It is time to start thinking about pre-emergents for your yard with Spring blooming in the very near future. When nature starts blooming, so will the weeds.
You have about a 6-week window to apply pre-emergents for them to be effective. That time frame runs from about the middle of January or early February
(as long as the weather stays relatively warm) until the middle of March.
Do you know what the 3 factors are that determine when seeds (weed seeds included) will germinate? They are soil temperature, moisture, and sunlight. The
pre-emergent must be applied and active BEFORE those three factors converge and germination occurs.
The best all-natural pre-emergent is Corn Gluten Meal. It is available in granulated or powder form and is applied at 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet.
I can tell you from personal experience that the granulated version is a LOT less messy to apply.
A few good synthetic pre-emergents are Halts, Dimension, and Gallery. They attack different weeds so be sure to read the label for the type of weeds in
your yard.
Any time you intend to apply pre-emergents and fertilizers around the same time, apply the fertilizer first. Water it into the soil deeply. Wait a couple
of days, then apply the pre-emergent and water lightly.
If you apply pre-emergents at the right time, you will have a yard that all of your neighbors envy.
