Winter lawn weeds should be dealt with BEFORE the temps start rising. We want to treat winter lawn weeds now because our lawns are fairly dormant and really can’t be damaged by weed killers and pre-emergents. See some tips and FAQ below.
DETAILED PROGRAM INFO → HERE
From our Pre-Emergent Page
Important:
→ Pre-Emergents have a MAXIMUM annual application rate / dosage clearly printed on the label. Do not exceed the maximum annual amount. If you plan to do more than one treatment in a season / vary the usage / brand of the product / chemical. Click picture to better understand.
→ If you plan to do the double treatment Doc does, VARY THE PRODUCT and use the lowest application rates on the label for each product. (Read more below)
#1 – Target your WEED at the right time.
You apply a pre-emergent based on the weeds you want to PREVENT for the next 3-5 months. Example: There is no reason to worry about CRABGRASS in the late fall, going into winter, but you would want to target Poa Annua and other winter weeds / grasses. However, you WOULD want to make sure your preemergent stopped crabgrass when putting down in March or April. (based on your zone).
#2 – Many liquid pre-emergents cover a broad spectrum
Many products listed below will cover a broad spectrum of target weeds. So make sure you read the label and make sure your TARGET weed is covered. They often cover crabgrass even though you are not targeting it. (Such as fall and winter) But that’s OK… they’ll stop those darn winter weeds like chickweed and poa annua.
#3 – Vary using both light treatments of granular and spray for best results.
We have found the best results from applying at a LOW RATE of each listed on the label. You can space these out a few weeks in-between. Example… a low rate of granular early in the spring / late winter and then a LOW RATE of the liquid right on time a few weeks later. Generally you only need one treatment in the fall. By law… you have to follow the label which means you may be limited to “X” number of applications or maximum rates per year. Finding a BROAD SPECTRUM granular is not easy.
#4 – DO NOT OVER APPLY or APPLY TO NEW SOD
We try to write these instructions at an “8th grade reading level”… but some have suggested that we say OVER APPLY pre-emergents. That is NOT what we are saying. Apply ONE chemical in granular form lightly… then come back a few weeks later and apply a different spray chemical LIGHTLY. Example: Barricade DG then Dimension (shown below).
PRE-EMERGENTS stop seeds from developing and inhibit new root growth at a shallow level. (1-2″) New sod should never have pre-emergent applied. We suggest a FULL YEAR of growth before using light treatments on NEW SOD. Instead use a post emergent to control weeds and be patient.
For most people the target soil temp we want to watch for is 50 degrees.
This is the time of year we start to think about → pre-emergents for our lawns, but also dealing with current lawn weeds. Most will start applying pre-emergents around late February – March. But the key is basing you treatments on soil temps. I do DOUBLE TREATMENT on my lawn because I feel pre-emergents are the most important step in great lawn.
If you have winter weeds, go ahead and kill them with the right → WEED KILLER. If you have Poa Annua in your Bermuda grass, you’ll probably need to use Image shown there. Next, putting down a STRONG pre-emergent barrier in the late winter and early spring will prevent the use of more harmful weed killers when the grass starts growing. You can then PUSH your lawn with → Super Juice and get it to fill in quickly preventing even more weeds. (Below are winter weeds in a neighbor’s yard on January 24th)
This year I will be putting out the granular pre-emergent show → HERE first… and then come back in March with the liquid on that page and treat again. I am probably more aggressive than most with pre-emergent but that is simply because I have seen over the years the EXTREME benefits of going heavy.
Note: Always adhere to the label’s annual restrictions amounts. Each pre-emergent will have a maximum annual application amount printed clearly on the label. Do not exceed. Click the pic to better understand.
If you have NEW sod that is totally dormant you can put down pre-emergent now, in the winter, but do not apply as the warmer weather starts to move in. The rule of thumb is no PE for the first 6 months, but you can get by with some during total dormancy. PE can slow root growth on new sod.
Again I stress… Putting down NEGATIVE products now is the key for a great lawn. Come spring time we want to be pushing the living heck out of our Bermuda lawns with only POSITIVE products.
