If weeds seemed to be an ongoing problem in your lawn last year, you may have omitted a very important ingredient in the weed-prevention battle – applying a pre-emergent!
It’s not practical to think you can completely eliminate weeds with a single application or cultural practice of anything. There is no silver bullet that kills all weeds and an effective program adjusts to the needs of the property on a seasonal or annual basis.
Timing is Critical with Your Pre-Emergent
All weeds have a survival strategy and cannot be completely eliminated due to them having different life cycles and methods of reproduction. Seeds can lay dormant for years before they germinate, surviving drought, fire, and herbicide applications. Even if you were to completely clear a property of seeds, seed and vegetative propagules can easily be transported to the property by wind, water, animals or human activity.
Pre-emergent herbicides are an important tool in effective weed management, but proper timing of the application is crucial and can be tricky.
How Pre-Emergent Controls Weeds
Pre-emergent is targeted towards weeds that have not yet emerged from the soil. To obtain the best results and avoid wasting time and labor costs later on, weeds shouldn’t be visible above ground at the time of application.
Weed control is a constant process. There will always be weed seeds under the surface of your lawn and some of those seeds will germinate each year. Annual applications are needed to significantly reduce large infestations of weeds. So if you haven’t been following a plan or schedule for applying a pre-emergent to your lawn, you probably feel like you’re fighting a losing battle against the weeds.
Pre-Emergent Must Be Mixed Correctly
Pre-emergent herbicides must be mixed correctly for the spray solution to be at the appropriate strength. Think of pre-emergents as being like a blanket – you need to cover an entire area through which the weed seeds cannot germinate. Spot spraying achieves little or nothing, as there is just too much open space for weeds to come through.
Water In Your Pre-Emergent
Watering in the pre-emergent activates the herbicide, creating a barrier just below the surface of your lawn. Most products call for at least a half inch of irrigation or rain within 21 days after application. If you’re working with a non-irrigated area or a drip zone, apply the pre-emergent just before rain is expected.
In the Grand Strand area, NOW is the time to be putting a pre-emergent on your lawn. But as mentioned before, mixing the right pre-emergent for your lawn is crucial, and coverage is important as well. For professional assistance with a pre-emergent application for your lawn, call Super-Natural Landscaping.
We can tailor a lawn treatment program for your lawn all season long, or just apply the all-important pre-emergent to your lawn now to help you control weeds later on down the road. Call us today for a free estimate at 843-246-5598. Or, complete our short form for a free, no-obligation quote on any landscaping issues or assistance you need help with in the Myrtle Beach area. To get more Myrtle Beach landscaping tips, as well as tips for any of your landscaping projects, visit us on Facebook.
