Pre-Emergent
What You Need to Know!
Weeds are an unwelcome sight in almost any scenario. Looking out at your
lawn and seeing sharp, hideous,
and nightmarishly misshapen weeds standing tall and choking
the life out of the plants
you purposely planted is a sight no one wants to behold. But what can be done
and how can this seemingly never-ending issue be combated? Well, when it comes
to weeds there are only two solutions, you can either use pre-emergent or post-emergent methods. Most
people when thinking of dealing with weeds often picture the post-emergent
methods. Maybe this is you or someone else on their hands and knees pulling
crabgrass and other weeds out by the roots or someone with a backpack sprayer
coming in and using some type of weed control solution.
However, what if I told you there was a way to deal with weeds
before they even started to grow with a pre-emergent solution.
What is Pre-Emergent and Why is it Important?
Pre-emergent, to put it simply, is a type of herbicide that works to
prevent weed seeds from germinating. As the pre in pre-emergent states this product
is to be applied before
weeds have started to germinate. Post-emergent on the other hand, are processes used
once the weeds have sprouted through the ground. So why is applying
pre-emergent so important? Well, as World War I Navy Admiral William F Halsey
once stated, "all problems become smaller when you confront them instead of dodging them." When you confront
weeds with a pre-emergent your weed issue becomes smaller
throughout the season. If you were to skip the pre-emergent, dodging the weed issue in a sense, and wait until the weeds have sprouted then you will be dealing with a much larger issue later on in the season.
Does Pre-Emergent Treat Weeds Once They Have Germinated?
Unfortunately, pre-emergent does not work on weeds that have already germinated.
The timing
for putting down a pre-emergent is very important. Here in the Treasure Valley
area, for the most effective pre-emergent application the product is
typically applied in the month of March for the spring application and September/October for the fall application. If you are a new client and sign up
after March, we may put down pre-emergent as it is still effective just not as
effective because by now weeds will have started to germinate. The fall pre-emergent treatment is needed as many weeds spread
their seeds during
late summer and early autumn months and can germinate in the fall lying dormant in the winter.
Does Pre-Emergent Remove the Need of Post-Emergent Applications?
You would think if a pre-emergent was placed down correctly that you
would not have to deal with any weeds throughout the season. Alas, this is not the case. What is commonly
not realized is that weeds are spread by all sorts of different
methods. The pre-emergent will get rid of the weed seeds that are currently
in your lawn but has no effect on weeds that may be spread later in the season.
Seeds are spread by a variety of methods including but not limited to animal
droppings, irrigation, wind, and just coming over from your neighbor’s yard.
You will see more weeds throughout the year if you are on irrigation water as
opposed to city water because often times weed seeds are spread through the
irrigation canals, down your sprinkler pipes, and right out of your sprinkler
heads! Since weeds can still be spread throughout the year, it is important to have an ongoing post-emergent plan.
How Do You Get a Pre-Emergent Application?
Easy, sign up for one of our lawn care programs. Spring
pre-emergent is offered
in all of our lawn care programs along with fertilizer and weed control
applications to keep the weeds out and the lawn healthy. Our Gold package which
also happens to be our most common package also includes a Fall pre-emergent, but you can add a Fall pre-emergent to any of our packages. We no longer
offer just a pre-emergent application because as mentioned before this is not a
one-time application that cures all. You will still need continuous lawn care
and weed control treatments to keep your lawn looking healthy, green, and
beautiful. Give us a call to see what our lawncare
prices look like and always
feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.
