Preemergent and Spring Clean up

[johnnyjay]

Preemergent and Spring Clean up

Do you do Spring Cleanup before putting down preemergent or do you wait until just before the grass starts to grow? LESCO recommends put down preemergent in Feb in the Atlanta Area.

[KirbysLawn]

Last year I put mine down in Feb, ahd a few problems with late crabgrass when the Dimension was wearing off. I plan on doing Dimension in half dose and a second app later to help with the problem, we'll see...

As for the question, I would think it wouldn't matter as long as you waited a few days after the fert was put down. With the weather like it is now, I've already started cleaning up.

[Ocutter]

I usually put Pre down in mid march. I do the split application and put down the other half in May or June

[smburgess]

We start the first app in late Feb and a second app in late mar, then spot treatments after that with broadleaf/crabgrass control.

[KindGardener]

Is "timing" (when to apply) art or science? what dertermines it? I understand that it's soil temp...? do you stick a thermometer in the ground?)

[moonarrow]

The purpose of putting it down in Feb is to get it down before the weed seeds start to germinate you wait to long it doesn't have effiecent effect

[Mscotrid]

When you mean cleanups are you asking about turf or ornamental beds? I think cleanups can begin at anytime in the spring when you feel the majority of winter is gone. We tend to leave the grass a little long out here over the winter but definetly remove large clump areas of leafs.

As far as signs of spring, in our area quite a few people look for Forsythia's to bloom as a ear mark to begin Pre-E aplications. We also have a soil thermometer in the grass at our shop. The thermometer is checked first thing in the morning, usually between 7-8am. You want the true 24 temp, though it will go up during the day. We look for a consistent 50 plus degrees and try to have the majority of the treatments completed by that time.

There are many ways to tell when the time is right. Just try not to run your applications by Economics, stick with the Agronomics of the program.

[kutnkru]

We begin our Spring Clean-Ups as close to the third week of march as possible. Upon completeion of this service we apply our Pre-M as the first application.

Hope this helps,
Kris

[KindGardener]

Mscotrid: Since we don't have Forsythias out here... I guess the temp is really the indicator I need to look at.

moonarrow: I know early is better - I just dont want to have to apply it twice (it's effectiveness diminishes after a month or so, no?)

[leeslawncare]

Well from what i've been told .If the ground temp gets above 65 or when you see the yellow leaves on the forsenthia bushes the seeds have already began to sprout.an a pre -m kills the seed b-4 they spout.so it's to late to kill seed.?correct me if i'am wrong but thats what i've been told .We try an start by the 14th depending on the weather.

[thelawnguy]

The local Lesco has a large board with the previous days' soil temp on it, according to them you need to get the preemergent down before the soil temp hits 55, the magic number for crabgrass germination.