Winter Weeds, We Hate Them!
Did you struggle last year with winter weeds galore in your beautiful pristine yard? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! It seems like last year weeds moved in early and set up shop for a long, LONG stay. Almost all grasses seemed to suffer from it, but what is there to do? Give up? Tear up your grass and put down AstroTurf?
“AstroTurf? Not in my yard” You might reply. Check out this site if you really want AstroTurf in your life, but not in your yard. It might inspire you to work a little harder in getting your real grass to look lush.
Really, what are the options of combating winter weeds? There are a few easy steps that you can take depending on what type of grass you have and how “Organic” you’d like to be.
Got Bermuda or Zoysia?
Awesome, we love you guys! The solution for you is as easy as throwing down some Crabgrass Preventer by Greenlight in the early fall months. When all of your buddies are out tossing their money away with Fescue seed and Lime, you can toss some of your hard earned cash away on some Crabgrass Preventer by Greenlight. This product with create a pre-emergent control for any weeds that might want to pop up throughout the course of the wintertime. Since this product contains no fertilizer, its safe to use while the grass is dormant. If you opt to use any other weed control product, you risk the chance of getting a product that contains fertilizer – something you DON’T want to apply before your grass is going to sleep for the winter.
Did you struggle with winter weeds last year? Did you notice that there was a rich green sheen on your dormant fescue last year? No problem, throw some of this product down and it will knock it right out. Apply again in the Spring to maximize the effect and prevent summer time weeds too. One bag does approximately 5,000 square feet so take measurements and stop in to visit us.
If you are already burdened with the beast of a yard full of weeds, this product will NOT help you. You must alleviate yourself of the existing weeds before you start controlling future weeds. Bonide make an excellent product that we carry called “Crabgrass and Weed Control”, which is a concentrated liquid. Just hook it to the end of your hose and spray away your weeds.
Got Fescue?
How about some turf arithmetic?
Fescue = Awesome Grass
Fescue + Winter Weeds + Typical Fall Nitrogen Fertilizer = Yikes, What a Nightmare
Fescue + Winter Weeds + Liquid Crabgrass Control + Fertilizer With Crabgrass Control = A Nice Lawn Eventually
Even if you’re not awesome with math, these equations are pretty simple to follow.
Be Warned! If you’re looking to spread seed this time of year, you may NOT put down pre-emergent control of any sort. You must prioritize whether you want to spread seed and later battle your weeds or if you’d like to control your weeds and hope your existent turf fills back in.
In the case that you’ve already sprayed and still want to seed, waiting time varies according to what you’ve sprayed. On most herbicides waiting a total of two weeks is ample time to wait before throwing down seeds, BUT it depends on what you’ve sprayed. Be careful, and if you MUST spray weeds with a topical herbicide – be certain that you spray only the areas that need it. Don’t over spray and broadcast the whole yard.
It is safe to use a product that has both Crabgrass Control AND fertilizer on your Fescue at this time. This will feed your Fescue and get it thick and green and weed free for the winter time. Once spring time rolls around, you can switch over to the same Crabgrass Control WITHOUT fertilizer to assist in combating your summer weeds.
Want to be organic? Try Corn Gluten.
Don’t forget, we have all of our super informative Turf Care Sheets uploaded on the Resources Page of the website for you to print off and keep for reference for years to come.
