Question
Hello,
Today, I did work on my lawn.  I dug the soil, put some garden soil, and then planted some flowers.  Not a lot of work but 5' by 1' in size.  Well, I bought some "Scotts?Turf Builder?29-3-4 Fertilizer" from home depot in canada, to use the lawn fertilizer for my grass.  By mistake, after planting the flowers, my younger sister put some of that fertilizer on the flower that we planted.  Now I am just worried that would it get worst, or is it okay to leave that with flowers?  Please help me, if needed to remove, then I will be removing those part of soild from there.  The "Scotts?Turf Builder?29-3-4 Fertilizer" contains Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, and 2 % of Iron.  Please help me and thanks in advance

Answer
'Some' fertilizer?

Can I assume it was a fairly small amount?  A light dusting, like you would apply to the Grass?

Tell me it was a light application.  Because any damage will depend on how much Fertilizer your sister gave the plants.

If just a small amount, panic not.

But it was very close.  You could have been in trouble.

Thank heavens your Home Depot was in Canada.  The Canada authorities prohibit a lot of the toxic waste that Scotts puts in a lot of its products here in the US, where homeowners are so lax about them.

It's the WARNING signs all over the package that bother me the most.  What do you think is going to happen when it rains, Ali, and the rainwater runoff pools in your driveway?  Birds will come down for a drink.  This is toxic to Fish.  Do you think it will be good for Birds?  How do you think the Earthworms are going to like all that Urea and Iron Oxide?

No, even Canadian Scotts is a great big mistake for your grass.

But you have lucked out.  You're SO lucky you did not have the type with the Scotts weed-killer mixed in, as so many of the Scotts American Grass Fertilizers do.  If you had, it would be too darn late.

But it's OK.  If she just put on a Grass-dose size of Fertilizer.  And this bag really is herbicide-free.

The deadly herbicide part is not the problem.  The high Nitrogen Urea part is a problem.  And not just for your flowers.

Here's why.

Urea is a cheap, fast-release form of Nitrogen that begins to evaporate into the air the moment it's out of the bag and on your Grass.  Or, in your case, your Flower Bed.

Your Flowers don't need a ton of Nitrogen.  Depending on how much of this Urea Fertilizer went down on the Soil, your Flowers will either be frying from the chemical burns or they will be 'drinking' the Nitrogen and making themselves some big, beautiful LEAVES.

Because Nitrogen builds LEAVES.

The tiny '3' percent Phosphorous and the '4' percent Potash are miniscule.  Flowers will be too busy making Leaves to bother with buds.  What kinds of flowers did you plant?  Please advise.

The Iron was a complete waste of money.  Almost all the soil in North America has PLENTY of Nitrogen.  Like I said to someone yesterday, if Scotts put Tomato Juice in their Fertilizer, would you assume it was good for your Grass?  Does your Grass need Tomato Juice?  Do you assume that Scotts knows a lot more about Grass than you?

Most Americans would be happy to buy Scotts Turf Builder with Tomato Juice.  Because they trust Scotts.  So do you.

Why?

Those beautiful, expensive, alluring commercials is why.  We all want lawns that look like that.  We LOVE Scotts Lawns in their ads.  Some people would die for a chance to have those lawns.  And they do.

Scotts products kill people all the time.  Have you seen the number of garden industry workers and collateral victims who have died using those chemicals?

Of course not.  Because Scotts spends a lot of money on advertising, and they would pull their ads from a newspaper that told that to the world.  You're happier not knowing these things, anyway.

Back to your lawn.  I'll stop hitting you over the head with this.  You've heard enough.

The Urea in the Fertilizer disappears quickly.  The salts are caustic and if you put enough down, they will burn the roots of your Flowers just like they would burn the roots of your Grass.

Water in well and wait for it to go away.  Because Urea does that.  It is the cheapest form of Nitrogen money can buy and it vanishes within hours of application.  Meantime, the Grass breathes it right in, and makes more chlorophyll and leaf surface out of it, without the root system to support it.  Then it runs out of Urea, and the roots don't have any more energy, and the Grass is back to its ordinary Green self again.

Try something healthy next time.  Something ALL your plants can love.  All your Earthworms, your Birds, your pets, your children can play in and enjoy life.  There's lots of things.  They're cheaper, healthier and foolproof.

And if your sister dumped a LOT of Fertilizer, remove all plants at once and wait a month, then replant.

Thanks for writing.