When to apply Crabgrass Preventer?
 

x-no-archive: yes


I bet this is an annual question. I think I have been applying mine to
early, usually after my grass has started to grow and I have mowed it once
or twice.

Here is what I found during my quest for knowledge today! I was hoping to
find a straight forward answer, like some soil temp, but even that advice
varies.

-Start taking your lawn soil's temperature early in the morning. When it
reaches 55 degrees, apply crabgrass preventer.

-Apply crabgrass preventer as soon as established tall fescue and Kentucky
bluegrass lawns green up and start growing well.

-Crabgrass preventer halts the seed-sprouting process. If applied after this
year's crabgrass germinates, it will have no effect. The only exception to
this rule is a rather new product - dithiopyr - sold in a
herbicide-fertilizer mix called Dimension.

-Apply when temperatures reach around 70 degrees for a consistant period of
time, typically for more than 2 or three days.

-Apply in early spring before weeds sprout (before temperatures are
regularly in the 80's).

-When the forsythia bushes starting to flower, or the redbud trees start to
bud, or before the dandelion weed puffs and spreads. (Hell, I don't have
any of these in my yard!)

Anyone want to add their $.02?

Cheers,
Jim

Don't know what zone you're in, but in most northern zones at least, I think
the UW-Extension recommendation should apply: Treat for crabgrass with a
preemergent product when the forsythia are in full bloom. Around these
parts (Zone 5), that should take into account the soil temp, which is the
critical point at which the crabgrass seed is ready to germinate.

"Play4abuck" wrote in message
news:xNj2e.11192$jX6.10595@okepread02...
x-no-archive: yes


I bet this is an annual question. I think I have been applying mine to
early, usually after my grass has started to grow and I have mowed it once
or twice.

Here is what I found during my quest for knowledge today! I was hoping to
find a straight forward answer, like some soil temp, but even that advice
varies.

-Start taking your lawn soil's temperature early in the morning. When it
reaches 55 degrees, apply crabgrass preventer.

-Apply crabgrass preventer as soon as established tall fescue and Kentucky
bluegrass lawns green up and start growing well.

-Crabgrass preventer halts the seed-sprouting process. If applied after
this
year's crabgrass germinates, it will have no effect. The only exception to
this rule is a rather new product - dithiopyr - sold in a
herbicide-fertilizer mix called Dimension.

-Apply when temperatures reach around 70 degrees for a consistant period
of
time, typically for more than 2 or three days.

-Apply in early spring before weeds sprout (before temperatures are
regularly in the 80's).

-When the forsythia bushes starting to flower, or the redbud trees start
to
bud, or before the dandelion weed puffs and spreads. (Hell, I don't have
any of these in my yard!)

Anyone want to add their $.02?

Cheers,
Jim

I applied crabgrass preventer 7 days ago. The guideline is to apply
it within 5 days of seeing the first dandilion blooms. I might see one
or two dandilion blooms on my yard, but lots more in the
neighborhood--that tells me it's the right time. Today's crabgrass
preventer has a slightly different directions than those used years
ago. I'm in zone 7 and usually apply the crabgrass preventer close to
March 20.

On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:36:52 -0600, "Play4abuck"
wrote:

x-no-archive: yes


I bet this is an annual question. I think I have been applying mine to
early, usually after my grass has started to grow and I have mowed it once
or twice.

Here is what I found during my quest for knowledge today! I was hoping to
find a straight forward answer, like some soil temp, but even that advice
varies.

-Start taking your lawn soil's temperature early in the morning. When it
reaches 55 degrees, apply crabgrass preventer.

-Apply crabgrass preventer as soon as established tall fescue and Kentucky
bluegrass lawns green up and start growing well.

-Crabgrass preventer halts the seed-sprouting process. If applied after this
year's crabgrass germinates, it will have no effect. The only exception to
this rule is a rather new product - dithiopyr - sold in a
herbicide-fertilizer mix called Dimension.

-Apply when temperatures reach around 70 degrees for a consistant period of
time, typically for more than 2 or three days.

-Apply in early spring before weeds sprout (before temperatures are
regularly in the 80's).

-When the forsythia bushes starting to flower, or the redbud trees start to
bud, or before the dandelion weed puffs and spreads. (Hell, I don't have
any of these in my yard!)

Anyone want to add their $.02?

Cheers,
Jim

There are also several long-handled weed removal hand tools that can
help you do the dandilion and crabgrass job without tearing apart your
lawn or using toxic chemicals.

Ray

__________________________________________________
Talk about Weeds: World of Weeds www.ergonica.com

Couldn't agree with you more about dandelions. Pop 'em out as deeply as
possible with one of those v-shaped weed diggers and you're well on your way
to a dandelion free lawn.

The difficulty of digging out crabgrass, however, is that usually by the
time you realize you have it, it's already starting to throw seed (for next
year). A preemergent product simply keeps the seeds from growing beyond
germination.

Personally, tho, I don't mind any lawn weeds -- as long as the ground isn't
bare, all is well -- I'm too busy trying to pull the weeds from the flower
garden!!

Suzy in Milwaukee, WI, Zone 5

"raycruzer" wrote in message
ups.com...
There are also several long-handled weed removal hand tools that can
help you do the dandilion and crabgrass job without tearing apart your
lawn or using toxic chemicals.

Ray

__________________________________________________
Talk about Weeds: World of Weeds www.ergonica.com

S Orth wrote:
Couldn't agree with you more about dandelions. Pop 'em out as deeply
as
possible with one of those v-shaped weed diggers and you're well on
your way
to a dandelion free lawn.

The difficulty of digging out crabgrass, however, is that usually by
the
time you realize you have it, it's already starting to throw seed
(for next
year). A preemergent product simply keeps the seeds from growing
beyond
germination.

Personally, tho, I don't mind any lawn weeds -- as long as the ground
isn't
bare, all is well -- I'm too busy trying to pull the weeds from the
flower
garden!!

Suzy in Milwaukee, WI, Zone 5

"raycruzer" wrote in message
ups.com...
There are also several long-handled weed removal hand tools that
can
help you do the dandilion and crabgrass job without tearing apart
your
lawn or using toxic chemicals.

Ray

__________________________________________________
Talk about Weeds: World of Weeds www.ergonica.com



Once crabgrass has already started growing, the only tool that can pull
out most of it is the Weed Twister. The Weed Twister helps you locate
the root systems and twists out most of the roots quite easily. This
is the Weed Twister with the double coils, not to confuse it with other
tools also called Weed Twister. Using this tool, it may take 2 or 3
seasons before the crabgrass is history. Assuming you don't like
crabgrass, of course. If you don't like to mow or eat dandilions, you
need to remove the roots since the plants will resprout from old roots
every year (perenial).

Ray
__________________________________________________ __________
Talk about weeds: Ergonica World of Weeds www.ergonica.com

On 30 Mar 2005 12:03:02 -0800, raycruzer wrote:
There are also several long-handled weed removal hand tools that can
help you do the dandilion and crabgrass job without tearing apart your
lawn or using toxic chemicals.

Why would you want to pull crabgrass? It's an annual. Keep it mowed,
and in the fall seed with standard lawn grasses, use fertilizer and lime and
get the desired species growing well. Crabgrass is intolerant of shade
and a warm weather species, so if you get the standard northern cool
species grasses well established, there's no room for crabgrass.

Dandelions, however, are perennials, and you can dig them if you like.

The secret to avoiding weed establishment is canopy closure... when the
soil is well covered with the plants you want, or with a good thick mulch,
weeds can't move in.