 | Justin Cawyer is the CEO of American Lawn & Landscape Inc., and has been in the landscape industry for 22 years. Starting out as a mowing service, their business has expanded to include everything from landscaping to fertilizing and weed control. For a complete list of services, you can see their ad in Names and Numbers, visit yardsbyamerican.com, or call 620-249-5700. |
Lawn, Garden & Landscaping
2012-02-28 09:43:07
Spring lawn care
Q: I’ve heard there are chemicals that are crucial to the development of your lawn during the spring. What chemicals are they and is it really “crucial” for a nice lawn?
A: As spring approaches, lawn and lawn care season is in full tilt. If good weed control is desired, pre-emergent chemicals are, in fact, critical in the spring. They stop germination of crabgrass and other weeds. Crabgrass can quickly and easily take over a lawn, making attacking the problem at the germination stage very, very important.
The timing of when this is done is also crucial. Get the chemicals down early enough to stop the germination but not so early that it is ineffective. Crabgrass seed, for example, germinates when spring soil temperatures reach upwards from 50 degrees F. Weed scientists use 52 degrees F. at one-half inch deep as the trigger point for their application of pre-emergence herbicide. Most of the time, mid March is the ideal time to use the pre-emergent weed control chemicals although the best timing can vary by the type of chemical used.
Some choices include pendimethalin which is of the old chemical technology and should be applied by March 15th and doesn’t control as many weeds. Prodiamine which is based from newer technology is good but needs to be down before April 1st and will keep most grassy weeds and some broadleaf weeds from germinating.
One of the newest technologically advanced chemicals is Dithiopyr which can be applied all the way to May 1st but will only kill the germination of grassy weeds like crabgrass. You have a larger window to get it applied and it will also kill crabgrass all the way up to the 2nd leaf stage. This means it has some early post emergent control. Keep in mind the more rain we have in the spring the shorter of time these chemicals will last.
If you are concerned about getting the timing right or which chemical is best for your lawn, it is good to talk to a lawn specialist who can guide you in what is best. It’s that time of year again; make sure you time it just right, giving you that perfect head start for a plush, dark green and full yard this year! More next month.
