The first of September is the time to apply fall pre-emergent herbicides, so start thinking about it now. These herbicides do one thing and one thing only, they keep seeds from establishing root systems. We apply this in the spring and fall because that’s when we get the best bang for our buck. The big question is when is the best time? The rule of thumb is from the first of September to the first of November. I try for some time in the first two weeks of September. The kicker is that seeds don’t care what month it is. All they care about is the presence of soil, soil temperature, moisture, and a specific amount of sunlight. When the conditions are met, the seed will sprout. You should not apply pre-emergent herbicides in the garden when planting seeds. Do you know how big your lawn is? This is an important number and will be needed to apply the proper amount of pre-emergent (or any other product).
Pre-emergent herbicides are available in both synthetic and all-natural forms. On the synthetic side is “Turf & Ornamental Weed & Grass Stopper”. That won’t fit on our receipts so we call it “Dimension”. Dimension targets the grassy weeds and is available in a 12lb bag that covers 3,500 square feet and a 30lb bag that covers 10,000 square feet. “Gallery” zeros in on the broadleaf weeds and it’s available in a 10lb bag that will cover 2,000 square feet.
The all-natural is “corn gluten meal”. It’s available in powder and granulated in a 40lb bag. The powder activates faster but is a mess to apply. The granulated is slower to activate but is considerably less of a mess. Each bag will cover 2,000 square feet. As always read and follow the label directions. This link will help.
