It’s time to apply Spring pre-emergent products to your lawn. With the 70-degree days in between all these cold fronts, weeds are popping up. That’s why the sooner a pre-emergent can be applied, the better the control of weed germination.
Organic Pre-Emergents
For organic solutions, use a corn gluten meal. Twenty-two weed species have been screened for susceptibility to corn gluten meal: Black Medic, Black Nightshade, Buckhorn Plantain, Catchweed, Bedstraw, Common Lambsquarter, Curly Dock, Dandelion, Purslane, Redroot Pigweed, Velvet-leaf, Annual Bluegrass, Creeping Bentgrass, Giant Foxtail, Large Crabgrass Orchardgrass, Quackgrass, Shattercane, Smooth Crabgrass, Wooly Cupgrass and Yellow Foxtail. Corn gluten meal significantly reduced plant survival, shoot length, and root development of all tested species. Apply corn gluten meal at the rate of 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet.
Synthetic/Chemical Pre-Emergents
A chemical or synthetically produced pre-emergent can also be used to control weed germination. At Russell Feed & Supply, we carry many pre-emergent options, including Hi-Yield Turf & Ornamental Weed & Grass Stopper with Dimension, Fertilome Broadleaf Weed Control with Gallery, Balan, and more. Stop in any of our locations and we’ll be happy to talk with you about which pre-emergent option may be the best fit for your lawn or landscape area.
Always read and follow all label directions. Furthermore, never apply spring pre-emergent products where lawn overseeding will be done or in vegetable gardens. Ultimately, the sooner a pre-emergent is applied the better control you’ll have over the weeds this season.