How Long Does Weed and Feed Take to Work? Day-by-Day Signs
Sarah MitchellLawn Diagnostics Specialist | 12 YearsAs an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Weed and feed starts working on weeds within a few days: Scotts' Weed & Feed5 page says stems and leaves "begin to twist and curl in a few days." Complete control can take "a month or more," so judge the result at about 4 weeks.
That timeline assumes the label conditions: weeds actively growing, daytime temperatures consistently between 60°F and 90°F, grass wet when you spread, and no water or rain for 24 hours after. In November, many northern lawns no longer meet that 60°F line, so expect a slower response, and judge any survivors at spring green-up.
Loading Weed and Feed Check...
Is it working, or did something go wrong? A granular weed and feed such as Scotts Turf Builder Weed & Feed3 carries two products in one bag. The fertilizer and the weed killer run on different clocks. The checks below tell you which stage you are in, and what to look at if nothing changes.
How long does each stage take?
The table follows Scotts' product directions for its granular weed and feed and Purdue Extension's broadleaf weed guide (AY-9). The day counts are check points.
| When | What happens | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Day 0 to 1 | Granules sit on wet weed leaves. The herbicide has to stay on the leaf to work. | No watering and no rain for 24 hours. Do not mow. |
| First few days | Broadleaf weeds begin to twist and curl (Scotts). | Look at dandelion and plantain leaves for twisting, cupping or bent stems. |
| Day 10 | Purdue's check point when rain fell within 24 hours of spreading. | No results by now after early rain means the first pass likely washed off. Weed & Feed3 still needs 30 days before a second full application, so spot-treat or wait for day 30. |
| Day 30 | Large perennial weeds can still be dying. | The earliest date for a second full application on Weed & Feed3 (at least 30 days apart, at most 2 per year). |
| A month or more | Complete control (Scotts' wording). | Spot-treat the holdouts instead of spreading the whole bag again. |
The grass can green up from the fertilizer while the weeds are still standing. If neither the grass nor the weeds have changed, go to the troubleshooting section.
What should you see in the first week?
Which weeds are you looking at? Weed and feed kills broadleaf weeds such as dandelion, clover and plantain. The weed killer in Scotts' northern bags is a broadleaf herbicide, so crabgrass, foxtail and nutsedge will not react at all. If the weed you are watching has grass-like blades or a triangular stem, the product was never going to kill it. Our common lawn weeds guide helps you name it first.
For a broadleaf weed, these signs mean the herbicide is in the plant:
- Leaves twist, cup or curl, and stems bend.
- The weed stops putting up new flowers.
- Leaves fade to yellow, red or purple, then go limp.
Wild violet and ground ivy are harder. Purdue's AY-9 says they spread by underground stems or root stocks and that "multiple herbicide applications may be necessary." If most weeds curl and those patches don't, the product is working and those patches need a follow-up spot treatment.
Why is weed and feed slower in November?
Does your bag's temperature rule still fit? Scotts' directions say to apply when weeds are actively growing and daytime temperatures are consistently between 60°F and 90°F. Scotts' Weed & Feed5 page adds that "November might be pushing it, but it really depends on where you live." In much of the North, November highs fall below 60°F, and weeds grow slowly, so they take up and move the herbicide slowly.
Purdue's turf team says October and November applications are more effective at killing the entire weed than spring ones. Purdue's AY-9 gives the best window as mid-September to early November. In fall, weeds move food down to their roots, and the herbicide moves with it. Purdue's advice covers broadleaf herbicides in general, and its fall-control page says to spray on sunny days above 55°F. For a granular weed and feed, the bag's label is the legal instruction, so follow its 60°F line.
What does that mean for a fall application? Expect the full month or longer. Purdue notes that weeds weakened in fall may die over winter. If a few weeds look alive at the first hard frost, wait for spring green-up before you decide it failed. For dates in your area, see when to apply fall weed and feed.
Is your lawn St. Augustine?
Scotts says not to use Weed & Feed3 on St. Augustinegrass, including Floratam. St. Augustine lawns use an atrazine product such as Bonus S Southern Weed & Feed instead. Its directions are the reverse of the northern bag:
- Apply to a dry lawn, then water it in right away.
- Do not apply during winter dormancy. The bag label says to wait until after the third mowing of the season.
- Wait at least 2 months between applications, with at most two per year.
How long does Bonus S take? Scotts' Bonus S page says: "You'll see weeds start to show signs of dying within a week or two, but it can take up to 5 weeks for some of the tougher ones to be completely gone." Already spread Weed & Feed3 on St. Augustine? Send a photo of the damage to your county extension office. The Bonus S guide covers rates and timing.
Granular or liquid: which works faster?
Granules have to stick to a wet leaf and dissolve before the herbicide gets in. A liquid lands on the leaf already in solution. Scotts says weeds treated with its Liquid Turf Builder Lawn Food Plus Weed Control begin to curl within a few days, and hard-to-control weeds may need a repeat application in 3 to 4 weeks. Purdue says spray applications are generally more effective than granular weed and feed when applied correctly.
So which should you use? For a whole lawn with weeds spread through it, a granular weed and feed does both jobs in one pass. For a handful of weeds after a granular treatment, a liquid spot spray reaches them without another full dose of fertilizer.
Nothing changed after 10 days. What went wrong?
Let's rule out the common causes in order. Each one has a check.
