When Do You Apply Step Two of Scott's Lawn Program?

Scotts Step 2 is part of a four-step program that is designed to strengthen and green up your lawn from the roots up. Scotts Step 2 is a weed-and-feed product; it has a time-released fertilizer to safely green and thicken your lawn without burning and a weed killer to eliminate unsightly weeds from your lawn.

Scotts Step 2 should be applied as part of the four-step program in late spring from April to June. Timing a weed-and-feed is important because weeds must be actively growing in order for the product to work. Apply to the grass only when the daytime temperatures are between 60 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Scotts Step 2 contains a post-emergent weed killer, meaning that it will kill only weeds that are already growing in your yard and will not prevent weeds from sprouting.

Scotts Step 2 should be applied using a drop spreader or a broadcast spreader. If you use a Scotts drop, or rotary, spreader adjust your dial to 3 1/2. If you are using a Scotts broadcast spreader, adjust the setting to 6 3/4. Scotts Step 2 contains tiny, lightweight granules that must adhere to the surface of the weed in order for the product to be effective. This can best be done by wetting the lawn first or applying after a rainfall. No water should be applied to the lawn after application for 24 hours, either from rainfall or irrigation.

The weed killer in Scotts Step 2 is very effective and will not harm certain grasses. Scotts Step 2 is designed to be used on lawns containing bluegrass, ryegrass, fine fescue, tall fescue, zoysia and Bermuda grass or a mixture of types. Scotts Step 2 should not be applied to lawns containing dichondra, St. Augustine grass, bentgrass, Bahia or centipede grass lawns or newly seeded or sodded lawn. You should wait at least one month, or after the fourth mowing of newly planted seed, before applying.

Scotts Step 2 weed-and-feed contains three weed killers for maximum control, 2,4-D, dicamba and mecoprop. This combination will kill broadleaf weeds but has no control on grassy weeds such as crabgrass. There is a large list of weeds that Scotts Step 2 can control, but here are some important ones: aster, bindweed, black medic, buckhorn, bull thistle, burclover, chickweed, chicory, cinquefoil, red clover, white clover, curly dock, English daisy, dandelion, evening primrose, filaree, fleabane, ground ivy, henbit, knotweed (seedling), lamb's-quarters, mallow, morning glory, mustard, pigweed, plantain, prickly lettuce, puncturevine, purslane, ragweed, red sorrel, shepherd's purse, sow thistle, vetch, wild carrot, yarrow and yellow rocket.