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Miracle gro evergreen complete 4 in 1

georgiapetrou77georgiapetrou77 Posts: 52
in Problem solving
Hi just used some Miracle gro 4in1 yesterday and have woken up to a black lawn. I know this is supposed to happen but my question is will this product kill my newly planted roses and other plants? Is there anything I can do to get rid of any spillages into my flower beds? I have watered heavily but worried I may have just made everything worse. Would greatly appreciate any advise anyone can offer. 
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  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    You'll have to wait and see I'm afraid but do go and remove any you can see lying on treasured plants.

    It is vitally important with these products to follow the dosage instructions to the letter and keep it off the beds.   Sounds to me like you've overdosed as it's just the weeds and moss that go black and there should be some grass left.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • georgiapetrou77georgiapetrou77 Posts: 52
    Hi, thank you for your reply. My lawn was covered in clover but I do wish I didn't bother with this product especially after reading so many bad reviews. Next time I will read reviews before I buy so another lesson learnt for me. I recently planted some David Austin bare root roses so I hope nothing bad happens to them. I thought if I watered everything heavily then that would wash away or dilute the strength of the weed killer. 
    Green fingers crossed!
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    Evergreen 4 in 1 is absolutely fine if used in accordance with the manufacturers instruction.  If the lawn has gone black literally overnight from application you must have serious exceeded the correct dosage.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited April 2021
    If I use that sort of stuff (and I only use it on the front grass and then only every five years or so in extremis), I measure out the area and mark it in 1m squares with canes and twine. I weigh the appropriate amount of treatment into a paper cup and mark the level. That enables me to sprinkle the right amount of treatment evenly over each sq metre. Its time consuming but I find that works far better than using a wheeled spreader with the risk of blockages and overlaps. 

    That being said, this year we’ve bought some low-growing  white clover seed to sow on the lawn after scarifying the worst of the moss out. It’ll stay greener than the grass does in a drought, look pretty and feed the bees. 🐝 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    And if you applied it only on the lawn, on a still day to avoid any drift, and not on the roses and other plants, then they  shouldn't be affected. If it was applied to other plants then you can only wait and see what the damage from the weedkiller in the 4-in-1 is. Be careful if you water the lawn heavily that you don't get run-off onto the borders/flowerbeds that might have the 4-in-1 in it.
    As others have said, more is not better with these kinds of products. If in doubt, use less and you can always reapply in a few weeks or spot-treat any surviving weeds with a lawn weedkiller product.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    How did you apply it? 
  • Captain_ChaosCaptain_Chaos Posts: 60
     :open_mouth: I was considering this stuff if I lose my ongoing battle with dandelions in the lawn. If I do, I'll be sure to be very careful now. 
    Growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional.
  • Dinnerplatedahlias🌸Dinnerplatedahlias🌸 Posts: 99
    Our lawn was about 70% moss and weeds when we first moved in 3 year ago. We’ve done 3 treatments of the evergreen 4 in 1 and this year we have literally zero moss and a very healthy looking lawn. 
    This product is not a quick fix. Your lawn will look a lot worse before it looks better.
    Scarify the dead patches, give it a bit of time and reseed 👍
  • TheScottishGardenerTheScottishGardener Posts: 62
    We did one treatment using this product last year and just done the same this year and so far, very very good. As previous posters have said you really must follow the correct dosage instructions. Only our weeds have ever turned black, and our grass has come out phenomenally with such a nice colour and lush growth into the summer months. As others have also said, give it time, rake up the black in a few days time and give it a while longer to allow the grass to come through (it is also a feed for the grass after all). If you have overdosed it then you could always overseed with some superfast grass seed. Another thing that helps is to aerate to allow water in where it may be compacted underneath.
  • georgiapetrou77georgiapetrou77 Posts: 52
    Thank you all for your suggestions but unfortunately I didn't measure anything out before use but as suggested in a YouTube video i walked up and down as it poured out but I think I used too much. I will wait and pray none of my plants have been killed in the process. 
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