Fall Pre-Emergent 101
The heat of summer will eventually cease and the cool temperatures of fall will finally arrive. At the beginning of fall, many people may think that this indicates the end of lawn care. Although the overall time spent on the golf course may be considerably reduced, the fall is essential for preparing your turf for winter and spring.
Applying a pre-emergent herbicide to avoid weeds is one of the prime things you can do for your turf during this time to minimize weeds in the cooler seasons.
What Is A Fall Pre-Emergent Herbicide?
As the name indicates, a pre-emergent is a kind of herbicide that prevents weeds from growing beforehand.
The differentiation between a pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicide is that a pre-emergent herbicide must be spread before a weed appears while a post-emergent herbicide must be applied to the already-grown weeds.
The purpose of a pre-emergent is to apply it to stop weeds from germinating from seed. This refrains them from developing during the cooler months and eliminates any effort or time spent removing them.
Pre-emergent does not kill already present weeds. Instead, it prevents them from growing in the first place. It works by creating a barrier in the soil that hinders weeds from germinating.
It can be difficult to eliminate weeds after they are already developing, so be prepared ahead of time by applying a pre-emergent herbicide in the fall and save yourself money and time — especially if you know beforehand which weeds are prone to invade in the winter each year.
Which Weeds Do Fall Pre-Emergents Tackle?
Some annual weeds can persistently grow during the winter based on your geographic location. Some of these weeds are poa annua (also called annual bluegrass), crabgrass, and goosegrass.
Annual weeds generally come out in the fall and winter and continue growing actively in spring. Once they flower in spring and vanish during the summer, they usually come back in the fall or winter when seeds sprout.
When Should Pre-Emergents Be Applied?
Although the time of applying pre-emergent differs, it is best to spread pre-emergent herbicides twice a year, that is during the fall and spring. In the spring, apply a pre-emergent herbicide before the ground temperature comes to 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
However, in the fall, pre-emergents are generally applied between the months of August and November based on your location. No matter where you live, the application time for fall pre-emergent must be when temperatures are under 70 degrees and falling.
Note: Applying a pre-emergent herbicide prior to overseeding in the fall can prevent your seed from germinating. Your common pre-emergent can kill the seed that you suppress 100% of the time.
How Do You Apply A Pre-Emergent Herbicide In The Fall?
Choices can be daunting for choosing a pre-emergent herbicide. Make the selection process easier by searching for a herbicide that performs well on the kind of weed you have seen in past years and for your species of grass.
Most herbicides show on the back of the product which grasses they can and should not be used on and which weeds they can kill. After simplifying your selection of herbicides, the last thing to select between may be a liquid vs. granular herbicide. Liquid herbicides are typically mixed with water in a tank and sprayed.
Though this takes more effort and time, you generally get more quantity of product. For instance, a 50-pound bag of granular herbicide can cover around 12,500 sq. ft. On the other hand, a half-gallon bottle of liquid herbicide can cover about 87,000–228,000 sq. ft. Read the product label for mixing guidelines and implement all safety precautions when applying/mixing chemicals.
Dry, or granular herbicides, are little pellets coated with herbicides that can be applied with a drop or broadcast spreader at the rate recommended on the product label.
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