. He says he didn't over-apply the stuff, but he also said he didn't read the directions. Hmmm. Funny how would he know he didn't over apply if he didn't read the directions??!!??!!

Grrrrr. I'd rather have no stinking weed & feed--I doubt I could apply it well--then not have my annuals!!!!

Grrrr again. Thank you for listening. Still wondering about digging up soil. Planters wouldn't look great--I would have to literally plant the pots. What if they outgrow the pots? What if weed & feed seeps into the pots that are planted in the ground? Maybe that's the best idea. Sure sounds easier now that I'm thinking more about it.

Digging up and replacing soil might be a bit on the OCD side of life.

:)
breezyb
21 years ago
Yet another testimonial for organic gardening - lol!!!
lindac
21 years ago
>>Grrrrr. I'd rather have no stinking weed & feed--I doubt I could apply it well--then not have my annuals!!!! >>
Why do you think you couldn't apply it well? Can you read directions?....believe me it's not rocket science....if the idiots with the lawn care services can do it....so can you!
Linda C
davissue_zone9
21 years ago
I'm in the same boat.I'm smarting over killing some vincas this week by putting that pre-emergant weed killer on them after transplanting them to the ground out of six paks. I guess I put too much on. They were supposed to tolerate it, though. Still, what else could caused them to up and die so fast?! Now what am I going to put there? THe stuff lasts for months, and I assume anything I put in fresh will die too, darn it!
pinkclogs
Original Author
21 years ago
davissue--you might want to read same thread in florida forum. Some folks who know a lot more than myself are convinced that a fungus killed them--not the weed & feed.

Whatever killed them, I highly recommend that you not replant vincas in that spot this year. Some people on that forum suggested other annuals that are not susceptible to the fungus, so I MIGHT try that approach--and if it's the weed & feed I will know very quickly, cause I guess any new annuals will also die. Not sure about your zone--but verbenas come in a nice hot pink, the color I wanted in this spot. Good luck to us both!
stackpopper
19 years ago
i have an entire hillside of vinca minor. and there are some weeds that get into it, though for the most part, the vinca minor has a thick top and doesn't let anything through it. is there something i can apply to it that will help with killing weeds and doesn't hurt the vinca?? i do use pre-emergent....and that works splendidly.....but still.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
19 years ago
Stack, if the weeds you are talking about are grasses, you can apply a post emergent herbicide for grassy weeds over the top of your Vinca minor. However, if they are other broad leaf weeds, you'll simply have to remove them the old fashioned way....and the most efficient!
stackpopper
19 years ago
well, one pesky weed is that nasty wild onions....or whatever it is called. it goes crazy.

i'm not sure what a post emergent herbicide is....can you recommend one or three types??

i have used this spray called "grass b gone" that comes in a little squirt bottle. the vinca doesn't really like it that much, however, but it is the only solution i have found that doesn't kill it. and this vinca bed is about 300 feet by 15 feet. i'll go broke trying to go after the rogue dandelions.