bed pre program

[grassmasterswilson]

Was at a class getting my pesticide continuing ed credits. The host does quite a bit of spraying. He handed out a simple lawn app program and other info.

His landscape bed pre was as follows(growing season here is March-Oct)

Feb-march -- 1 qt Metolachlor and 1 lb Isoxaben per acre
Sept - Oct -- 1 lb Prodiamine and 1 lb Isoxaben per acre

First of all I'm not familiar with Metolachlor and can't find much on it beside being a ag product( this guy has oxadiazon as his pre in lawns which if i thought was not labeled for home lawns).

What kind of control do you think you would expect from that? Would it be a solid enough program to sell as a pre program with very few breakthroughs? I'm curious your thoughts.

[greendoctor]

I see grassy weed breakthrough. Metolachlor is a short half life preemergent that works on crabgrass and goose grass. It has activity against annual sedges and yellow, not purple nutsedge as well. There is also a short list of ornamentals this product is safe around. Metolachlor is highly water soluble and mobile in the soil. Heavy rain or too much irrigation will move it off target. It is highly restricted in my state, but due to its short half life and limited weed spectrum, I do not miss it. You would probably do better to apply the prodiamine/isoxaben mix in spring and follow up in fall with Dimension. I find that Dimension works better when applied during the cooler part of the year. I am surprised by the oxadiazon as well. As a residential applicator, the understanding is that it is for directed applications into landscape beds only, never for use on lawns. Now if this guy does a lot of parks and sports fields, that is why he knows about oxadiazon on lawns.