- Rain or sprinklers within 24 hours. Water washes the herbicide off the leaf. Check your rain gauge or the sprinkler timer for the day after you spread. If it got wet, the first pass likely washed off. Weed & Feed3 still needs 30 days before a second full application, so spot-treat the weeds until then.
- The grass was dry when you spread. On a dry leaf, the granules roll off. Did you apply in the afternoon, after the dew dried? That points here.
- It was too cold or too hot. Compare your local daytime highs for that week with the 60°F to 90°F range on the bag.
- Missed strips. Are there stripes of healthy weeds next to stripes of curled ones? That pattern points to the spreader. Check the spreader setting on the bag (3½ on Scotts broadcast spreaders for Weed & Feed3), or look it up in the spreader settings tool, and overlap your passes.
- The wrong kind of weed. Grassy weeds and sedges do not respond. Confirm what the weed is before you buy anything else.
- You mowed too soon. Scotts says to let the lawn rest at least 24 hours after spreading. Purdue's broadleaf guide is stricter: no mowing for 3 days before and after.
If none of those fit and broadleaf weeds still look healthy at 4 weeks, contact your county extension office with a photo of the weed. They can confirm the ID and suggest a different active ingredient.
Should you spot-treat or reapply?
If most of the lawn responded and a few patches remain, spot-treat those weeds with a liquid broadleaf killer that lists them on its label. Another full pass adds a second dose of nitrogen to grass that does not need it. Consider a second full application of Weed & Feed3 only when weeds survived across the whole lawn. Wait at least 30 days after the first, and stay within the label limit of two per year.
Mowing, watering, kids, pets and seeding
When can you mow? Scotts says to mow a day or two before and to let the lawn rest at least 24 hours after. Purdue's broadleaf guide is stricter: no mowing for 3 days before and after. If the grass can wait, follow Purdue's longer spacing.
Granular Weed & Feed3 does not need watering in. Wait 24 hours, then water normally. For kids and pets, follow the re-entry direction on your bag's label.
On new grass, Weed & Feed3 waits until the lawn has been mowed 4 times. Seeding after treatment depends on the product. The Weed & Feed3 label copy says to wait at least one month. Triple Action contains a crabgrass preventer, and Scotts says to hold off seeding, sodding or aerating for at least 4 months. The overseeding after weed and feed guide covers the details.
For spreader settings, rates and bag sizes, see the Scotts weed and feed instructions. If you're planning next year, how often to apply weed and feed covers spacing.
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Broadleaf weeds begin to twist and curl within a few days, according to Scotts, and complete control can take a month or more. Judge the result at about 4 weeks. The timeline assumes the label conditions: weeds actively growing, daytime temperatures consistently between 60°F and 90°F, wet grass when you spread, and no water for 24 hours after.
Dandelion leaves usually start to twist and curl within a few days. Scotts says complete control can take a month or more, so give large clumps the full month before you decide. Spot-treat any that are still healthy after that.
It can, but slowly. Scotts' directions call for daytime temperatures consistently between 60°F and 90°F, and its Weed & Feed5 page says November might be pushing it, depending on where you live. Purdue notes that fall treatments can weaken weeds that then die over winter, so judge survivors at spring green-up.
Check for rain or sprinklers within 24 hours, a dry lawn when you spread, temperatures outside 60°F to 90°F, missed strips from the spreader, and grassy weeds or sedges that broadleaf herbicides do not control. If rain fell within 24 hours and nothing has changed after 10 days, Purdue says to consider retreating. Weed & Feed3 still needs 30 days before a second full application, so spot-treat until then.
Not for the first 24 hours with a granular northern weed and feed such as Weed & Feed3; water washes the herbicide off the weed leaves. Southern atrazine products such as Bonus S are the opposite: apply to a dry lawn and water in right away. Read the bag for your product.
Scotts says to mow a day or two before and to let the lawn rest at least 24 hours after spreading. Purdue Extension's broadleaf guide is stricter: no mowing for 3 days before and after.
Weed & Feed3 allows at most two applications per year, at least 30 days apart. If only a few weeds survived, spot-treat them with a liquid broadleaf killer instead of spreading another full dose of fertilizer across the lawn.
Sources (8)
- Scotts Turf Builder Weed & Feed5 product page: twist and curl in a few days, a month or more for complete control, 60°F to 90°F, 24 hours without water, mowing, and "November might be pushing it."
- Scotts WinterGuard Fall Weed & Feed3 product page: moist grass, no watering for 24 hours, grasses not to treat.
- Scotts Bonus S Southern Weed & Feed product page: dry lawn, water in, 2 months between applications, results in a week or two and up to 5 weeks. The dormancy, third-mowing and twice-a-year rules are from the bag label.
- Scotts Liquid Turf Builder Lawn Food Plus Weed Control page: curling within a few days, repeat in 3 to 4 weeks.
- Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action product page: 4-month wait before seeding, sodding or aerating.
- Scotts Turf Builder Weed & Feed3 bag label: wet grass, 24 hours dry, at most 2 applications a year at least 30 days apart, broadcast setting 3½, new grass mowed 4 times, one month before seeding, not for St. Augustine.
- Purdue Extension AY-9, Control of Broadleaf Weeds in Home Lawns: mid-September to early November window, the 10-day check after rain, mowing delay, violet and ground ivy.
- Purdue, Fall broadleaf weed control applications: October and November effectiveness, sprays versus granular.
Photos: Yung-Lun Lin / iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0
