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Designed to answer any questions you have regarding fertilization, weed control and ornamental turf diseases. Be sure and scroll to the bottom of the page for helpful articles and past entries.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Think Pre-Emergent as Early Fall Approaches

Pre-emergence critical to a beautiful lawn, must be applied by a certain date to be effective, without pre-emergent’s, your lawn would be riddled with weeds to a point impossible to control. What is a pre-emergent and when should they be applied? A pre-emergent is a class of herbicide designed to create a layer of protection just below the soil surface and remain in the soil to stop new weed seeds from germinating. Herbicides of this nature are designed to be applied in two different ways and some pre-emergent have other benefits as well, depending on the type and brand. Granular and liquid are the two types used in lawn care at different times of the year, some containing post-emergent qualities while others are strictly pre-emergent only. Each having similar benefits when applied at the right time, giving a homeowner the best chance of stopping most weeds from germinating at different times of the year. Spring and fall are times when weeds germinate; some being "Summer Weeds" while other weeds are labeled as "Winter Weeds" Without pre-emergent, the lawn care industry would not be effective enough to stay in business. Pre-emergent’s are crucial and remain the single most important part of lawn care, without the all important spring and fall pre-emergent, weeds are left to grow unimpeded, lawn care companies understand the vital importance of a pre-emergent applied at the right time, and cringe when a customer refuses or postpones a treatment containing one, knowing from experience the all important catalyst to an ornamental yard starts with a correctly applied pre-emergent, when applied at the right time in the right manner most weeds don’t stand a chance of germinating. Take the time to read up on the vital importance of pre-emergent qualities and benefits, begin to understand the vital role pre-emergent plays in the ornamental state of your lawn, realizing the benefits, a homeowner can come to the conclusion that pre-emergence is the answer to a weed free lawn. There relatively easy to apply in granular form with a garden spreader, or a lawn care company can be contracted to apply pre-emergent at the right time to be most effective, leaving it up to the Pro’s so to speak. However, if you want to tackle the chore yourself the following info is vital: In the North Texas region the ideal target window for fall pre-emergent is before Sept 15th for a true pre-emergent with no residual post emergent activity, after Sept 15th you must apply a pre-emergent that contains post emergent activity because some weeds may have already germinated making a pre-emergent without post emergent qualities ineffective. Pay special attention to label instructions or ask your local lawn care professional for help Lawn Tech @ 972-346-2696. Good Luck and may you always have a beautiful lawn.

3 comments:

Corey Dole said...

Fall is a great time to evaluate your lawn for the next year. I have noticed more grub control problems this year than usual around my area, perhaps it was from the dry summer! Have you noticed any other drought effects?

Unknown said...

Corey, drought in this region has been problematic from many standpoints, the most obvious is water restrictions placed by municipalities. Often homeowners don't realize how their irrigation system works or whether or not its operating properly, you'd be surprised how porly some operate. Secondly, we have noticed a larger amount of insects than in previous years, grubs and bermuda mites have run rampent in the last few years of drought. Furthermore, weeds are germinating earlier than in previous years causing pre-emergents to not be as effective as in past years. Drought conditions definately provide a new list of problems for our industry as we try and make yards look ornamental.

Unknown said...

I put some pre emergent surprise on my lawn in the spring, which means that I'll soon be able to do it again this year. I find it effective, but I don't know if thats just me or if other people think the same way as I do.