On Fri, 23 Jan 2004 16:59:28 -0600, "welsh dragon" no email wrote:

My garden was plagued with crab grass last year. I would like to prevent
having to pull it by hand ( I have gone back to school and know that would
be a wonderful distraction from my studies!!). When is the best time to
apply a pre emergent in the texas panhandle ( zone 6b) I asked at my local
garden center but non of the employees seemed to know and as they didn't
have any of the stuff in stock I couldn't check. I hope one of the wise
souls on here can help.
Thank you
Sarah


Early spring. Purchase your crab-grass preventer in advance--any
brand will do as long as you follow the manufacturer's directions.
Carefully watch your neighborhood for the first dandelions in bloom.
When you see that, apply the crab-grass treatment that same week.
Mark your calendar (usually 90 days) after the first application.
Apply the second application at that time. Do not disturb the ground
with raking, aerating, etc as that will break the barrier. You won't
need a third treatment. In the fall, overseed your lawn. Crab grass
has a tough time growing in a thick lawn. My lawn no longer needs
crab grass preventer, but it took me 3 years to get there. Crab grass
seed can remain dormant for over 20 years. Sunny bare spots are
favorite areas for crab grass growth.