Control out of the gate

Timing that first spring application is everything. “Right out of the gate, we want that first pre-emergent application out by April and no later than May,” says Cory Dennis, general manager of Lawn Tech in Avon Lake, Ohio. But a lingering winter could push back the first application. Often, there’s snow in April. 
In Connecticut, it’s the same story with predicting spring. Some years, the first application goes down in March, and other years, the weather isn’t ideal until May.
“Timing is the most critical piece for Round 1, because if you put that down too early it will break down before it can create a barrier,” Vaughan says. 
At YardApes, Round 1 consists of a granular crabgrass pre-emergent weed control along with a three-way herbicide to control early signs of weeds that can crop up in areas where soil is warmer, such as along sidewalks. Getting that first pre-emergent down is important because crabgrass germinates earlier than turfgrass, Vaughan points out. “Usually, 50 degrees Fahrenheit is the key temperature in terms of crabgrass starting to germinate, whereas turfgrass germinates at about 60 degrees,” he says. 
YardApes chooses a granular pre-emergent because Vaughan believes it provides more consistent control, and there’s less of a likelihood of run-off than with liquid. However, the company does use a liquid for spot-treating weeds. 
At Haller’s Landscaping & Lawncare in Sparta, Tennessee, the first application is a slow-release granule sulfur-coated nitrogen pre-emergent fertilizer. “I usually make two granular applications, first starting at the end of February or the first of March, depending on the weather, and then again six weeks after that,” says Patrick Haller, president. 
Haller will change the pre-emergent product he uses – the active ingredient – from year to year. Dennis follows the same practice. “If the crabgrass was crazy last year, then we may up the formulation to put on more active ingredient,” he says. The application rate stays the same, however.
What helps assure that the first application really “sticks” to a lawn? 
Vaughan combines the broadleaf pre-emergent with a spreader-sticker product. “That has been a huge help because we deal with a lot of broadleaf weeds here that have a waxy outer shell,” he says. “To make the most of our applications, we find adding a spreader-sticker is a lot more effective than not using one as far as getting the product to (adhere).”
Dennis also uses a spreader-sticker with weed control applications. “The chemistry allows it to go down the front and back side to kill the weed,” he says.