Dandelions Are Coming

Use the Following Information to DIY your best lawn or Schedule a Free Estimate.

They are coming!!!

The Bright, Yellow, Vibrant, Pesky, Undesirable Dandelions Are Coming

Fortunately, they can be prevented before they sprout and controlled even after they develop.

 Pre-emergent herbicides are applied to lawns in the Spring and Fall to prevent the germination of weed seeds. Some prevent crabgrass from appearing in the yard. 

Pre-emergent herbicides Established plants will not be affected. 

A couple of effective pre-emergents are SnapShot 2.5 TG and Specticle G. The label is the law, so always follow label directions when applying.

In the Spring, apply when air temperatures reach 65–70 °F for four consecutive days. 

In the Fall, apply when nighttime lows are 55–60 °F for four consecutive nights. 

Products that contain pre-emergent herbicide and fertilizer should not be used on southern lawns or warm-season grasses. 

Applying when the pre-emergent herbicide is needed, the fertilizer may burn or stress the lawn. 

If applied after the lawn green-up, weed seeds will have already germinated. 

The herbicide will be ineffective. 

Pro-Tip

Water herbicide within seven days to prevent poor resultsr.

Mystery Solved!

Stop weeds before they get a foothold by applying a pre-emergent herbicide at the right time.

When should You treat with pre-emergent weed control?

Knowing when to apply pre-emergent herbicide can mean the difference between having a lush, weed-free lawn or a yard riddled with dandelions and other unwanted plants.

Pre-emergents stop the seeds of unwanted plants from sprouting in the first place. Applying them too late won’t do any good. 

Early Spring and Fall are the most effective times to apply pre-emergent herbicides. 

• Early spring application: By treating lawns and perennial flower beds in early Spring, gardeners can drastically reduce the number of annual summer weeds such as: crabgrass, foxtail, and sandbur, which germinate in late Spring. However, this is not the time to treat the soil in a garden or annual flower bed where beneficial seeds, such as flowers, corn, cucumbers, or squash, will be sown. Pre-emergents don’t keep just unwanted weed seeds from sprouting—they keep all weed seeds from germinating, so hold off on using the product in a garden or flower bed until the desired plants get established.

• Fall application: A lawn might appear virtually weed-free going into Fall, but then weeds suddenly appear. Pre-emergents applied in Spring are no longer protecting the yard by this time, and a few invasive weed seed varieties, such as henbit and chickweed, are lying in wait for cooler temps before sprouting. After sprouting, these hardy weeds will remain small, perhaps even unnoticeable, throughout the winter. Those weeds will revive in Spring and grow with a vengeance. Then, it’s too late to use a pre-emergent—a post-emergent herbicide is needed.